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Chief Justice urges graduates to be responsible, forthright

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo (left), speaking at the event. Picture: CALEB VANDERPUYE The Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, has charged graduates to be responsible, resilient and hardworking as they enter into the world of work. She said wherever they found themselves, no matter what the consequences may be, they should choose never to neglect what they knew to be right, stressing that they would always be vindicated with time. “As persons who have been given such a high level of education, you must commit to upholding the highest standards of responsibility. Whether in industry, commerce, family or public service, because we always have the chance to do the right thing,” the CJ said. Justice Torkornoo was speaking at the first session of the 16th Congregation ceremony of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) Accra, yesterday, where certificates were conferred on students from the Faculties of Law, and Information Technology and Communication Studies, who had satisfied their respective academic requirements. Event The faculties presented 1,473 students for graduation, out of which UPSA Law School awarded 212 students, while 1,261 graduated from the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies. Out of this number, 946 were undergraduates, while 315 were diploma students. In all, the university is offering certificates to a total of 5,247 graduates across four out of five sessions, until Friday, November 1, 2024. They comprise 906 postgraduate, 3,711 undergraduate, and 630 diploma students. Leadership The Chief Justice further urged the graduates to learn about the art and skills of leadership, saying that contrary to popular perception, leadership was not about being given a big responsibility. Rather, she said it began with developing certain skills quietly and privately which would enable a person find more opportunities to serve others, including new clients and businesses. Justice Torkonoo said such skills included the ability to cast clear visions for themselves, their families and their work life. “The ability to cast a clear vision and identify the goals within any vision that must be achieved will guide how you use time, mobilise resources and collaborate with others to achieve the goals established. “It will make all the difference between living productively and struggling with tasks. I encourage you to always prepare and not to assume that you know what it takes to win in any given situation,” she said. Advice The Chancellor of the University, Dr Kofi Koduah Sarpong, advised the graduates not to see their graduation as an end, but the beginning of a new era in their lives. He also urged them to embrace challenges as an opportunity for growth and development in the quest to achieve their goals and aspirations. Dr Sarpong further encouraged them to adapt to the changing environment. “I charge you to exhibit ethical values that you have acquired here. The world needs leaders who prioritise justice and compassion. I, therefore, urge you to show courage and resilience in your various spheres of life and know that your true impact lies in the lives you touch,” he added. For his part, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, gave an account of UPSA’s progress over the years, including his eight-year tenure as administrative head of the institution. He mentioned infrastructure development, academic achievements, high global rankings and visibility, increased student enrolment and improved institutional effectiveness as some of the achievements.

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‘Aboboyaa’ rider granted GH¢50,000.00 bail over defilement

A 20-year-old tricycle (Aboboyaa) rider has been granted GH¢50,000.00 bail with three sureties by the Asante Akropong Circuit Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District for defiling a six-year-old girl. Frank Agyei pleaded not guilty and would reappear before the court on November 13, this year, for trial. The facts of the case as presented by Police Chief Inspector Ruth Gborson are that complainant, Florence Boamah is a trader and mother who leave with the victim at Abuakwa – DKC. She told the court presided by Nana Adwoa Serwah Dua-Adonteng that, accused person had a girlfriend living in the same neighbourhood with the complainant at Abuakwa-DKC. The girlfriend is also a friend the complainant. Prosecution said, on September 21, this year, at about 10pm, the complainant left the victim and her brother in the room and attended to the nature’s call, whiles they were asleep. According to the Prosecution, the accused went to the complainant’s house at that moment and call the victim to follow him to buy kalypo for her. According to Chief Inspector Gborson, the victim followed Agyei into an uncompleted building where, he removed his shirt, spread it on the floor, forcibly held the victim’s hand, pinned her on the shirt, undressed himself, had unprotected sex with her and gave her GHc10.00. When the complainant returned home and found the victim missing, she asked the brother, who disclosed that Agyei had come for her. The complainant called her two brothers to join her to search for the victim. According to the facts, complainant and her brothers met the victim and the accused on the way but upon seeing them, Agyei bolted, and a report was made to the Abuakwa Police, and he was arrested. The facts indicated that he denied in an investigation caution statement but after further investigation, he was charged and brought before the court. GNA

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Kasoa Ritual Murder: Kini gets life imprisonment; minor referred to juvenile court for sentencing

