suspects arrested, 3 excavators and weapons retrieved in Western Region
The Ghana Police Service has arrested nine more suspects and retrieved three excavators and three pump action guns in another anti-galamsey operation in the Western Region.
According to a post on the Service’s social medial handle, the arrest was carried out in the wee hours of 9th September, 2022.
The suspects are said to be made up of three Chinese nationals and six Ghanaians.
On Thursday, September 8, the Service arrested five Chinese nationals over the Ellembelle missing excavators.
This was done through “a special police operation conducted between the night of 7thSeptember till the dawn of 8th September 2022,” the statement said.
This arrest follows the retrieval of one of the excavators.
The development had earlier resulted in the arrest of the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzo, who was alleged to have attacked the police with some thugs during the operation to retrieve the excavator.
Mr. Bonzo has since been charged with five counts, according to his lawyer, Salome Erica Abakah. She said the charges he will face include assault, conspiracy to commit assault, and resisting arrest.
Although he was expected to appear before the Takoradi Circuit Court on Thursday, September 8, together with his accomplices, the case was not called.
He has however been granted bail while his thugs are still in police custody.
Meanwhile, investigations are still ongoing.
Source: myjoyonline.com
September 9, 2022 6:07am
Cedi is the third strongest currency in Africa, don’t believe naysayers – Dr. John Kumah
The Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. John Kumah , has debunked claims that the Ghana cedi is the weakest currency in Africa.
According to him, such a claim is mere propaganda meant to undermine the government’s fiscal measures in halting the free fall of the cedi against the dollar.
He stated that the cedi is currently the third strongest currency in Africa; however, he conceded that the rate of depreciation the cedi is experiencing might be the worst on the continent.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition, Dr. John Kumah notedthat currencies across the world are experiencing depreciations and thus, critics of the government’s fiscal policies cannot blame the poor performing cedi on fiscal mismanagement.
Source: by Cornelius Kweku Affre
Myjoyonline.com
September 9, 2022 12:40am
‘Sim card blockage unfair, unjust and unwarranted’ – Minority in parliament
The Minority in Parliament has described the blocking if Sim cards by the National Communications Authority (NCA) as unjust and unfair.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Friday, Ranking Member on the Communications Committee of Parliament, A.B.A Fuseini noted that the act by the NCA is a breach of the fundamental human rights of subscribers whose SIM cards have been blocked.
“The NDC Minority Members on the Communications Committee regard the denial of the right to make calls and even interference in receiving calls through unsolicited messaging systems as unfair, unjust and unwarranted breach of the fundamental human rights and freedom of the people.”
The Sagnarigu MP said the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization (MoCD) has no business setting deadline for the SIM card re-registration since they do not have control over the Ghana Card issuance process.
According to the Minority, the recent chaos and confusion arising from the blockage of SIM cards, and people’s attempts to complete the registration process would have been prevented, had the NCA and the MoCD allowed the Mobile Network Operators to synchronize their data with relevant agencies.
Source: by James Kwesi Avedzi
Myjoyonline.com
September 9, 2022 6:03pm
‘Accelerate printing of Ghana cards to qualified applicants’ – EC tells NIA
The Electoral Commission (EC) has called on the National Identification Authority (NIA) to accelerate the issuing of Ghana cards to enable prospective voters to register to vote.
The call follows the Commission’s decision not to us the guarantor system in the 2024 voter registration exercise.
According to the EC, the Ghana Card will be the sole identification document for the registration of voters.
This will take effect with the maturation of a yet-to-be laid constitutional instrument.
The Deputy Chairman of the Commission in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey, at a media engagement on Thursday, September 8, said it is feasible with the collaboration of all stakeholders.
Source: myjoyonline.com
9 September, 2022 6:38am
‘Akufo-Addo must resign if he can’t sack anyone for this Aisha Huang embarrassment’ – Manasseh Azure
Ace investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, says President Akufo-Addo must resign if he cannot dismiss persons who are complicit in the return of galamseykingpin, Aisha Huang to Ghana.
In a series of Facebook posts on Monday, he lamented the re-emergence of the ‘galamseyqueen’; questioning the competence of those at the helm of affairs.
In one of such posts, he wrote: “Akufo-Addo must resign if he can’t fire anyone for this Aisha Huang embarrassment. The sh*t is now beyond the ceiling”.
The comments by Manasseh Azure adds to the scores of public sentiments after it emerged that Aisha Huang and her accomplices were still about their illegal mining activities.
Ms. Huang was remanded into lawful custody by an Accra Circuit Court last Friday.
She is facing a charge of mining without a license and engaging in the sale of and purchase of minerals without a valid license.
Her accomplices; Johng Li Hua, Huang Jeiand Huaid Hai Hun have also been charged with the same offense.
The three, including a female (Jei) have denied the charge and the Court, presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah has remanded them into lawful custody to reappear on September 14.
Meanwhile, Attorney General, GodfredYeboah Dame, is set to prosecute the notorious ‘galamsey’ poster girl, Aisha Huang for her past and recent crimes.
This was disclosed after he requested details of evidence compiled by investigators in 2018 and what has been compiled on alleged recent offenses.
Source: by Paa Kwesi Schandorf
Myjoyonline.com
September 7, 2022 4:39pm
‘Your comments should be grounded in facts, not opinions’ – Mahama tells IMF Boss
Former President John Dramani Mahama has asked the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be truthful when commenting on Ghana’s economic woes.
Mr. Mahama insists that the reasons for the “mess” the country finds itself currently are clear for all to see.
He said even though he appreciates that comments from IMF officials, it should be guarded due to international diplomacy, facts must not be ignored.
He thus insisted that it was a result of bad policies by the government that has led the country to this economic ditch.
‘While the norm in international diplomacy of being guarded in what one says is appreciated, comments by high-ranking officials must be grounded on facts that take into consideration local realities and opinions.
“The incontrovertible fact is that Ghana is in a mess due to the bad policies of this government, which have contributed massively to the dire state of affairs.
“International diplomats must consider these facts and not just ignore them; lest they make the wrong diagnosis and prescribe inappropriate remedies,” he said in a Facebook post on Thursday, September 8.
The NDC’s 2020 Presidential Candidate proceeded to enumerate some of the policies he thinks have failed the country.
Source: by Ernest Arhinful
Myjoyonline.com
September 7, 2022 7:28am
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A life well lived – King Charles pays tribute to his mother
“Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived,” King Charles III said, as he renewed his “darling Mama’s” promise of lifelong service.
In an emotional first address to the nation, he praised her warmth, humour and ability to see the best in people.
Prince William and Catherine will become Prince and Princess of Wales, he said, as he expressed his love for his son Prince Harry and wife Meghan.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral in Scotland on Thursday aged 96.
The speech was broadcast as a service to remember the late Queen got under way at St Paul’s Cathedral.
In the address, the King said: “Her dedication and devotion as Sovereign never waivered, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss.”
In one of his first constitutional duties as monarch, the King, 73, held an in-person audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Burkingham Palace on Friday afternoon.
Source: BBC
Myjoyonline.com
September 9, 2022 5:26pm
