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Moscow bans 287 British MPs from Russia over Ukraine

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UK Parliament

The Russian foreign ministry said Wednesday that it has banned entry to 287 British MPs after the UK blacklisted Russian lawmakers over Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. 

“In response to the decision taken by the British government on March 11 to add 386 State Duma deputies to a sanctions list, in a reciprocal move, personal restrictions are being placed on 287 members of the House of Commons,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said that the MPs are barred from entering the country from now on. The House of Commons has a total of 650 members.

Moscow said the list is made up of MPs who have played “the most active part” in drawing up anti-Russian sanctions and contributed to “Russophobic hysteria”.

Among those blacklisted are Speaker Lindsay Hoyle as well as Cabinet members including Minister for Brexit Jacob Rees-Mogg and Environment Secretary George Eustice.

The list also includes Labour MPs, among them Diane Abbott, a close ally of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in parliament that those included in the list “should regard it as a badge of honour”.

Credit: channelstv.com

Damang Gold Fields, GHS mark World Malaria Day at Hunni-Valley

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KWESI ALFRED ADAMS
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Nana Ama Saarah, queenmother of Bompieso presenting a gift from Gold Fields to a preganat woman
Expectant and lactating mothers at the world malaria day programme

Gold Fields Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has marked World Malaria Day at Hunni-Valley in the Prestea Hunni-Valley Municipal, with a durbar at the Forecourt of the Hunni-Valley Health Center.

In attendance were over 300 expectant and lactating mothers, drawn from the eight host communities of the mining company, midwives, nurses, traditional leaders, and assembly members.

Nana Ama Saarah I, Queenmother of Bompieso, Nana Ama Ampomah, Nana Theresa Hayford, Nana Akua Ayaa, Queenmother of Amoanda, and Nana Adomah Ampomah, Queenmother of Koduakrom amongst many others, were present for the day.

The theme for this year’s day was “Harness innovation to reduce the Malaria Disease burden and Save Lives.”

The Municipal Health Director, Joseph Kwame Sampson, in a short address, said Prestea Hunni-Valley had seen significant improvement in malaria related cases, both at Out Patients Department (OPDs) and on admission, while deaths had also reduced in the last five years.

The average malaria positive test rate, the Health Director disclosed, for the past three years in the Municipality was 63%, explaining that the majority of fever conditions were due to malaria.

Mentioning some of the innovations being employed in solving the problem of malaria, he said no single strategy would solve the problem, because of the complex nature of the disease, the species of the parasites, and the methods of dealing with the vector and its characteristics.

“In the light of this, we have gathered here today to remind ourselves of this deadly enemy called malaria, and to do all we can to support the global agenda of reducing its impact on lives and economies.”

He, therefore, commended Damang Gold Fileds for the gathering and continuous support in contributing to the general effort in dealing with malaria situations, especially among the most vulnerable groups (pregnant women and under age 5).

The Community Affairs Manager of the Damang Gold Fields, Abdel Razak Yakubu, described malaria as a deadly disease, for which reason, every arsenal must be marshalled to combat the disease.

In so doing, he said, Damang Gold Fields had pledged it support to fight the disease, most especially, amongst expectant and lactating women.

In 2018, the Community Affairs Manager said, the Gold Fields Foundation (GFF) distributed 300 pieces of insecticide treated mosquito nets to breastfeeding and expectant mothers within the host communities.

The exercise was to support the initiative of the Ghana Health Service in donating and encouraging the use of mosquito repellants to complement its initiative of giving out treated bed nets, and also promoting the use of nets by pregnant women in our communities.

This year, the Foundation, based on advice from the GHS, was donating and encouraging the use of mosquito bed nets by pregnant women during antenatal periods.

The Foundation, the Community Affairs Manager enumerated, would continue to support the fight against malaria in its host communities, with a behavioral change communication strategy.

This includes encouraging community members to develop the habit of sleeping under treated bed nets, and keeping their surroundings clean.

At the end of the programme, each of the 300 expectant and lactating women was given pampers, medicated soaps and treated mosquito bed nets by the mining company.

The Municipal Health Promotion Officer, Enoch Atta Aggrey, took the participants, who were mostly expectant and lactating mothers, through malaria quiz education, teaching them the signs of the illness.

Theresa Dakura, a Midwife, explained why mosquitoes preferred feeding on the blood of especially expectant mothers.

She said women produced more carbon dioxide during pregnancy and the mosquitoes preferred the accompanying odor.