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An Accra High Court Thursday sentenced Nicolas Kini, a student, to life imprisonment for killing 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah Abdalla at Kasoa in 2021 for money ritual. The Court has, however, released his accomplice, a minor, to a juvenile court for sentencing. Nicloas Kini was jailed because he is an adult when he committed the offence with his 15-year-old accomplice. This was after a seven-member jury returned a verdict of guilty on the accused persons aged 15 and 18 when they committed the offence. They were held on charges of conspiracy and murder. The 15-year-old pleaded guilty on the charge of conspiracy but denied the charge of murder. In the case of the 18-year-old, he denied the two charges and pleaded alibi. The notice of alibi was investigated, however, his grandfather whom he cited as witness had passed. During the trial, the prosecution led by Abena Adoma Osei, Senior State Attorney, called seven witnesses. The Court at the end of prosecution’s case ordered the two offenders to open their defence because a prima facie case had been made against them. Handing down the sentence, the trial Judge, Justice Lydia Osei- Marfo, who is also a Court of Appeal Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a high Court judge, said “The parents of the present generation are asleep while their children who should be made to be sleeping by them are widely awake. “The consequence is a silent pandemic eroding our society and condemning our future generations to a life of trauma.” The trial Judge, who quoted Hilary Clinton, said: “When parents neglect their children, society pays the price.” She noted that parental neglect was destroying the foundation of the country and must be checked. The prosecution’s case is that the deceased, Ishmael Mensah Abdalla, aged 10, lived with his parents at Coca Cola, near Kasoa. The 15-year-old convict is a school dropout while the 18 year old, a first year SHS student in a school near Kasoa. The prosecution said on March 29, 2021, Kini consulted a ritualist for money after watching Lucky Television. The ritualist demanded GHC5,000 and a human being. The prosecution said Kini decided to use Ishmael Mensah Abdalla for the ritual on April 3, 2021. It said Kini laid ambush in an uncompleted building while the 15-year-old accomplice lured Ishmael to the building and asked him to pick a video game in a sack. As Ishmael bent to pick up the said video game from the sack, the 18-year-old struck him with a pickaxe handle. The deceased reportedly turned to the 15-year-old and asked for forgiveness from the accused if he had wronged them. The prosecution said Kini struck Ishmael again and he became unconscious. The 15-year-old also used a cement block to hit Ishmael’s head. Kini took a spade in the said uncompleted building, dug a shallow hole, and buried the victim, to be exhumed for the rituals the next day. Luck, however, eluded them when they were spotted by a witness, the 15-year-old’s sister who informed their father. The father of the 15-year-old confronted his son, and he confessed to the crime. The 15-year-old insisted that he committed the act with Kini. According to a postmortem conducted by Chief Superintendent Dr Osei Owusu Afriyie, Ishmael had blunt head injury, and several head injuries, among others. In the 15-year-old’s defence before the Court, he admitted the offence and stressed that he committed the act with Kini. The 15-year-old also said Kini gave him a handkerchief and chlorophyll after the murder. The defence counsel for the 15-year-old, Mr Samuel Atuah, expressed condolences to the victim’s family, adding “it is our prayer that his soul will rest in peace”. He said his client had confessed to the offence and “it is our prayer that when you return to your chambers, you return a verdict of not guilty”. The defence counsel for Kini, Mr Lawrence Boampong, also expressed condolences to the deceased family. He said his client had denied the charges throughout the trial and also denied taking part in the act. He said Kini had also pleaded alibi, saying the prosecution had failed to prove that he took part in the murder of Ishmael. Mr Harrison Mensah, an uncle of the deceased, said the family was satisfied with the verdict. GNA

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OSP ordered to release Cecilia Dapaah’s caution statements to her former house help

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The High Court in Accra has directed the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to provide the investigation caution and charge statements of former sanitation minister Cecilia Dapaah and her husband to Patience Botwe, the first accused in an ongoing criminal trial. This case involves the alleged theft of significant sums of money from Dapaah’s residence. Botwe, a former house help, had filed an application requesting access to these documents, arguing they were essential for her defence. Ms Botwe’s legal team stressed the importance of these statements in cross-examining Dapaah and her husband, both of whom are key witnesses in the case. They had earlier attempted to obtain the documents through a request under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, but the OSP denied the request, claiming the information was exempt. Consequently, Botwe’s lawyers sought the intervention of the High Court to secure the necessary materials for her defence. The OSP opposed Botwe’s application, arguing that the court’s jurisdiction was not properly invoked and that the request was premature. However, Justice Marie-Louis Simmons overruled these objections, citing the court’s inherent powers to ensure a fair trial. She highlighted the importance of allowing the accused access to all relevant documents in line with Article 19(2)(e)(g) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees an accused person’s right to prepare a defence. In her ruling, Justice Simmons noted that access to the requested documents was necessary for Botwe’s legal team to thoroughly cross-examine Madam Dapaah and her husband, especially given the inconsistencies in their accounts regarding the source of the stolen funds. The court emphasised that denying access to these materials would hinder the accused’s ability to challenge the prosecution’s evidence. While the court granted Botwe access to the investigation and caution statements, it denied her request for the recordings and transcripts of the interviews and interrogations of Dapaah and her husband. Justice Simmons explained that these materials were not essential for Botwe’s defence at this stage of the trial. The OSP has been ordered to provide the relevant documents within a week of receiving the court’s ruling, ensuring that Botwe’s legal team has sufficient time to prepare for cross-examination. Myjoyonline.com

