Gbagbo Ally Arrested By Interpol

Justin Kone Katinan 

A key ally of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, has been arrested by the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) Section of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.

Justin Kone Katinan was arrested in traffic on September 28, 2012, barely three days after he had been granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 with two sureties by the Osu District Magistrate’s Court.

It is unclear whether or not his arrest stemmed from recent skirmishes which occurred on the Ivorian side of the Ghana/Cote d’Ivoire border on September 21, 2012.

Police authorities are tight-lipped on the motive for his arrest.

In an interview with graphic.com.gh, Mr Patrick Sogbodjor, counsel for Katinan, confirmed his arrest and expressed misgivings at the behaviour of the security services.

After the collapse of Laurent Gbagbo’s regime, Katinan, a former Budget Minister, fled to Ghana where he has been living as a refugee since April 13, 2011. 

He was first arrested at the KIA on August 24, 2012, following a warrant issued by an Ivorian court on August 16, 2012 requesting him to be extradited to Cote d’Ivoire to face prosecution for alleged economic crimes he committed during the recent post-election violence in that country.

Following his arrest on August 24, 2012, the Osu District Magistrate Court on September 25, 2012 granted bail to Mr Katinan.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mr Aboagye Tandoh, directed Mr Katinan to report to officials of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) every two weeks. 

It further directed that the rights of Mr Katinan “to protection as an asylum seeker under our laws should be intact until otherwise stated”.

Katinan is the second top official in Gbagbo's government to be arrested while living in exile.

The first was Moise Lida Kouassi, a former Defence Minister, who was arrested in Togo on June 6, 2012 and was extradited the same day.

According to Mr Sogbodjor, it was most unfortunate for his client to be picked up without any justification and, especially, at a time “he is in a court of competent jurisdiction awaiting extradition proceedings”.

Mr Sogbodjor said he received a telephone call on Friday, around 5:30 p.m. that a security officer had stopped his client in traffic for questioning.

Counsel said he spoke to the said security officer, who explained that his superiors at the Interpol Unit of the Police CID had requested that Katinan be brought to answer a few questions.

Mr Sogbodjor said the security officer also indicated that he had a warrant to justify why Katinan was needed at the Interpol Unit, but declined to state the content of the said warrant.

“In fact, they created the impression they needed my client for a few minutes, and I actually advised him to adhere to the call. Little did I know it was a ploy to arrest him because when I got to the CID headquarters, he had been put in cells,” Mr Sogbojor said.

“As at this Sunday afternoon, I, my client and his family do not know the reason for his arrest,” counsel said, and wondered why security officials could not adhere to a simple human right issue as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

“It is a bother when persons are picked up and are not told why they have been arrested. It is very much scornful when their lawyers have to go through difficulties in their bid to have access to their clients,” Mr Sogbodjor said.

“It is a basic human right for suspects to be told why they are arrested, as well as allowed to have access to their lawyers,” he added.

Daily Graphic |Ghana

Report on CI78 laid before parliament

The Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Hon. Kwame Osei Prempeh laid the committee’s report on the controversial Constitutional Instrument (CI) 78 creating the 45 new constituencies.

Discussion of the report is scheduled to commence on Monday 1 October, 2012 where a heated debate as to whether the report should be rejected or otherwise is expected to ensue.

Though the content of the report is not readily known, information gathered indicates that, the minority is likely to push strongly for the rejection of the report due to the several mistakes found in the CI.

The CI is however expected to mature by the first week in October following which the new constituencies will be created and Parliamentary election held in December.

On Thursday, Hon. Kwame Prempeh accused the Majority Leader Clestus Avoka for unduly delaying the report, an allegation he strongly rejected since he asserted that he could not solely determine when a report should be laid in Parliament, adding that that was work of the Business Committee.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

NDC backtracks: John Mahama to join IEA debates

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rescinded its decision never to allow President John Dramani Mahama to attend the IEA’s evening encounter with presidential candidates and debates. 

The ruling party in a meeting with officials of IEA said President Mahama has now agreed to participate in the evening encounters contrary to their previous stance.

The IEA has now scheduled October 9 for President Mahama to face the nation and that will be the first time a sitting president is submitting to such encounters.

The General Secretary of the ruling party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, in a meeting with IEA officials at the NDC headquarters on Friday said: “He [Mahama] has requested me to indicate to you his preparedness to participate in the evening encounters and subsequent debate.]

The leader of the IEA delegation Esi Sutherland told Citi News it is a welcoming news and they are “extremely pleased and it is something that we cherish and we’ll make it possible to ensure he participates.”

It will be recalled that the Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, Richard Quashigah, in a statement during the era of President John Evans Atta Mills affirmed the party’s decision not to participate in the IEA. 

“The NDC government has previously drawn the IEA’s attention to the fact that no sitting president or vice president in the 4th Republic has participated in these debates. It is the party’s position to uphold that convention. The NDC wishes the IEA well and will continue to collaborate with it in other matters of mutual interest,” the statement said.

Source: Citifmonline.com

DACF releases GHc426,300,332 to assemblies

An amount of GH¢426.300,332 has been released by the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).

