In the Circuit Court 6 in Accra, presided over by His Honour Kwabena Kodua Obiri-Yeboah, a trader, Nana Kwadwo Asare, has pleaded not guilty to charges of defrauding by false pretence.
He has been remanded into police custody and is set to reappear before the court on August 27, 2025.
The accused is facing one count of defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to court documents and the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Ebenezer Teye-Okuffo and Detective Inspector David Anaba, the alleged incident occurred in 2023 at Hajj Village near the Airport in Accra.
The complainant, Frank Tetteh, a businessman residing in Tse-Addo, La, Accra, was in search of a vehicle for business purposes.
During a discussion with a friend, W.O. Anko, at which the accused was reportedly present, Nana Kwadwo Asare introduced himself as the owner of a garage in Kasoa and claimed he could assist in acquiring a 2012 model Toyota Prado at a competitive price.
Mr. Asare took Mr. Tetteh to Blanko Garage in Kasoa and showed him a Toyota Prado, quoting GH¢180,000. Believing the representation, Mr. Tetteh paid the full amount to Mr. Asare, who then promised to deliver the vehicle to his residence.
However, instead of the agreed-upon vehicle, the accused allegedly delivered an uncustomed Toyota Prado, which the complainant rejected. He then demanded a refund.
Despite repeated promises and efforts by the complainant to retrieve his money, Mr. Asare failed to honour the refund.
After months of failed attempts, a police report was filed, leading to Mr. Asare’s initial arrest on June 26, 2024.
He was granted police enquiry bail and instructed to return on June 27, 2024, with the said vehicle for further investigations. However, he failed to appear and went into hiding.
The accused was later re-arrested on August 15, 2025. Following investigations, he was formally charged and arraigned before the court.
The court has remanded Nana Kwadwo Asare into custody while investigations continue. His next appearance is scheduled for August 27, 2025.
A 25-year-old dispatch rider, Romeo Adjei, has been remanded into police custody by the Circuit Court 7 in Accra after pleading not guilty to three counts of stealing Royal motorbikes from students of the Accra Technical University (ATU).
Presided over by Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam, the case was presented in court by Prosecutor Inspector Clement Sarpong.
The accused faces three charges of stealing, all contrary to Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to the prosecution led by Inspector Clement Sarpong, the accused person, Romeo Adjei, dishonestly appropriated three separate Royal motorbikes valued at a total of GH¢18,000.00, all belonging to ATU students:
Count One alleges that on August 21, 2024, Adjei stole a Royal motorbike with registration number M-20-GT-16776, valued at GH¢3,500.00, belonging to Michael Mantey Annang.
Count Two states that on January 29, 2025, he stole another Royal motorbike, registration number M-21-GS-1262, valued at GH¢7,000.00, owned by Kingsley Tetteh.
Count Three involves the theft of a third Royal motorbike with registration number M-22-GT-1387, valued at GH¢7,500.00, on February 14, 2025, belonging to Abdulai Abdul Samed.
The facts of the case indicate that the accused systematically targeted motorbikes parked within the university premises. Security footage captured Adjei in the act, prompting the school authorities to tighten campus security.
On August 12, 2025, Adjei allegedly attempted yet another theft involving a Royal motorbike valued at GH¢7,500.00, belonging to Kuwornu Wilson. This time, however, security personnel apprehended him and handed him over to police.
Upon interrogation, Adjei reportedly admitted to the offences and implicated a second suspect, a motor fitter and resident of Old Fadama, as the buyer of the stolen bikes.
Adjei disclosed that the bikes were sold for significantly less than market value — between GH¢1,000.00 and GH¢3,000.00.
The second suspect was later arrested and admitted in his cautioned statement to purchasing two of the bikes, but failed to account for the whereabouts of one motorbike he claimed was retrieved by an unknown individual with documents.
Both accused persons have been formally charged and are to reappear before the court as investigations continue. The case has been adjourned, and Romeo Adjei remains in police custody.