GAEC researches mosquito  breeding sites at Kwabenya

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AGNES ANSAH
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Mr Linus Dottey, Research Technician, BNARI seperating sexes of Adult Anopheles gambie mosquitoes

The Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) is to hold its annual Malaria Awareness Campaign for 2022, with research on mosquito breeding sites at Kwabenya in Accra to help develop malaria control measures.

The two-week research exercise, which starts today, Thursday, April 28, 2022, will also assess bed net ownership and usage among the residents of Kwabenya.

This was made known by the Director of BNARI, Dr. Michael Osae, during an interaction with Communication Officers of GAEC at BNARI in Accra on Monday, to announce a detailed programme of activities for the Institute’s one-month-long malaria awareness campaign in commemoration of the World Malaria Day.

The rationale for the campaign held annually, Dr. Osae explained, was to empower communities toward malaria prevention and control, and help solve the problem of malaria through research-driven solutions.

“Research has shown that urban areas are highly effective breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the likelihood of disease transmission. Indeed, disease-carrying mosquitoes in dense human populations pose a serious threat to public health,” he explained.

According to Dr. Osae, the campaign, a corporate social responsibility and research activity of GAEC, has been ran for years. “Last year, we were at Atatam in the Adansi Asokwa District in the Ashanti Region, where our research found out that there were two main types of malaria-causing mosquitoes in the Atatam community – the Anopheles Gambiae and the Anopheles Funestus. Both species have a high resistance to all classes of insecticides, organophosphates, organochlorines, pyrethroids, and carbamates.”

He, however, noted that this year’s campaign was targeted at the people of Kwabenya and its environs, because the community had hosted the Commission for decades, and that the annual exercise was a reciprocal gesture in appreciation of the support of the people to the Commission.

Throwing light on some key activities of the campaign, Dr. Osae said that apart from the research exercise, there would be an awareness durbar to educate some community schools in Kwabenya and its environs on malaria prevention and control.

He also indicated that there would be a free health screening exercise for school pupils and teachers in Kwabenya and its environs.

“Pupils and teachers will be screened for malaria and other health conditions, alongside receiving free consultation and drugs at the event,” he stated.The campaign is expected to end on May 31, 2022, with a public lecture on the topic, ‘What you need to know about Malaria’.”

FEATURE: An exposé on alternative dispute resolution in Ghana – The Ghana arbitration centre in focus

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Feature

Alternative Dispute Resolution

As long as human interactions exist, disputes will remain inevitable. Long before Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms were formally recognised as a means of settling differences, parties to disputes resolved matters by some form of ‘back and forth discourse’. This discourse, which was largely informal, were saddled with innumerable challenges. This, therefore, informed the need for a more formal and standardized mode of resolving disputes. ADR, thus, slowly took shape and became the umbrella name given to any method of dispute resolution outside litigation. It is a wide range of processes, techniques and procedures that parties can adopt to resolve disputes of many kinds, usually with the help of a third party neutral.

ADR mechanisms include but are not limited to arbitration, mediation, negotiation, settlement conferences, neutral evaluation, neutral fact-finding, ombuds, expert determination and customary arbitration. Its enabling legislation in Ghana is the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2010 (Act 789). Under Section 1 of the said Act,789 and by extension, the practice of ADR in Ghana, ADR mechanisms can be used to resolve all matters except matters relating to the national or public interest, the environment, the enforcement and interpretation of the Constitution, or any other matter that by law cannot be settled by an ADR method.

Arbitration, the focus of this discussion, is the voluntary submission of a dispute to one or more neutral persons for a final and binding determination. It is arguably the most widely accepted ADR method because of the binding nature of the award given after an arbitration. This mode of dispute resolution offers parties to a dispute the balance of a well-structured dispute resolution mechanism fused with the pleasures of more relaxed proceedings; in a comparatively hustle-free environment.

It is worth mentioning that this series of writings focusing on various aspects of ADR, is not intended to present philosophical or jurisprudential arguments on the quality of ADR and the outcome of its proceedings. The goal is to ‘open up’ the discussion on ADR and other matters related to this mode of dispute resolution.

Now, more than ever, there is a need for practical ADR pointers on how the interests of litigants, legal practitioners, business owners and the society at large, can be met. Before diving into the deep end, it is imperative to look at one of the leading arbitration centres in Ghana; the Ghana Arbitration Centre. It is not the only ADR Centre in Ghana. This piece is in no way an encyclopedia on what pertains in the Ghana Arbitration Centre; it is just the tip of the iceberg to pique the interest of persons who will subsequently engage their services. All being well, such persons would find this discussion valuable and stimulating.

