Day: June 26, 2023

A total of 33 lives were lost in the Bono East Region through 42 road crashes from January to March this year, Mr Emmanuel Parry Acheampong, Regional Head, National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has said.

In the same period of 2022, he said 25 people died in 54 road crashes in the region, an indication of a slight increase in the number of deaths, he said.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said 137 people were injured through road accidents in the first quarter of 2023 as against 63 injuries recorded in 2022, while 23 pedestrians were knocked down within the period, as against 13 in the same period of 2022.

He said 61 vehicles including motorbikes were involved in those crashes, but within the same period of 2022, it was 98 vehicles.

Mr Acheampong said the passage of the new Legislative Instrument (LI) 2468 was timely and would compel road operators to abide by the law and deal with offenders who flouted regulations on the roads.

This, he believed, would make the work of the Authority more effective to help reduce road crashes occurring on the roads.

Mr Acheampong said the staff of the Authority had educated and continued to educate the populace about road safety, but some motorists were not complying, hence it was time for the law to take its course and punish offenders.

He, therefore, advised drivers to be cautious and comply with the provisions of the new LI by doing things right on the road to avoid being punished by the law.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Prosecution in the trial involving Alhaji Collins Dauda, a former Minister of Water Resources, Works, and Housing and four others are set to call five witnesses to testify in the case.

The evidence in chief from witnesses, coupled with cross-examination from the defence was estimated to last for 1,952 hours.

Justice Ernest Owusu Dapaah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge, made this known following the conclusion of Case Management Conference (CMC) and Case completion plan.

The Court has fixed July 10, 2023, to commence the trial. It has selected Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to hear the trial.

Other accused persons are, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, also a former Ministers of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, a former Chief Director, Mr Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS Ghana Limited (4th Accused) and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Chief Executive Officer, and owner of Ridge Management Solutions Ghana Limited, (5th Accused) are standing trial over the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project and are facing 70 charges.

They have all pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail.

They are said to have willfully caused financial loss to the state of over the $200M sum approved for the project.

Madam Hilda Craig, the Principal State Attorney informed the Court that the first witness would tender in evidence 113 documents on behalf of the prosecution.

Rev. Osei, whose evidence-in-Chief is expected to last for an hour-and-half, would be subjected to cross-examination by defence counsel estimated at over 720 hours.

Mr Eric Amankwah Junior, an Officer of the Ministry of Finance, would be the Second Prosecution witness and is expected to tender in evidence 31 documents. The prosecution would need an hour and half.

The Defence told the Court that they would need over 50 hours to cross-examination the witnesses.

Other prosecution witnesses are Ms. Lucy Tetteh Akuetteh from Bank of Ghana, who is expected to tender in evidence six documents, would be cross examined for an estimated 45 hours.

Meanwhile Kofi Ohene Oyirebi, the fourth prosecution witness, is estimated to use an hour and would tender a report.

He will also face an estimated 87 hours of Cross-examination from the Defence lawyers.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Charles Nyarko, the investigator in the case, will testify for hours and would be subjected to a cross examination for about 170 hours.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A-27-year old unidentified Fulani herdsman suspected to be a member of a robbery gang was run over by a vehicle after a failed robbery attempt on the Ejura-Nkoranza road.

This was when passengers on a Sprinter bus with the registration number AS 9159-14 narrowly escaped from the hands of the gang. General Constable Isaac Opoku Boateng was also on board the bus which was travelling from Yeji to Sunyani.

A police release forwarded to the Ghana News Agency said on Monday June 26, 2023 at about 0400 hours G/Const Opoku Boateng Isaac of Police Sunyani Station called Ejura Police and reported that he was on board sprinter bus with registration No As 9159-14 driven by Kwame Asamoah as escort with traders returning from Yeji towards Sunyani.’

‘On reaching the outskirt of Ahyiaem town of Nkoranza jurisdiction on the Ejura-Nkoranza stretch, met five armed Fulani men who shot into the said vehicle and caused damage to the fan blade.’

‘That Police returned fire and the driver knocked down and ran over one of the robbers, killing him instantly.

It said Police proceeded to the scene and found an unidentified, mutilated Fulani male adult aged about 27, lying dead in the middle of the road.

‘He was wearing a black jacket over a pink African wear and a black adidas trousers.’

Photographs were taken at the scene and on the body and the body conveyed and deposited at St. Theresa’s Hospital Mortuary, awaiting identification and postmortem.

Meanwhile, credible informants have been alerted to keep surveillance in the area and volunteer information for possible arrest of the perpetrators. Further development would be communicated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Judicial Council of Ghana is calling for the strengthening of partnerships with traditional authorities in the administration of justice and peaceful resolution of disputes.

‘Over the years in this country, the Judiciary has found the traditional authorities of the various communities as partners in their quest to serve the public through resolving disputes that are taken to courts and law enforcement agencies.