Her Honour Angela Attachie, presiding judge at the Adenta Circuit Court, has remanded two women into custody for allegedly making offensive and abusive comments about President John Dramani Mahama during a live-streamed discussion on TikTok.
The accused, Priscilla Duah Birago, a 29-year-old National Service personnel, and Charity Dede Tetteh, also 29 and a beautician, are facing two counts: conspiracy to commit a crime, and offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace, contrary to Sections 23(1) and 207 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, told the court that on August 6, 2025, the accused persons hosted a live session on TikTok during which they made highly inflammatory remarks about the President.
According to the prosecution, the two stated during the broadcast that “we would have been happier if the President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, was involved in the helicopter crash and dwarfs had eaten him up,” among other abusive statements.
The content, described as likely to provoke a breach of the peace, was later shared on TikTok under the username “Abena Birago.”
Following the viral dissemination of the video, law enforcement agencies launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of the two women.
A forensic capture of the live-streamed session has been secured as part of the evidence against them.
Neither of the accused has entered a plea, as investigations are still ongoing. The court, taking into account the nature of the alleged offence, remanded both women into custody until September 2, 2025.
Just few days after the nation laid to rest eight souls lost in the tragic August 6, 2025 helicopter crash, Ghana’s fragile political calm has erupted once more into partisan firestorms, this time over President John Dramani Mahama’s official trip to Asia and allegations surrounding his mode of travel.
The latest political row began shortly after the President departed Kotoka International Airport for a diplomatic tour of Japan and Singapore. Members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by outspoken MP for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, claimed the President flew aboard a private jet, M-BAEP, at an estimated cost of nearly $700,000.
The Presidential Jet
Mr Assafuah, in a social media post, now widely circulated, broke down the estimated costs per hour and flight routes, accusing the government of financial recklessness at a time when citizens are being urged to embrace austerity.
“This private jet left Accra this morning around 7 a.m. A simple calculation shows the journey already covered amounts to $105,000… The cost comes to an incredible $690,000 without including stopovers,” he said.
However, the government has dismissed the claims as baseless and misleading.
Deputy Chief of Staff, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has taken the lead in defending the presidency with a barrage of fiery posts targeted at Assafuah and other critics.
Mr. Stan Dogbe questioned the MP’s intellect, accusing him of lying “unintelligently” and “disgracing the noble institution of Parliament.”
In a heated rebuttal, Stan Dogbe emphasised that President Mahama departed Accra on a commercial flight, not a chartered private jet, and was “onboard with right-thinking Ghanaians.”
He also pointed to the President’s public appearance at a Thanksgiving mass between 10:30 am and 12:45 pm on Sunday, suggesting the timeline disproves claims that Mahama departed earlier that morning on a private flight.
“Did he take off in the supposed jet at 7:00 am and fly back for the 10:30 am mass?” Stan Dogbe asked mockingly.
“Even if you are not street smart, it doesn’t take that much brain work to avoid embarrassing yourself.”
Civic Voices and Public Confusion
The escalating exchange has prompted concerns about decorum in public discourse and the broader implications for transparency. Civil society figures like Franklin Cudjoe, President of Imani Ghana, called for restraint and verification of facts.
Mr Cudjoe asked whether MP was sure of his claims since the President was live on TV during that period. Lawyer Beatrice Annan, a presidential Staffer, also added levity to the tensions, posting, “I beg you people, nobody should use any lawyer as a point of reference to insult every lawyer,” as she decried the ridicule legal experts have faced amid the debate.
Amid the noise, critics of the NDC government, including the self-described “Mpraeso Mayor” Kwadwo Owusu, are urging state officials to respond to allegations with facts — not insults.
“You don’t respond to allegations with attacks. You respond with transparency,” Kwadwo Owusu wrote.
“Stan Xoese Dogbe must conduct himself in a manner befitting his office.”
Supporters of the President, however, insist that opposition figures are attempting to resurrect a “comatose” campaign by peddling falsehoods, dragging former President Akufo-Addo’s name unnecessarily into the fray.