Members of Parliament (MPs) and people with disability have also benefited from the amount, which represents disbursement for the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first and second quarters of 2012.

5m Ghanaians Defecate In Open Daily

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO)/UNICEF JMP 2010 indicate that about five million people in Ghana defecate in the open every day as of the end of 2010.

With the annual growth of one per cent point, it will take 40 years to enable the country to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of 54 per cent.

In addition, more than 5,000 children die yearly due to sanitation related diseases.

This was made known by the Executive Secretary of the Coalition of non-governmental organization (NGOs) in the water and Sanitation Sector (CONIWAS), Mr. Benjamim Arthur, at a media engagement in Accra last Tuesday.

The media engagement was to advocate enhanced strategies in improving the collection, management and reporting of water, sanitation and hygiene related issues in the media.

The Water and Sanitation Programme of the World Bank also estimates that Ghana loses about $240 million annually in terms of health in labour and productivity caused by inadequate sanitation and hygiene services.

He noted that the issue of the country not having the adequate well-engineered facilities for treating and managing faeces was worrying since the raw faeces was always dumped in water bodies, drains and bushes.

A Communication Educator and consultant, Dr. Doris Yaa Dartey, stressed the need for the government to intensify efforts to clean up Ghana, adding that the county could not be branded well if it continued to be very filthy.

Dr. Messan Mawugbe, the founder of the Centre for Media Analysis, who gave some statistics on media reportage on water, sanitation and hygiene issues in the two state-owned print media houses advised civil society organizations to give the media a central role to play in the promotion of such issues.

Source: Daily Graphic

Pastor Jailed Two Years For Dealing In Fake GHC 50 Cedi Notes

Reverend Isaac Oti Agyemang, a pastor of Conquerors Redemption Church International at Achimota, was on Wednesday sentenced to two years imprisonment for dealing in fake GHC 50 cedi notes.

This was after a Circuit Court in Accra had found Rev. Agyemang guilty on charges of conspiracy to possessing fake currency and possessing fake currency.

Rev. Agyemang and two others were arrested at the church premises on June 28, 2010 with 2,193 pieces of the false GH 50 cedi notes.

Charles Tawiah, a trader, had earlier on pleaded guilty and convicted to six months imprisonment while another pastor of the Church Apostle Richard Kwesi Dwumfour was however acquitted and discharged.

Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police, (DSP) Abraham Annor, told the court that, personnel from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), on June 28, this year, had information that, some people were in possession of fake GHC50 notes at the church premises and were about to use it for business transactions.

DSP Annor said the BNI personnel armed with that information, trailed the suspects at ABC Junction, Accra until they alighted from a vehicle and walked into the premises of Conquerors Redemption Church International.

He said personnel from the BNI on arrival, met the accused in possession of a black laptop bag containing 2,193 pieces of fake GH 50 cedi notes.

DSP Annor said the accused were arrested and during interrogation, Tawiah owned up and mentioned Apostle Dwumfuor and Rev. Agyemang as persons who were to assist him sell the fake notes.

Source: GNA

Demo looms against EC in Salaga as 7000 remain

It is estimated that about 7000 eligible voters in the Salaga constituency in the Northern region are likely to be disenfranchised on December 7.

Reports indicate that the affected persons were left out during the biometric registration exercise due to faulty machines.

A group of civil society organizations called the East Gonja Civil Society Association has given the Electoral Commission one week to address the problem or expect a demonstration if the problem is not solved.

The Association’s Executive Secretary, Abdul Aziz Seidu addressed the media on Thursday saying, “The eligible voters through no fault of theirs will be losing their constitutional right to exercise their franchise and these people who could not register will be the sole cause of the EC.”

“We are by this medium calling on the Chairman of the Electoral Commission to expedite action on the situation to avert any unfortunate circumstance and we want the EC to further consolidate the peace and stability of the country by simply taking steps to get this population registered”, he added.

Aziz cautioned, “It means a lot in Ghana to infringe upon the rights of citizens especially as it is mandated by the constitution and this issue, once it remains unresolved, has the tendency of marring the peace process that the CSO’s, the East Gonja district assembly and for that matter the chiefs and people of the traditional area have strived so much over the years to preserve.”

Source: Citifmonline.com

Skirmishes In Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana Not Involved - Gbevlo Lartey

Ghana has denied any involvement in last Friday’s armed skirmishes at a border town in Cote d’Ivoire.

The National Security Coordinator, Lt Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, told the graphic.com.gh that the incident at the border town of Noe in Cote d’Ivoire “was purely an internal Ivorian matter and Ghana has no hand in it”.

He has, accordingly, challenged the Ivorian authorities to show “proof of Ghana’s involvement in the matter”.

He reiterated the government’s resolve not to allow anybody or group of persons to use any part of Ghana’s territory to destabilise any country, especially Cote d’Ivoire, and denied media reports that the incident happened at the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border.

Last Friday, Cote d’Ivoire closed its border with Ghana after an attack on an Army checkpoint in that country, an incident which the Ivorian Defence Minister, Paul Koffi Koffi, claimed was carried out by "armed elements from Ghana".