The Ghana Arbitration Centre

The Ghana Arbitration Centre (The Centre) is an autonomous, non-profit institution incorporated on the 19th of October, 1996, as a company limited by guarantee under the then Companies Code, 1963 (Act 179) . The establishment of The Centre was sponsored by a cross-section of senior members of the Ghanaian legal profession which includes; a retired Supreme Court Judge and seasoned practitioners in commercial law and arbitration. It is undoubtedly Ghana’s oldest and most well-known institution for resolving disputes through arbitration. Despite its establishment in 1996, it was not until the early 2000s that parties began to engage the facility actively. That is to say, the paradigm shift from acrimonious litigation to an amicable settlement of disputes, particularly arbitration, did not happen overnight. If the number of cases currently being handled by The Centre is anything to go by, one can safely say that Ghanaians and other stakeholders have steadily warmed up to the idea of settling disputes at The Centre.

Jurisdiction

Businesses, organisations, and individuals entering into contractual agreements have become more aware of the need to include an arbitration clause in their agreements. The presence of an arbitration clause in an agreement to clearly state that disputes arising out of or in connection with the agreement should be resolved by arbitration at “The Ghana Arbitration Centre” invokes the jurisdiction of The Centre over the dispute. Unfortunately, arbitration clauses found in some agreements are drafted in a manner that makes the enforcement (of the said arbitration clause) challenging when the need arises. More often than not, parties are of the mistaken belief that once the word ‘arbitration’ is found in their agreement, then disputants can use any venue as a forum to resolve the dispute under the agreement; that is however not the case. Specific mention must be made of the “Ghana Arbitration Centre” or any other forum, such as the Ghana ADR Hub in Kumasi, where the parties would like their dispute to be heard and settled. The Rules Book of The Centre suggests an arbitration clause, which purports to makes it clear that once the arbitration clause in the agreement states that disputes arising should be resolved using arbitration by reference to the Centre, the Centre is seized with jurisdiction to hear the dispute arising therefrom.

However, it must be noted that the absence of the express mention of or reference to The Centre in the agreement is not fatal to parties’ desires to have their disputes settled at The Centre. According to Section 7 & 9 of the Rules Book, parties to a conflict can invoke the jurisdiction of The Centre by “Initiation under Submission”. Initiation under submission entails one or both parties submitting a dispute to The Centre even though The Centre was not expressly mentioned in the arbitration clause of their agreement. This is done when parties to an existing dispute file two copies of a written and signed agreement to arbitrate under the rules of The Centre.

Flexibility

Procedural flexibility is a prominent feature of arbitration that sets it apart from litigation. Unlike litigation, parties can adjust the procedures to the specifics of the dispute and the parties involved in order to increase efficiency, lower costs, and save time. For instance, the parties can determine the nature and scope of discovery (whether or not to allow depositions), the conduct of the hearing (including testimony by live video) and the duration of the entire proceeding. Section 11 of the Rules Book makes it clear that the parties may mutually agree on the place of the arbitration. When the parties are unable to reach a mutual agreement, the arbitrator will fix a time and place for the hearing. The venue may be The Centre or any other convenient forum. One visit to The Centre however, is enough to convince anyone to make use of the services available due to its serene atmosphere, the pleasant disposition of the administrative staff, and the ‘world class’ fixtures in the room where the arbitration process takes place.

Confidentiality

The confidential nature of arbitral proceedings is unparalleled. Trial proceedings held in courtrooms often lack the element of confidentiality, as hearings are open to the public. On the other hand, arbitration hearings are only attended by parties involved in a particular dispute in a private setting; there would be no news reporters, rival company representatives, spies, relatives or friends. The arbitrator is bound to maintain the privacy of the hearings unless the law states otherwise. In the absence of any such law, it is safe to say that “what takes place at The Centre stays at The Centre.”

Selection of Arbitrators

The fact that parties can decide who would be the arbitrators in their peculiar dispute is one advantage of arbitration and, by extension, the Ghana Arbitration Centre. . Litigants may have a fair idea of the particular third party neutral who would preside over their case; the names of persons presiding over various matters is no secret. When in doubt, members of the general public can quickly ascertain this information. However, a litigant may have no idea who the Judge would be in their case until it is assigned to a particular court by the court registry. This is not the case in arbitration.