‘In line with this partnership, the leadership of the Judiciary has always encouraged judges who are newly posted to communities to visit the traditional authorities of the communities, pay customary homage to them and elicit their support and cooperation in the work of the Judiciary’.

Justice Gabriel Pwamang, a Member of the Judiciary Council and Justice of the Supreme Court made these remarks when he led a four-member delegation of the Judicial Council to pay a visit to the Talensi Traditional Council, at Tongo in the Upper East Region.

The visit was to resolve a misunderstanding that happened a few months ago at the Bolgatanga High Court in which two emissaries sent to invite Justice Alexander Graham, a judge at the High Court by Tong Raan Kubilisong Nanlebetang, the President of the Talensi Traditional Council were convicted for contempt by the judge.

The invitation was for the judge to assist the traditional council to use the customary laws to resolve some land litigation issues in the area, but the judge exercised his jurisdiction the way he deemed appropriate under the circumstances that were presented to him.

Justice Pwamang explained that the misunderstanding when not resolved could have wider implications on the long-standing relationship between the Judiciary and the traditional authorities in Ghana that had never compromised the independence of the Judiciary in the administration of justice.

He said the issue had been resolved and all parties had appreciated the situation and there was a need to strengthen the collaboration between the Judiciary and the traditional authorities to ensure justice, peace, cooperation and trust.

‘We wish to emphasize that this gesture by the Judicial Council is not intended to affect the decision of the judge that led to the reaction of the Paramount Chief.

‘However, it would not have been responsible on the part of the Judicial Council, which has the responsibility for the overall smooth administration of justice in the country, not to have responded to the concerns of the Paramount Chief in the most appropriate manner that our customary norms as Ghanaians require,’ he said.

Justice Pwamang used the opportunity to caution the media to be circumspect in their reportage on issues relating to conflicts and the courts, to ensure peace at all times.

On his part, the Paramount Chief expressed gratitude to the Judicial Council for steps taken to resolve the impasse and noted that ‘what has happened is in the past’ and pledged to strengthen the relationship between his traditional council and the judiciary.

The Paramount Chief, however, appealed to the Judicial Council to post more judges to the region to help in the speedy adjudication of justice.

The other members of the Judicial Council included Justice Aboagye Tandoh, Justice of the High Court, Mr Yaw Acheampong Boafo, National President of the Ghana Bar Association and Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, a government nominee on the Judicial Council and supported by Madam Rosemary Mroba Gaisie, Deputy Director of Communications at the Judicial Service.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court at the Police headquarters has sentenced a 22-year-old shop attendant to 15 years imprisonment for defiling a 16-year-old girl twice.

Anthony Ayew, charged with two counts of defilement and indecent assault, pleaded guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs Dora Eshun Inkumsah convicted Ayew on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly.

Prosecution led by Detective Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyei said the complainant was a 23 year old mobile money merchant who resides at Agbogboloshie, Accra.

Prosecution said the complainant was a brother of the victim aged 16 years.

It said Ayew also lived in the same house with the victim.

According to prosecution, the accused person, now convict, normally sent the victim on errands.

It said on December 25, 2022 at about 8:00 pm, the victim went out with her friend and while they were returning home, the victim met Ayew standing in front of his room.

Prosecution said Ayew called the victim and when she went, Ayew held the victim and dragged her into his room.

It said Ayew undressed the victim, twisted her hand behind her and had sex with her for the first time.

Prosecution said Ayew thereafter continued to have sex with the victim in the month of February 2023 and April 2023.

According to the prosecutor, recently the lights in the house of the victim went off so she decided to sleep outside in order to enjoy ‘fresh air’ outside.

While sleeping outside, Ayew went to sleep beside the victim and began sucking her breast.

In the act, the victim hit Ayew so hard that the sound attracted a witness in the case to the scene.

Prosecution said the victim informed the complainant and a report lodged with the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service where a medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.

It said after examination, a medical report was issued on the victim and Ayew was picked up.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Three suspected armed robbers have shot a mobile money agent at Wenchi in the Bono Region and fled with thousands of Ghana cedis and three mobile phones.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered the suspected robbery happened on Friday June 23, 2023, around 2100 hours and the victim, Raymond Kombanga, 32 years, is responding to treatment at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital.

When contacted, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Boakye Ansah, the Wenchi Divisional Police Commander confirmed, but declined to comment on the incident, and asked the GNA to contact the Bono Regional Police Command.

But, efforts made to reach the Police Public Relations Unit in the region were unsuccessful.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen at Wenchi, the wife of the victim who could not hold back her tears said, ‘my husband is now battling for his life at the hospital,’ saying, ‘I was in the house on that fateful day and received a distress call that my husband had been shot by some robbers.’

The woman, who said she was seven-month pregnant, appealed to the Police to be expeditious in their investigations, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.

Source: Ghana News Agency