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First Akoto Ampaw public lecture held in Accra

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Friends of the late human rights activist private legal practitioner, Akoto Ampaw, in collaboration with the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana (UG), held a public lecture on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, to honour his legacies. The event, held on the University of Ghana campus in Accra, attracted many civil society organisations (CSOs), individuals, students, stakeholders from the judiciary and education sectors, foreign envoys, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “The Problems of Ghana’s 4th Republic” was the theme of the lecture, with Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh as the keynote speaker. This lecture is the first in honour of Akoto Ampaw since he passed away last year. Other speakers included Prof. Dodzi Tsikata from the University of London, Alhaji Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu from the Star Ghana Foundation, and Sulemana Braimah of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). They discussed “The Crisis of Civic Citizenship in Contemporary Ghanaian Democracy: Lessons from the Life and Times of the Late A. Akoto Ampaw” as the main topic of the lecture. Also at the event was renowned journalist Prof. Kwame Karikari, who spoke on the current electoral climate. He raised concerns about how politicians are handling this year’s election and criticised political parties for not addressing the country’s biggest environmental threat: galamsey. He stated, “For the 9th time, Ghanaians are once again in the 4th Republic gearing up to vote and elect a president and parliamentarians. The major political parties and a few new entrants are haranguing the people for their votes, but what is the nature, character, and essential import of democracy that was promised by the 4th Republic? “In an election campaign, political parties refuse to address major essential issues such as galamsey because they fear losing votes, as their leaders and financiers are beneficiaries of galamsey,” Prof. Karikari said. On his part, keynote speaker Prof. Kwasi Prempeh eulogized the late lawyer Ampaw, praising his contributions to the growth of democracy, law, and human rights issues in Ghana and beyond. “Akoto Ampaw indeed spent a great deal of his time working to ensure our democracy and its institutions served the needs and interests of all citizens. His work extended beyond the shores of his homeland, Ghana,” he said. Prof. Dodzi Tsikata, in her address, also praised the late lawyer and highlighted some of his legacies. She called for improvements in Ghana’s democracy and inclusion. She raised concerns about media freedom in the presence of democracy, stating, “Take the media, for example. Attacks on media personnel by party political operators have become quite rampant and alarming, and this should be totally condemned and resisted.” Sulemana Braimah, also speaking on the topic, addressed irregularities in this year’s campaign activities and illegal mining. According to him, institutions mandated to ensure checks and balances in the democratic system are underfunded and struggle to execute their responsibilities. “The issues of our institutions, institutions of democracy the judiciary, parliament, the executive, the police, and the NCCE for example is the least funded institution in our country and perhaps the most important institution, if you look at the constitutional responsibilities for the NCCE but even towards elections their struggling” Sulemana said. He therefore called for accountability in the system to ensure democracy and equitable development. MYJOYONLINE

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Ex-convict gets 6 months for stealing ECG cables

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The Accra Circuit Court Nine presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah has sentenced a 32-year-old unemployed man to six months in prison with hard labour. Geoffrey Obuobi was accused of cutting and stealing copper core cables of a transformer from the Electricity Company of Ghana. The cost of the copper cables is valued at Gh¢ 7,550. The accused was charged with three counts of intentionally interfering with the supplier’s distribution system, causing unlawful damage and stealing. He pleaded guilty on all counts. Narrating the facts to the court, the investigator, Detective Inspector Louis Mensah, said that on 16th October 2024, a resident of Lartebiokoshie, Seidu Amadu, met the accused person with a sack. He said that the accused started behaving strangely on seeing Amadu, which alarmed him, and so he demanded to know what was concealed in the sack. The accused took to his heels and the witness gave him a hot chase with his motorbike, raising the alarm to draw the attention of other witnesses. The accused was arrested, and a search of the sack revealed 1 x 240 copper cables belonging to ECG, and a plier. Investigations revealed that the accused person is an ex-convict who finished serving a one-year prison sentence with hard labour only two weeks ago, for a similar offence. The Electricity Company of Ghana has recently experienced rampant stealing of electrical cables in their transformers, leading to several campaigns to sensitise the public to report any suspicious persons seen around their installations. gna