With the wounds from the helicopter crash still fresh, many hoped the period of mourning might inspire a national reset — a moment of unity. Instead, Ghana finds itself once again mired in a deeply personal political grudge match.
As the President continues his Asia trip – the purpose of which officials say includes trade and diplomatic talks – citizens are left to decipher truth from political theatre.
Whether this latest jet saga is a matter of miscommunication or deliberate misinformation remains to be fully established.
The Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Susana Eduful has remanded Ayisha Iddrisu, a 32-year-old former cashier of KAS Estate Ghana Limited into police custody, after she pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing over GH¢5.4 million from her employer.
The accused was charged with stealing, contrary to Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The case, which has drawn significant public attention due to the scale of the alleged theft, has been adjourned to August 27, 2025.
According to court documents presented by ASP Emmanuel Haligah, the prosecuting officer, Ayisha Iddrisu, dishonestly appropriated a total of GH¢5,478,338 from the company’s MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) account between September 2018 and July 2025.
The complainant, Yahyah Kassim Atta, CEO of KAS Estate Ghana Limited, reported that Ayisha, who had been with the company for eight years, was responsible for managing the company’s MoMo transactions.
She allegedly transferred client funds from the company’s MoMo account to her personal MoMo numbers over several years.
The prosecution revealed that the company discovered the discrepancies in August 2025 when Ayisha was due for a transfer from the Tesano branch to Amasaman.
Her reluctance to hand over the MoMo phone raised suspicions, prompting management to request a full statement of account from MTN Ghana.
The statement reportedly revealed that Ayisha had transferred funds totalling GH¢5,406,118.00 to her personal MoMo numbers: 0240485441, 0596095474 and 0598532718, all registered in her name.
Additionally, she made transfers totalling GH¢72,220.00 to other MoMo accounts, bringing the total to GH¢5,478,338.00.
Upon arrest on August 12, 2025 Ayisha allegedly admitted to the theft and disclosed that part of the stolen funds was used to acquire landed properties in Kasoa-Nyanyanor, Amasaman-Obeyeye, Amasaman-Obom and Awutu-Senya.
She also reportedly purchased two vehicles: a Toyota Yaris and a Toyota CH-R (registration number GR 4875-23), the latter of which has since been retrieved by the police.
The police have also retrieved three mobile phones including an iPhone 14 Pro Max with a MoMo balance of GH¢2,848,207.00, an iPhone 12 Pro Max with GH¢938,944.00 and a Huawei phone.
Ayisha has disclosed the existence of multiple bank accounts at GCB Bank, Ecobank Ghana, and Fidelity Bank, believed to contain additional funds.
D/Inspector Timothy B. Asamoah Esq., the investigator in charge of the case, confirmed that investigations are still ongoing as police work to trace and recover all assets acquired with the stolen funds.
The court has ordered that Ayisha remains in police custody as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has commenced investigations into the unlawful possession of weapons and ammunition after the Kuntanase District Patrol Team intercepted a vehicle containing firearms and ammunition on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
AK-47 assault rifle
According to DSP Godwin Ahianyo, the Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, the patrol team spotted a white Toyota Sienta private vehicle with registration number NR 289-24, suspiciously parked near a bushy area along the Aputuoagya-Bekwai road.
Two male adults were observed standing beside the vehicle, allegedly smoking a substance suspected to be a narcotic drug.
Upon noticing the approaching police team, the two individuals fled into a nearby bush and escaped, despite a hot pursuit by the officers.
According to ASP Ahianyo, a search conducted on the abandoned vehicle led to the recovery of weapons and items, believed to be in readiness to commit a crime.
The retrieved items included an AK-47 assault rifle, a locally manufactured firearm, AK-47 magazines, ammunition and other suspicious items.
The vehicle has since been impounded at the Kuntanase Police Station and all recovered items have been retained as exhibits to support ongoing investigations.
ASP Ahianyo said the Ashanti Regional Police Command remain resolute in its commitment to preventing violent crime and ensuring the safety and security of all residents.
