Category: General

Mrs Beatrice Akua Mahmood, Founder, Voice of Women and Children with Disability in Ghana (VOWAC Ghana), has asked political parties to consider the establishment of economic empowerment fund to support businesses of Persons With Disabilities (PWD’s) in their manifestos ahead of the 2024 elections.

She said such a fund would empower and inspire PWDs to be self-reliant.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, on Wednesday, in Accra, she said women and especially PWDs were considered high-risk clients due to limited access to collateral, even though they had big dreams of pursuing their business ideas.

‘Even though we have big dreams of pursuing our business ideas, we are always limited by capital, as the District Assembly Common Fund is very minimal and always delays after application, making it always impossible to address the business needs of PWDs.’

She said the fund could cure that challenge.

The Founder also asked the parties to come up with an affirmative action to promote the active par
ticipation of women with disability in development programmes and leadership.

‘Most often we strive to achieve the inclusion of women, but the generic approach and for that matter treating all women in a homogeneous manner does not yield good results for women with disability. And so having specific programmes and a leadership portfolio will help to ensure that we are included.’

Mrs Mahmood also called for the expansion of GETFund to fund the unique educational needs of PWDs, especially women and children at all levels and implement the inclusive education policy.

‘Even though there have been lots of commitment by government and other international donors on educating us, the key challenge of most PWDs is that most schools are segregated and far, so normally the expenses that come with it deter parents from taking their wards to school.’

She said party manifestos must focus on implementing the inclusive education policy, with a policy of one school per district for a start.

‘Assistive devices and logisti
cs we require to go through education, like the brail, brail sheets, hearing aid among others are very expensive, so we will appreciate it if the GETFund is expanded to include our educational needs.’

Mrs Mahmood said the parties should also consider the inclusion of care givers of persons with disabilities under social protection interventions.

She said care givers go through a lot while providing care and support for PWDs, especially for children and needed some financial protection.

‘Some care givers abandon their dreams to take care of children with disabilities, so we would appreciate if there were social protection covering care givers of

PWDs to meet some of the expenditure that comes about as a result of these persons in the family.’

She noted that women with disability needed more social protection schemes and empowerment programmes because most of them were less educated, unemployed, or underemployed.

These limit their economic participation and social inclusion; hence a conscious effort must
be made to promote their advancement.

Mrs Mahmood called for consultation sessions with disability groups, women with disabilities and children with disability organisations for the parties to include their concerns in their manifestos.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana has launched its 2024 Children Ministry Week in all its congregations in Ghana and the diaspora.

The celebration is on the theme: ‘Caring for God’s Creation, the Role of the Church.’

Activities earmarked include poetry recitals, drama, drawing and quiz competitions and cleanup exercises by children in all congregations.

It will be climaxed with a thanksgiving and fundraising service on Sunday, 17th March, 2024.

Catechist Festus Awumey in charge of the Kekeli Congregation of the Church, Ho SSNIT Flats, said the celebration would reawaken the responsibilities of the church towards strengthening the children’s ministry.

He stated that funds raised would be used to resource the Children’s Ministry department.

‘The future of the Church hinges on children, and needs not to be toyed with,’ he noted.

Catechist Awumey said the Week’s activities would provide the opportunity for the children to imbibe the ‘Presbyterian discipline of the Church.’

He entreated members to
join hands with the leadership of the various congregations to make the week a success.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Lord Delvin Essandoh, the lawyer for two prison warders accused of enabling the escape of a convicted Chinese prisoner, says his clients would not drag the Ghana Prison Service into disrepute.

Speaking to the GNA after the court session, Mr Essandoh claimed that the charge sheet contained errors and did not support the facts provided to the court.

According to him, his clients have pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them, because at the right time they would prove their innocence.

He said that he requested bail for his clients since they had fixed residences and would appear in court when required to do so.

Joseph Oteng and Sergeant Isaac Boateng Bonsu have been charged with conspiracy and aiding escape.

They have pleaded not guilty, and the court presided over by Mrs. Afia Owusua Appiah has granted them bail in the sum of GhC100,000 each, with two sureties to be justified.

The two prison officers appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on charges of assisting Wang Xiao, a Chinese con
victed prisoner at Nsawam Medium Prison, to escape last Monday.

The accused correctional officers allegedly told their superiors that after visiting the hospital, they were approached by a Toyota Vitz car, which then drove away with the convict.

However, CCTV footage from a hotel has exposed them.