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2 brothers remanded in custody for robbery and stealing

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The Asante Abuakwa Circuit Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality has remanded two brothers into custody for robbery and stealing. Augustine Kofi Owusu, 28, who pleaded not guilty to the charge was remanded into prison custody and would reappear before the court on November 05, 2024, while Kwabena Nsiah 31, who pleaded guilty, was remanded into police custody and would reappear before the court on October 31, this year. Their accomplice, Naomi Bruwaa, 32, who was charged with abetment of crime, pleaded not guilty and would reappear before the court on November 05, this year, while Abenaa Pokuaa, another accomplice is on the run. Police Chief Inspector Ruth Gborson told the court presided by Mrs Philomina Ansah Asiedu that the two brothers were illegal miners at Nweneso Number One, where the complainant, the Chief Executive Officer of Fredua Mining Company, operated. She said on October 10, this year, at about 2:40 pm, Owusu and his accomplice, who is at large, armed with a gun and cutlass laid ambush on the route from the mine site to the Nweneso township and when one Kelvin Twumasi and Prince Adu, workers of the complainant arrived at the spot, they pounced on them and forcefully collected unrefined gold valued at GH¢120,000 and bolted. The prosecution said the two called the CEO and he reported the matter to the Hwidiem police on October 15, this year, following which Owusu was arrested from his hideout. However, in his caution statement, Owusu denied it and said he only helped his accomplice to collect her pay, which was GH¢10,000 from the company, but the money had been stolen from his room by his brother, Nsiah. The Prosecution said Owusu, therefore, led the Police to arrest Nsiah, who admitted taking GH¢5,100 from the total amount as it has been the practice between him and the brother. They were therefore charged after investigation and brought before the court. gna/mjo

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Soldier and 4 others remanded over robbery, kidnapping

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A military officer and four accomplices have been remanded in custody by an Accra Circuit Court for their alleged involvement in the robbery and kidnapping of a Dutch national. WOI Elorm John Ahiakpor, along with Silas Amewonye, a 25-year-old farmer; Farouk Nuodio, a 32-year-old trader; Daniel Kwesi Obiri Yeboah, also known as Aljazeera, a 49-year-old trader; and Michael Nana Addo, a 25-year-old carpenter, face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping, as well as robbery and kidnapping. All five pleaded not guilty before the court, presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah. The accused’s lawyers, Andy Vortia and Carlos De-Souza presented their bail application. Mr. Vortia, representing WOI Elorm John Ahiakpor, stated that it was not his practice to argue the facts prematurely. He contended that justice deserved a fair hearing before relying exclusively on police claims. Vortia said the accusations against the defendants were bailable, and that there was no proof that they had a history of bond jumping. Mr. De-Souza corroborated this by noting that Ahiakpor had served as a military officer for 24 years with no blemishes on his record. He argued that remanding Ahiakpor would jeopardize his career. The prosecution, represented by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kofi Anane, opposed the bail application, citing ongoing investigations. ASP Anane urged the court to consider the seriousness of the charges, emphasizing that if the accused are found guilty, the consequences would be significant. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court decided to adjourn the case to October 29, 2024. The complainant in the matter is Lodewijk Frederikus, a Dutch national from the Netherlands. The prosecution said that on October 17, 2024, Frederikus, arrived in Ghana to meet his friend, Silas Amewonye, regarding a land purchase in Ningo Prampram. Amewonye, along with Farouk Nuodio, met Frederikus at Kotoka International Airport and took him to Alexis Lodge at Afienya. The following day, Amewonye and Nuodio brought Frederikus to Amewonye’s residence, where he was to stay. However, on October 20, 2024, Frederikus grew alarmed by the suspicious behaviour of Amewonye and Nuodio and expressed his desire to return to his home country. In response, Amewonye locked Frederikus in his room and enlisted the help of the other accused to kidnap him, subsequently demanding a ransom of 15,000 Euros for his release. The prosecution stated that, in fear for his safety, Frederikus negotiated with the accused (excluding Amewonye) to pay 5,000 Euros, but they insisted on a higher amount of 8,000 Euros. Nuodio provided the complainant with bank details to facilitate the transfer. When Frederikus delayed in sending the money, four of the accused, excluding Amewonye, took him at gunpoint to a Stanbic ATM at Mataheko and forced him to withdraw GH¢6,000. While they waited for the 8,000 Euros to be credited to the account, Frederikus managed to make a distress call to the police, who promptly arrived to rescue him and apprehend the accused. During interrogation, the accused admitted to the offences. GNA