At the Ghana Arbitration Centre, there are three methods of appointment of an Arbitrator; discussed in sections 13, 14 and 15 of The Centre’s Rules Book”. A list of Arbitrators of The Centre is readily made available to parties if they have not already chosen their arbitrator. Regardless of the method chosen by the parties, finding out the identities, interests, expertise, and in some situations, personal inclinations of arbitrators is not a cumbersome task in this ‘age’ of social media. A Google search may be enough to reveal information the parties may need to make an informed decision on who their arbitrator would be at the end of the selection process; parties should be confident that their case is in good hands.

Parties from other countries are well catered for at The Centre. According to section 16 of the Rules Book if one of the parties is not a Ghanaian national or resident, the sole Arbitrator or the neutral Arbitrator shall, if any of the parties place a request, be appointed from among the nationals of a country other than that of any of the parties. When such mutual concessions are made based on a party’s request, they are signs of the good faith and fairness that pertain to arbitration procedures conducted at The Centre.

The role of a Lawyer

It is commonplace to find parties attempting to navigate legal matters such as drafting leases, making appearances in court and even drafting court processes without the involvement of a lawyer. The excuse is always the cost attached to hiring the services of a lawyer. Unfortunately, only a handful of such persons who go ahead with legal proceedings succeed without a lawyer. Such persons, upon further investigations, are found to have family members or close friends who informally provide some legal support for the party. Gleaning from this, it would be prudent for parties to procure the services of a lawyer to navigate the arbitration territory.

The Rules Book of The Centre does not expressly state whether or not parties must be represented by legal counsel. It however makes it clear in section 22 of the Rules Book that once a party intends to engage the services of legal counsel, the other party as well as The Centre should be put on notice, at least three (3) days’ to the hearing where Counsel would first appear. If the arbitration process is however initiated by Counsel on behalf of the parties, there would be no need for notice to be given. A quick visit to The Centre would reveal that most parties appear with their legal representation. This is to ensure that they are able to properly put forward their case and adhere to the peculiar rules of arbitration. Parties may decide to do otherwise and the process would be conducted without any legal representation. However, for the aforementioned reasons, this is not advisable.

Monetary Obligations

Sections 48 -52 of the Rules Book deal extensively with the expenses to be incurred by the parties. Generally, all expenses, including initial deposit for the Arbitrator’s fee, expenses of witnesses, the cost of stenographic record and transcripts, travel expenses and any other cost related to the arbitration are borne equally by the parties. When the final award is given by the Arbitrator, the necessary payments and reimbursements would be made to the respective parties.

There is no “one size fits all” standard of fees at The Centre. Per section 51 of the Rules Book, the Arbitrators’ Fees are calculated by taking into consideration the work done, the complexity of the case and any special qualifications of the Arbitrators; “at rates appropriate to the particular circumstances of the case.”

By: Lauraine Mercy Ewurama Ghartey

Source: citinewsroom.com

Today’s Europa League Semi-finals Fixtures

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West Ham United coach, David Moyes

West Ham welcome Frankfurt to the London Stadium

West Ham United prepare for their first European semi-final in over 40 years as they welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the London Stadium in the first-leg. The Irons will be eager to have the advantage before heading to the Deutsche Bank Park as they seek to secure their first European final since 1976.

 

Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt coach

West Ham United and Eintracht Frankfurt will look to take a step closer to Europa League glory when they square off in the first leg of their semi-final tie on Thursday evening.

West Ham United

While some clubs on the continent view this competition as a hindrance, that has never been the case with West Ham as David Moyes, his players and their supporters dare to dream of European glory.

Ensuring European football for next season by any means necessary is the goal and the Hammers have work to do in the Premier League, but the main focus is on lifting this trophy, West Ham’s chances improving significantly now that Barcelona have now been eliminated.

Given the European credentials of their opponents, West Ham were arguably underdogs to defeat each of Sevilla and Lyon, although they performed like an established continental outfit in each of those ties.

The 3-0 demolition of Lyon in France earlier this month stands out above the rest, a goal glut either side of half time blowing their hosts away and leaving the Premier League outfit being tipped to go all the way.

However, four defeats in seven top-flight fixtures, the latest coming at Chelsea on Sunday, means that the East Londoners head into this contest not necessarily full of confidence.