The CCTV footage indicated that the accused persons escorted the Chinese convict to a hotel to meet his wife in a room.

The convict and his wife allegedly escaped by climbing down the room’s balcony while the officers waited in the hotel reception area.

They are to reappear on April 9, 2024.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, stated that the complainant was the third in command at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, and the accused were serving under his supervision.

The prosecution said on February 7, 2024, at around 0700 hours, the two officers were detailed to escort Wang Xiao, a Chinese national serving a one-year sentence at Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospita
l for treatment.

The prosecutor said that after the convict was treated by a medical officer at the hospital’s Dental Department, the two accused agreed to accompany him to the Oceans Hotel in Korle Gonno to meet his wife for a discussion in exchange for a reward of GHC1,000, which they agreed to split.

According to Chief Inspector Alorwu, the accused removed the convict’s handcuffs and took him to the hotel reception. The second accused, Bonsu, informed the receptionist that they were there to see someone in one of the rooms.

The prosecution said the two accused sent the convict to the room, where they met his alleged wife, who offered them KFC rice and drink so she could ‘spends some time with the husband alone.’

Upon returning to the hotel room to contact the convict, the accused discovered that both the convict and his alleged wife had fled through the balcony.

The prosecutor said that after the convict fled, the accused proceeded to the Tema Station Hockey stadium to hide the handcuffs with a witnes
s in the case.

They immediately called their superiors in Nsawam and informed them that while escorting the convict from the hospital, they were unexpectedly stopped by a yellow and black unregistered Toyota Vitz taxi, and the inmate jumped into the taxi and fled.

The prosecutor said the accused were interrogated by their superiors at the Prisons National headquarters, who then submitted a formal complaint to the Police on February 13, 2024.

During investigations, the accused led police to the hotel.

A review of CCTV footage revealed that the convict and his wife jumped from the balcony of the first-floor building and fled while the accused were relaxing in the reception area after receiving meals from the convict’s wife.

The prosecutor said that it was only when the hotel staff alerted them to check on the prisoner that they realised he had escaped.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has arrested four people allegedly involved in a ‘sophisticated mobile money and sim swap fraud scheme.’

EOCO has put the four accused, including a female, before an Accra Circuit Court for their actions, which have led to the loss of GHC113,947.57 cedis belonging to one of Ghana’s largest banks.

The accused are Richmond Donkor alias Chino, Celicia Asabere, Salifu Eshum, and Daniel Asomani Baawiah.

They have been charged with conspiracy to steal.

Donkor, the first accused, is facing additional charges of stealing and altering forged documents (ECOWAS Identity Card).

Asabere and Eshum are jointly facing charges of abetment of stealing.

Eshum is also being charged for altering a forged document, notably the ECOWAS ID card.

The accused persons pleaded guilty with explanation.

The court presided over Mr Isaac Addo upon hearing their respective explanations, entered a plea of not guilty on their behalf.

The prosecution, led by Mr Abu Issa of EOCO, asked the c
ourt to remand them so that EOCO could complete its investigations by arresting one Derrick Obeng, who is considered to be the mastermind of the crime.

The prosecution argued that remanding the accused would prevent them from interfering with the investigation.

Mr Divine Effah Carrey, counsel for Donkor, the first accused person, sought bail for his client, claiming that Donkor was gainfully employed and had a fixed place of abode.

Donkor’s charges, according to his defence counsel, were bailable.

The court after listening to submissions from the prosecution and defence counsel, exercised its discretion in favour of the prosecution.

It remanded the accused persons based on the gravity of the offence and to prevent further interference.

The accused persons are expected to reappear on March 27, 2024.

The prosecution argued that on February 14, 2024, the EOCO received complaints from a bank that an amount of GHC113,947,57 had been stolen from six of its customers’ bank accounts through a sophisticated mob
ile money and sim swap fraud scheme.

According to the prosecution, the individuals suspected of running the mobile money and sim exchange fraud were arrested by police in Kasoa on March 2, 2024, following a tip.

The prosecutor told the court that preliminary investigations revealed that the accused persons operated in such a way that, with the assistance of some unscrupulous individuals within Vodafone, AT (Airtel Tigo), and the bank in question, mobile phone numbers associated with specific bank accounts were swapped without the knowledge of the actual account holders.

It stated that swapping allowed the accused to take control of the account holders’ banking channels (mobile application and USSD), allowing them to move funds from the victims’ accounts to various bank accounts and mobile money accounts.