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Vacant Parliamentary Seats Dispute: Invoking Supreme Court is wrong – Justice Atuguba

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Retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice William Atuguba, has stated that it was legally wrong to invoke the Supreme Court in the parliamentary vacant seats controversy. His comment follows the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, filing an injunction application in the Supreme Court in response to the Minority’s efforts to have the seats of Independent candidates declared vacant. This development occurred after former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, announced that his side of the house intended to invoke Article 97(1)(g) of the Constitution to vacate the seats of three Majority MPs and one NDC MP. The relevant constitutional provision stipulates that an MP shall vacate their seat if they leave the party under which they were elected or seek to remain in Parliament as an Independent candidate. Last Thursday, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin declared the Agona West, Suhum, Amenfi Central, and Fomena seats vacant. While Cynthia Morrison and Kwadwo Asante of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) filed to contest the December 7 election as Independent candidates, Peter Kwakye Ackah of the NDC also filed to contest as an Independent. Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who entered Parliament as an Independent candidate, has filed to contest under the NPP’s ticket. However, the Supreme Court of Ghana on October 18, 2024, stayed the ruling of Speaker after considering an application filed by the Majority Leader. The decision by the apex court effectively suspends the implementation of the Speaker’s ruling on October 17, 2024, pending further legal review and final determination. Commenting on this development in an interview with TV3, as monitored by GhanaWeb, Justice Atuguba said that the Supreme Court should not have been the first point of call, as stipulated by the Constitution. According to him, per Article 99(1), “The High Court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any question whether (a) a person has been validly elected as a member of Parliament or the seat of a member has become vacant,” he asserted that the High Court should have been the appropriate forum to hear the case. “As far as I am concerned, this issue of vacating seats is specifically dealt with in Article 99… The question here involves the vacation of the seats of the four MPs, so it is a matter for the High Court, not the Supreme Court. To that extent, invoking the Supreme Court over this matter is wrong,” Justice Atuguba said. “They [the Supreme Court] don’t have original jurisdiction. They have referral jurisdiction in the sense that if a constitutional provision arises which is not clear and requires interpretation, Article 130 gives the interpretative and enforcement powers to the Supreme Court. If such an issue arises in a lower court, the lower court shall stay the proceedings and refer the matter to the Supreme Court for determination, and then proceed in accordance with the interpretation. “So, since Article 99 has entrusted matters of seat vacancies to the High Court, you don’t go directly to the Supreme Court. But they do have referral jurisdiction if an issue of constitutional interpretation arises. That’s how I see it,” he concluded.

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Washing bay attendant jailed for defiling student in bush

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A 30-year-old washing bay attendant at Booboobo in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in hard labour for defiling a 14-year-old student in a bush. The convict, Richard Amissah, popularly known as IGP, pleaded guilty with explanation of the offence when he appeared before the Tarkwa Circuit Court. Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Dominic Appiah Kusi, told the court presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu that the complainant was a hairdresser, residing at Booboobo with the victim who is her daughter, while the convict lives in Akoon. On Saturday September 7, 2024, at about 1800 hours, the complainant sent the victim to a Senior High School in Tarkwa to give provisions to her elder sister, and she obliged. He said on her way back to the house, Amissah saw her and asked for direction, but he suddenly held her neck tightly and forcefully dragged her to a nearby bush and had sexual intercourse with her. Prosecution said the convict, who was not satisfied with the act, held the victim’s shoulder and pulled her to Akoon, a bushy place in the area where he had sex with the victim again. Sergeant Kusi said the victim went home weeping and told her ordeal to the complainant and who then lodged a complaint at the Tarkwa Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU). A Police medical report form was then issued to the complainant to send the victim to the hospital for treatment and endorsement, she returned same duly endorsed by a medical officer. The prosecution said Amissah was picked up and after questioning, he admitted the offence and begged for forgiveness. GNA

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