Eintracht Frankfurt 

The same can be said of opponents Frankfurt, who have prevailed in just one of their most recent nine matches in all competitions.

Remarkably, that success came versus Barcelona at Camp Nou, the visitors going 3-0 ahead before having to withstand a late comeback from their more illustrious hosts to earn a famous victory in Spain.

Frankfurt has not had the desired effect in the Bundesliga, they have relished their tag of dark horses in the Europa League.

Although five draws have been recorded along the way, SGE are undefeated in 10 matches in this competition, highlighting the size of the task which awaits West Ham on Thursday.

Frankfurt are no strangers to making visits to London, only losing out to Chelsea in a penalty shootout at Stamford Bridge in the 2018-19 semi-finals before ending 2019 with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Prediction

Given the magnitude of this fixture for both clubs, we do not expect either side to go out all-guns-blazing in the first leg. The two sides will be perfectly content with remaining on level terms ahead of the return fixture in Germany, leading us to predict a low-scoring draw at the London Stadium.

Starting Line-up

West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Areola; Johnson, Dawson, Cresswell; Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Masuaku; Fornals, Bowen; Antonio

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Hinteregger, Hasebe; Knauff, Sow, Rode, Kostic; Kamada, Lindstrom; Borre

Leipzig have edge against Rangers

Domenico Tedesco, Leipzig coach

Rangers begin a pivotal week with a trip to RB Leipzig on Thursday.

RB Leipzig and Rangers will look to take the next step towards winning the Europa League on Thursday night when they meet in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

Rangers

With Rangers looking like they are going to concede the league title to Celtic, there is an argument that Giovanni van Bronckhorst is yet to fully convince since replacing Steven Gerrard in November.

However, having reached this stage of the Europa League and with a Scottish Cup final to come, criticism of the Dutchman lacks substance, and the Gers boss will have every confidence that his players can continue their heroics from earlier in this competition.

Although the success over Borussia Dortmund naturally set the tone, the manner of their victories over Red Star Belgrade and Braga have also been impressive. Rangers head into this contest on a four-match winning streak.

RB Leipzig

The trajectory of this team has skyrocketed since the appointment of Domenico Tedesco in December, a total of 16 wins and just three defeats coming from 24 games, and they will have every confidence of ending the campaign with two pieces of silverware, the other potentially coming in the DFB Pokal.

Securing a place in next season’s Champions League is realistically the priority, however, and they hold just a two-point advantage over fifth-placed Freiburg.

Since dropping out of European football’s premier competition after the group stages, Leipzig have impressively chalked successes,

and those results highlight the quality which Leipzig possess at both ends of the pitch.

Prediction

Rangers’ task was already a difficult one before they suffered more injuries to key players in the final third. With that in mind, we cannot see how the visitors will stay competitive for the 90 minutes, and giving themselves a chance of turning things around at Ibrox may be the best that they can hope for against a talented squad.

Starting Line-up

Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers coach

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Mukiele, Klostermann, Gvardiol; Henrichs, Laimer, Adams, Angelino; Olmo; Nkunku, Silva

Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey; Kamara, Lundstram, Jack; Aribo, Sakala, Kent

Ukrainian Premier League terminated following Russian invasion

Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine premier league team

The Ukrainian Premier League season has been terminated because of ongoing conflict in the country.

The championship did not resume after December’s three-month winter break following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Shakhtar Donetsk were top of the league with 47 points after the last round of games, two points ahead of Dynamo Kyiv.

A statement on the UPL website said: “The standings as of 24 February 2022 will be the final standings of the season and no winners will be awarded.”

The statement also confirmed that a working group has been created to discuss the start of next season.

Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv, who hold 29 Ukrainian top flight titles between them, have recently played friendlies to raise funds to aid people affected by the conflict.

Credit: bbc.com

Joyce Obenewa Appiah to officiate U-17 Women’s World Cup between Morocco and Niger

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Ghanaian referee, Joyce Obenewa Appiah

Ghanaian referee, Joyce Obenewa Appiah will officiate the U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier between Morocco and Niger on Friday.

This season, Referee Appiah has taken charge of matches in both the Ghana Women’s Premier League and the Women’s FA Cup.

Compatriots, Alice Farizua Chacule, Mary Tei and Barikisu Chisu Salifu will serve as the 1st Assistant, 2nd Assistant and Fourth Referee respectively.