According to preliminary investigations, Donkor and Asabere altered the same EOCWAS ID Card GHA 001091841-0 in the name of one William Agyei Kwarteng.

They then used the altered ID card to swap the phone
number attributed to the bank account number 2030200665017 belonging to William Agyei Kwarteng and transferred a total of GHC33,850 from the said account to bank account numbers 2030438618518 and 2100438618512 belonging to Asabere.

The prosecution said Asabere withdrew the funds immediately after the accounts were credited.

It said that Donkor and Eshum also sent GHC5,000 to Vodafone cash number 050933002, which belonged to Eshum’s brother, Razak Salifu.

The prosecution said the bank account numbers, 140017171276519 and 2030171276510 belonging to one Comfort Asamoah -Adu were also taken over, resulting in a total transfer of GHC10,341.2 from those accounts to MTN mobile number 0535385917 belonging to Eshum.

Additionally, the bank account number 2030171273319 belonging to one Patrick Kwadwo Yeboah was also taken over and an amount of GHC10,000 was transferred to mobile phone number 0535385917 belonging to Eshum.

Finally, the prosecution said preliminary investigations indicated that in an elaborate social
engineering scheme, Bawiah attempted to steal an unspecified amount of money belonging to one Muhibatu Abdul- Bassit through her AT (Airtel Tigo) cash number 0267029019.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Achimota Circuit Court has remanded into Police custody a 23-year-old man for breaking into a shop at East Legon, Accra.

Eric Ganyo, a trader, has allegedly identified himself in CCTV footage after the incident at the shop, the Police have said.

Ganyo has been charged with causing unlawful damamge, unlawful entry and five counts of stealing.

He pleaded not guilty before the court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo.

Ganyo is expected to reappear on March 21, 2024.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Ahiale said the complainant Kwame Achemapong Asirifi was the owner of MASCOT Apple products shop East Legon and lived at East Legon, Accra.

The prosecution said the accused person lived at Sowutuom, Accra.

On December 27, 2023, the prosecution said at about 10:05 hours, the complainant went to his shop and detected that someone hds broken into his shop and made away with a 55 inch LG Television valued at GHC13,000, Echo Dot Speaker valued at GHC700, Apple airpod Pro valued at GHC2,900, two Sumsu
ng Galaxy bud valued at GHC3,800 and two fire stick tablets valued at GHC4,000.

The prosecutor said investigations conducted at the shop revealed that on December 27, 2023, at about 3:25 hours, the CCTV cameras at the Shop captured a male adult wearing blue jeans and blue long sleeves shirt broke the padlocks and burglar-prooof metal gate of the complainant’s shop, entered and stole the items.

The prosecution said the police were, therefore, on the lookout for the accused person.

On January 16, 2024, information was received from the Legon Police Station that the accused person had been arrested at the East Legon Police Station.

The prosecution told the court that the accused person was later handed over to the Accra Regional Police Headquarters for allegedly breaking into apple shops at different locations in Accra and stealing apple products.

The accused person was handed over to the Police at Legon for investigations.

The prosecution said Ganyo was shown the CCTV footage and he confirmed he was the s
ame individual captured in the footage.

The court heard that the accused person admitted the offence and said that he had sold all the items to his accomplice at Ablekuma, but failed to lead the police to the said accomplice.

The prosecution said the accused person claimed he did not know the house of his accomplice.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Management of the Melcom Group of companies, has opened an ultra-modern shop at Sefwi-Dwenase.

This makes it the second Melcom shops to be opened in the Western North Region with the first shop being at Bibiani.

Mr Ahmed Saeed, the Branch Manager told the Ghana News Agency after the launch that the company had embarked on a series of transformation, to get closer to the public.

He said the company was now operating more in rural communities rather than the cities to get closer to the people especially, for convenience and best of customer satisfaction.

Mr Saeed assured residents and customers of the best of customer care and good business directions among others to achieve better standards.

‘This new facility has all that we sell in other branches across the country and customers can be rest assured of the best experience,’ he said.

Nana Elluo Panin III, the Chief of Nsuansua on behalf of the Wiawso Traditional Council, promised the company of their readiness to ensure they were provided with a safe
environment to operate.

Nana Ofori Ahenkan II, the Chief of Bonzian and Kontihene for Wiawso Traditional Council, advised the employees to work hard and avoid stealing.

The traditional ruler also appealed to the company to take good care of its workers so that they would give their best.

Source: Ghana News Agency