He pleaded with members of the public with any information that could assist in the arrest of the suspects to report to the nearest police station.
The Police spokesperson indicated that the police are determined to apprehend the individuals responsible for the unlawful possession of weapons and ammunition.
Mershack Baah (right) in a hand shake with Prof. Darkwah (left) while handing over a dummy cheque to the University
AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), Obuasi Mine, has donated an amount of GHC732,309 to the authorities of Obuasi Campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) towards infrastructural development at the University.
The University, which was established six years ago and currently with a population of close to 3,000 students, is required to expand its existing facilities to take care of the increasing number of students.
Mr. Mershack Baah, Director, Human Resources AGA, on behalf of the Managing Director of the company handed over the cheque covering the stated amount to the authorities of the University.
Prof. Lawrence Darkwah, Coordinating Dean of the University, who received the amount thanked the company for the donation.
He stated that the money will be essentially channeled into the provision of classrooms and E-Learning facilities for the University.
The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape, together with A Rocha Ghana, have demanded the arrest and prosecution of those behind massive ecological destruction at Apapam in the Eastern Region.
In a joint statement sighted by The Chronicle, the groups expressed grave concern over environmental disorder unfolding in the area, following an inspection visit by the Water Resources Commission (WRC) and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
Officers from the WRC, Minerals Commission and NIB visited the site after public alerts. The NIB picked up an on-site security operative for questioning.
However, the inspection also revealed that the miner had bulldozed through a three-year-old ecological restoration site, destroying native species such as Mahogany, Emire and Ofram.
The CSOs condemned what they described as an attempted illegal diversion of the sacred Birim River by a mining company operating in the area.
They urged the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), WRC and the Minerals Commission to “move beyond suspension” and ensure that perpetrators face full prosecution for illegal mining, environmental destruction and cultural desecration.
“Perpetrators must be compelled to cover up all trenches and fully restore the destroyed plantation site. Authorities must investigate any potential complicity at any level, including the mining company and all leaders involved.
“We cannot build a sustainable future with this kind of escalating destruction of life-supporting systems, like rivers and forests, as exhibited by this egregious action,” the statement read.
The groups stressed that Ghana needs a decisive turning point in efforts to address the growing impunity of miners encroaching on rivers and forest reserves, particularly within the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.
They further described the incident as an “unconscionable assault” on Ghana’s natural heritage, especially at a time when the country is mourning the loss of eight government officials and military personnel who died in the line of duty in anti-galamsey operations.
The statement identified the mining entity as belonging to a miner operating from Kwabeng. According to the groups, the company had actively excavated trenches and constructed a diversion channel to redirect the Birim River at a sensitive point where it exits the ecologically critical Atewa Forest Reserve.
The groups lamented the inability of state agencies to halt the activity at its early stages, insisting that suspension was not enough and that the government and traditional authorities must act decisively to prevent this growing impunity in the Akyem Abuakwa area.”
A senior lecturer in Economics at the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Dr George Asumadu, has urged the government to exercise extreme caution in opening Ghana’s borders to foreign goods, warning that indiscriminate trade liberalisation could cripple local industries and deepen the country’s dependence on external economies.
“It is not everything that you have to open your borders for and allow an influx of goods, especially where you have the capacity to produce them internally. If you have that capacity, it is better to create opportunities for local entrepreneurs,” he told The Chronicle in an interview in Kumasi.
Dr. George Asumadu, Senior lecturer in Economics – KsTU
Dr. George Asumadu, who also doubles as the Twafohene of the Amakom Sub-Traditional Council, pointed to Asian economies, such as India and South Korea, as models of how deliberate long-term planning can transform struggling nations into global competitors.
“In the 1970s, India and Korea were struggling, but today they are competing in the automobile market with the likes of Japan and Germany. Why is it so? They came from somewhere and we can also do the same,” he stressed.