Egyptian referee, Inas Mazhar will serve as the Match Commissioner while Said Zakini has been named as the COVID-19 Officer.

The match will be played at the Rabat Stadium in Morocco on Friday, April 29, 2022.

The victors will face the winner of the tie between Ghana’s Black Maidens and Guinea for a spot at the World Cup in India.

Credit: citisportsonline.com

Arsenal coach doubtful of Partey’s return

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Thomas Partey recovering from injury

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains doubtful about Thomas Partey’s return from injury for the remainder of the season despite the positive update about the player’s recovery.

The Ghana international midfielder picked up a thigh injury against Crystal Palace earlier this month when they lost 2-0 at the Selhurst Park.

However, Arteta’s latest comments suggest that Partey could be ruled out of action for the rest of the season.

“Yes, the news that we got after a lot of assessments is not great. It’s not looking very positive for his availability this season, but we’ll have to wait and see because he’s trying to get back as quickly as possible, but at the moment we are not very optimistic about it.” Arteta said.

The 28-year-old has clearly been working hard in the gym, as he posted a video of him running on a treadmill, a boost for Arsenal fans, who will be hoping he can return to first-team action before the season concludes.

The Gunners are hopeful of sealing a Champions League spot at the end of the season as they are currently sitting at the 4th position on the premiership standings.

They have 60 points after 33 rounds with Tottenham, Manchester United and West Ham are all in sight for the fourth spot with five games remaining for the season to close.

Credit: ghanasoccernet.com

1,125 Rounds Of Ammo Stolen From Osu Castle

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Mr Kan Dapaah, Minister for National Security
Osu Castle

A total of 1,025 rounds of 7.62 by 39mm calibre live ammunitions have reportedly been stolen from one of Ghana’s highest security zones, the Osu Castle.

The ammunitions were allegedly stolen by a 22-year-old manual worker, Mustapha Awudu, and another, Felix Ankrah, who also is 32 years old and unemployed.

Mustapha and Felix have, therefore, been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, stealing, and unlawful entry.

However, Mustapha has pleaded guilty simplicita, while Felix pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them at the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Rosemary Torsu Baah, yesterday.

The court has, however, deferred Mustapha’s case to May 5, 2022, but granted Felix bail in the sum of GH¢100,000.00, with sureties.

Details of the case, as narrated by the prosecuting officer, Inspector Jonas Lawer, are that the complainant in the case is National Security, Osu Castle Branch in Accra.

He told the court that on April 6, 2022, Mustapha, who claimed to be an informant, went to the Accra Police Regional Command with 375 rounds of 7.62 by 39mm calibre live ammunitions, claiming to have found them in the bushes behind the Osu Castle.

The prosecutor narrated to the court that on April 20, 2022, the Regional Command, again, received information that Mustapha and Felix were in the process of selling a quantity of the ammunitions at Kings Bar, James Town, in Accra.

He told the court that the police acted on the information and proceeded to the scene and effected the arrest of Mustapha and Felix, together with 750 rounds of 7.62 by 39mm calibre live ammunitions.

The prosecuting officer said Mustapha and Felix on the spot admitted to having gone to steal the said ammunitions from the Ammunition Room at the Osu Castle, by unlawfully entering through one of the windows behind the Castle.

According to him, Mustapha and Felix then led the police to the Osu Castle, or the crime scene, and showed them the rooms, which they stole the ammunitions from, and demonstrated how they entered through the window.

Inspector Lawer added that Mustapha also admitted that the ammunitions he brought to the Accra Police Regional Command on April 6, 2022 were stolen from the same place on April 5, 2022, which he divided into two and sold half to witnesses in the case for GH¢50.00.

Fidelity Bank staff in court for illegally withdrawing GH¢476k from customer’s a/c

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BERNICE BESSEY
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Court

Kwadwo Berko Antwi, a personal Accounts Manager of a customer of Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited, Maame Nkansah, is said to have allegedly forged a document and stolen funds of the customer to the tune of GH¢485,450.

Kwadwo, who alleged engaged his biological brother, Kwabena Appiah Mensah Antwi, to succeed in the crime, and used his share of the stolen money to buy two iPhones for himself or his wife, paid off his personal debt, as well as completed building his house.

Kwadwo, Relationship Officer at the Fidelity Bank, Ridge Branch, and Kwabena, a Graphic Designer, were arraigned before the Accra Circuit Court ‘2’ on the counts of forgery of official document, stealing, and abetment of crime.