His call comes at a time when the world’s leading economies are themselves buckling under unprecedented debt burdens that raise questions about spill over effects on developing countries like Ghana.
The Global Debt Squeeze
Seven major economies – Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States – now carry debts larger than their annual economic output, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Most of this “G-7” group borrowed heavily to cushion their economies during the global financial crisis and again during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Miniser for Finance
Japan has struggled with ballooning debt for nearly three decades, but the situation across the group is now compounded by high interest rates and volatile currencies.
Analysts warn that their economies are vulnerable to shocks reminiscent of the Asian and Russian financial crises of the 1990s, only on a much larger scale.
Dr. Asumadu noted that while debt is nothing new to developing countries, the G7’s fiscal struggles have global consequences. “Debt is not new to developing countries that already have their own debt problems. So if there is debt pertaining to the G-7, one would wonder why it should concern us. But it does, because of bilateral and multilateral trade relationships,” he said.
Why Ghana Should Worry
According to Dr Asumadu, debt crises in advanced economies have both external and internal implications for smaller economies.
“When it comes to debt, there are external and internal aspects. There are also unilateral, governmental, and private dimensions. All of these can affect us in one way or another,” he explained.
Ghana’s heavy reliance on imports—ranging from machinery to basic food commodities—makes it particularly exposed to external shocks. Any rise in global prices or tightening of financial markets translates directly into higher costs for consumers at home.
“Currently, Ghana imports about 70–80% of the goods it uses. This trend will not stop unless we deliberately invest in local production,” he cautioned.
He called for structural reforms that focus less on foreign inflows and more on domestic production capacity. “External financing often comes with conditions that may harm the country,” he warned.
Political Independence Without Economic Freedom
Dr. Asumadu lamented that although Ghana is universally acknowledged as politically independent, the country is yet to achieve true economic independence. “Everybody desires both political and economic independence. Ghana has political independence, but economic independence is still a battle. We need to restructure ourselves and know where we have comparative advantage,” he said.
That comparative advantage, in his view, lies in leveraging Ghana’s raw materials for value addition rather than exporting them in unprocessed form. He argued that infrastructure gaps, high production costs, and harsh loan conditions have left the country trapped in a cycle of exporting low-value cocoa, gold, and timber while importing high-value finished goods.
Ratings, Risks and Borrowing Costs
One area where the global debt crisis could hit hardest is access to international credit.
Asked if rising G-7 debt could push down borrowing costs for countries like Ghana, the Economics lecturer disagreed.
“The risks attached to loans determine the interest rate. That’s why some countries borrow at 3% while others pay as much as 15%. It depends on your fiscal space,” he explained.
He was critical of international credit rating agencies, arguing that they are often biased against developing nations.
“Most of these ratings are cooked. Developing countries are often presented as unattractive to foreign investment.”
The result, he said, is that Ghana faces stiffer borrowing terms even when its fundamentals are no worse than those of advanced economies.
The Inflation Trap
The Economics lecturer stressed that fiscal indiscipline at home is also fuelling Ghana’s challenges.
“Government spending must always match production. Any mismatch creates inflation, pressures and crises,” adding that poor fiscal targeting leads to inflationary pitfalls that weaken the exchange rate and force currency devaluation.
He proposed stricter budgetary discipline and a gradual, structured reduction in imports, especially of staples like rice.
“If it is rice, then we can set a five-year target to reduce imports by 100,000 metric tonnes, provided local farmers can guarantee production within that time,” he suggested.
Foreign Direct Investment and Competition
On the question of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Dr Asumadu noted that competition is intense and Ghana must create a more conducive environment.
“How do you compete with Dubai, given our infrastructure gap? If investors don’t come here, they will go elsewhere. So you need to make it attractive,” he said.
Incentives such as tax holidays and streamlined regulatory processes, he argued, could help Ghana position itself better in the global FDI market.
Importing Inflation
He further warned that austerity in advanced economies could affect Ghana through higher import prices, saying “if Canada faces wheat shortages, when Ghana imports flour, it is also importing inflation from there. That cost is transferred to consumers here.”