The two have pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the court, presided over by Rosemary Torsu Baah, yesterday granted them bail each in the sum of GH¢400,000 with two sureties to be justified by landed property.

The brothers are expected to re-appear in court on May 25, 2022.

The brief facts, as presented by the prosecuting officer, Inspector Jonas Lawer, are that the complainant in the case is Frank Abdulai Iddrisu, a Financial Investigator with Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited, while Kwadwo Berko Antwi and Kwabena Appiah Mensah Antwi are Banker and Graphic Designer respectively, both residing at North Legon.

He said Kwadwo was the Relationship Officer at the Fidelity Bank, Ridge Branch in Accra, and was appointed to manage three accounts – Flip Account, Dollar Account and Current Account – belonging to a customer of the bank, Maame Nkansah.

According to the Prosecutor, on March 10, 2022, Maame Nkansah reported to the bank that a total amount of GH¢476,450.00 and US$1,200 were withdrawn from her accounts without her consent.

The Prosecutor said a review of the customer’s accounts revealed that, between the period May 7, 2020 and March 19, 2021, Kwadwo created a Fidelity Bank Mobile Application and funds transfer form with a forged signature of the customer, Maame Nkansah, and then transferred a total amount of GH¢435,400.00 from her account into another account with the name Ankusa Media belonging tp Antwi Kwabena Appiah Mensah.

Inspector Lawer further stated that Kwadwo also transferred GH¢24,000 into another account bearing the name of Kwabena Appiah Mensah, and on March 3, 2021, Kwadwo further transferred cash in the amount of GH¢7,050.00 to a different account belonging to one William Osei, a witness in the case.

He continued that on May 25, 2021, Kwadwo respectively transferred from Maame Nkransah’s US dollar account a total amount of US$1,200 into an account that belonged to Kwabena.

The Prosecutor stated that a complaint was lodged with the police, and the accused persons were arrested where it was discover that A1 and A2 were brothers.

He said Kwadwo operates two Fidelity Bank accounts with A2 as the sole signatory, adding that Kwabena was to withdraw monies paid into the two accounts, as stated above, and repay it into A1’s personal account or sometimes pay the monies into A1’s Momo account.

“This is to cover up A1’s underhand dealings as [a] staff of the bank. It also came to light during investigations that A1 used the monies he stole from the customer’s accounts to pay off his personal debt, bought two iPhones for himself and his wife, and then used the rest of the amount to complete his house at Agbogba,” he indicated.

The Prosecutor added that on March 3 and 22, 2022, respectively the accused persons refunded a total of GH¢180,000 to the police which was kept as an exhibit.

Go away, you have no case!

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Court

After succeeding in getting the apex court to interpret articles 102 and 104 of the 1992 constitution, Justice Abdulai has, this time round, failed abysmally to convince the nine Lord Justices as to why they should take a second look at their previous decision on the voting right of Deputy Speakers of Parliament while presiding.

Justice Abdulai, who is a private legal practitioner and law lecturer and predicated his chances to win the review as being slim, was shown the exit by a the nine-panel members, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse.

The Apex Court, in a unanimous decision, ruled yesterday that the review application that he filed lacked merit, hence, dismissed it.

Justice Jones Dotse, dismissing the review application, explained that it failed to meet the threshold required for a review case to succeed.

The review panel inquired from the plaintiff why he had granted several radio interviews on a matter that he had filed before the court, and even described himself as a radio lawyer.

The Justices said the applicant was a lawyer and law lecturer, therefore, must ensure that he lived by the tenets of the ethics guiding lawyers, as well as practice what he “preaches” to his students.

Justice Abdulai, after the 9-0 verdict told journalists that he had accepted the decision of the court, and was clear in his mind that posterity would judge him handsomely, saying, “I think that we have to move on as a nation. What I didn’t want was a situation where posterity will question us as to why we did not take this small window [of] opportunity that was available to us to attempt a review for a possible review of the decision of the Supreme Court of the 9th of March.

“So, once we decide this way, posterity will judge us all in a positive light. We did everything that we ought to have done to get the sort of judgment that we needed. This is what the Supreme Court says, and we all have to abide by that and live together as one nation, going forward.”

The other members of the panel were Nene Amegatcher, Prof Ashie Kotey, Lovelace Johnson, Mariama Owusu, Clemence Honyenuga, Gertrude Torkonoo, Prof. Mensah Bonsu and Emmanuel Kulendi.

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