With Ghana being a net importer of consumer goods, such external shocks often show up quickly in rising food and transport costs.
Avoiding Another HIPC
Dr. George Asumadu also cautioned against slipping back into the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) category, from which Ghana benefited debt relief in the early 2000s.
“Why should Ghana return to HIPC after 15 or 20 years? We are uncompetitive because we export low-value raw goods, but import high-value finished goods. Compare a tonne of cocoa with a tonne of laptops, the values are worlds apart.”
For him, the only sustainable solution is investment in technology, education and manpower development to reduce production costs and build resilience.
Building Internal Capacity
Ultimately, the Economics lecturer believes that Ghana’s survival depends on building strong internal capacity that can withstand external shocks.
“The shocks in the G7 always have repercussions on developing countries. Sometimes you cannot even plan your expenditure without budget support. That is why we must build internal capacity to withstand external spillovers.”
His message is clear: without deliberate structural reforms, Ghana risks importing not just goods but also crises from abroad.
Addo-Gyamfi (2nd left) among panellists doing the discussions at the programme
The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the National Service Authority (NSA) under the sponsorship of UNICEF, has held a ‘Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue’ in Kumasi.
The Dialogue, themed: “Building Decent Employment Pathways for Young People in Ghana”, brought together industry players, academia, technical and vocational training institutions, human resource experts, students and national service authorities, among others.
A packed hall of participants at the dialogue
Mr. Foster Cosby Amoh, a Programme Officer at the Ashanti Regional NSA explained that the stakeholder dialogue was a platform for industry players and the institutional heads to come together to deliberate on ways to develop a tailored curriculum, which would enhance training of students for the job market in order to address the challenges of mismatch in the educational system and industry requirements.
He said one of the ways by which the government is trying to bridge this gap is the introduction of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP), which seeks to encourage students and even graduates who want to engage themselves in something practical to do so.
Mr. Foster Amoh said the country needed skilled manpower to develop because it lacks a lot of things and NAP encompasses almost all the skill areas and as the only way to have skilful workforce who can deliver on the job rather than “having good English speaking graduates or workers without skills to deliver on the job”.
The Programme Officer said the NSA does not provide direct job for the youth or job seekers, but facilitates the process of getting them job, acquiring skills and for young entrepreneurs to get funding, which is the reason the authority always partners and collaborates with agencies “to ensure that young people do not find themselves idle after school or after learning trade”.
The NAP beneficiaries of today, he said, shall become master trainers in the future and appealed to the youth especially the graduates to learn to volunteer and also to create partnership amongst themselves because the government could not do it alone, stressing that all the developed nations really relied on the private sector to develop their countries.
Foster Cosby Amoh, Programmes Officer at the NYA talking to the press
The Regional Director of the Ghana TVET Service, Mr. Richard Addo-Gyamfi said government through TVET and the Commission For Technical And Vocational Educational Training (CTVET) is doing all it could to ensure that the curriculum taught at the technical and vocational institutions are the same skills required at the job market and also to ensure that graduates have no difficulties in locating jobs.
He said TVET and the Commission are focusing on equipping students with employable skills to enable them become employable either on their own or with the job market emphasising that the demand for skilled labour in some industries in the country is high, so TVET and the CTVET are strategic in introducing programmes for the training institutions.
Mr. Emmanuel Fynn, Ashanti Regional National Service Authority Director in a solidarity message, stated that the authority was not able to post every service personnel to their preferred choices of work because of limited vacancies in such public institutions and advised prospective personnel not to be only interested in doing their service at the “big and juicy” state institutions but should “rather focus on institutions whether private or public that could sustain them after service”.
He decried attitudes such as arrogance, unpunctuality, not being proactive and innovative because no employer tolerates them and explained that it is part of the reasons the NSA was introducing the military training into the national service to inculcate into the personnel “the sense of national cohesion, patriotism and discipline”.
He urged prospective personnel to embrace the military training and not to see it as something scary.