“His assertion is a hasty judgemental statement which is without any evidential support,” Lt Col Gbevlo-Lartey said, and stated, “We in Ghana want the Ivorian Defence Minister to give us proof that Ghana has a hand in what is purely an internal matter in Cote d’Ivoire.”

President John Dramani Mahama stated during a recent visit to Abidjan that Ghana would not become a base for those trying to destabilise Cote d’Ivoire, a call Mr Koffi welcomed and described as an example of "frank co-operation" between officials in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Lt Col Gbevlo-Lartey said Ghana was not interested in the internal affairs of any country, for that matter Cote d’Ivoire, and assured Ghana’s neighbours of its commitment to the peace and stability of the sub-region.

He explained that as a decent member of the international community and trailblazer of African unity and social economic advancement, Ghana would strictly abide by all international laws and protocols that enjoined countries to respect the sovereignty of other nations.

He urged Ghanaians to remain calm while the situation was closely monitored.

Cote d’Ivoire is recovering from months of political unrest after disputed elections in November 2010. An estimated 3,000 people died in the fighting that followed the disputed polls.

Then President Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to then candidate Ouattara, who eventually ousted his rival with the help of former rebel forces, the UN and Cote d’Ivoire’s former colonial power, France.

Mr Gbagbo is currently in The Hague, awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity.

Meanwhile, both the entry and exit points at the Elubo and Ivorian side of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire Border remain closed.

Many vehicles and people trying to cross over to the other end remain stranded.

At the moment, 200 Ghanaians living in Cote d’Ivoire have returned home using canoes to cross the Tano River.

Some of the stranded travellers told graphic.com.gh that they had set off from Nigeria, Mali, Benin and Togo for business in Cote d’Ivoire and were held up due to the closure of the border, adding that they did not know about the closure or any armed attack.

Security sources at the border stressed the need for an increase in border patrols to help deal with the threat of using unapproved routes linking the two countries.

That, they said, would ensure that armed groups operating in Cote d’Ivoire did not cross into Ghana.

Daily Graphic

Elections 2012: EC to allow proxy voting

The Electoral Commission will allow proxy voting and transfer of votes during the 2012 general election which will be conducted with the Biometric Voters’ Register.

Prospective voters wishing to take advantage of the proxy and the transfer of votes from one polling station to another would, however, have to notify the EC 42 days before the polls instead of the current 21 days.

The Director of lCT, Electoral Commission, Hubert Akumiah, who disclosed this, said the increase of the days would afford the EC enough time to adequately make provision for such a demand with the use of the Biometric Voters Register.

“This year, we will take transfer and proxy of votes very early other than the actual date for the polls. This will help us to make adequate provisions for such demands,” noted Mr Akumiah.

He was speaking at a two-day election sensitization workshop for members of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Ho during the weekend.

The workshop, which was sponsored by the European Union (EU), was under the theme: “The Role of the Parliamentary Reporter in the 2012 General Election”.

Proxy voting is simply when an eligible voter assigns or delegates someone to vote on his behalf when he or she for some reason(s) was unable to be present for such an exercise.

With this, eligible voters wanting to make such a demand have until October 26, 2012 to notify the EC about their intention, failure of which the application would not be granted.

According to Mr Akumiah, the provision of proxy and transfer of votes in the upcoming general elections has a legal backing in the C.I 75 which is currently before Parliament awaiting for approval.

Many registered Ghanaians, especially, those outside the country as well as those having some physical challenges have for decades resorted to proxy voting whenever there was a general election.

In May, 2012, the fear of not having proxy voting in the 2012 general elections was heightened when a newspaper reported that such an exercise was in danger of being eliminated from this year’s election which would be done with the Biometric Voters Register.

Daily Graphic

NPP chairman throws support for NDC over projects

Mr. Kwaku Attah, chairman for the New Patroitic Party (NPP) branch in the Freboye Constituency in the Bosome Freho District in the Ashanti Region, has thrown his support for President John Mahama and the NDC government for initiating noteworthy development projects in the area.

The NPP chairman made his intentions known when he accompanied the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Bosome Freho District, Mr. Kwame Adarkwah to commission a 3-unit classroom block for the Freboye town.

Mr. Adarkwah in an interview,  indicated that due to the increasing population in the town, the school was however over burdened with classroom deficit problems hence the need to construct a new one for them.

He said in view of this, funds were quickly made available and the contract awarded in order to solve the problem as early as possible.

The DCE noted the cost of the school block to be GHs69, 000 adding that the facility is currently in use after it was commissioned about three days ago.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh

Passengers escape unhurt as bus burn to ashes

The burnt bus

A 207 Mercedes Benz bus with registration number GW 1065 U, carrying passengers to Accra was on Thursday morning burnt beyond repairs near the Ako-Adjei Interchange on the Ring Road Central.

The passsengers however escaped unhurt.

The driver of the Benz bus, Mr. Richard Leedo told this reporter, that he saw smoke coming from the engine while approaching the Interchange. He said he stopped the bus in order to attend to the problem but the bus caught fire.

Some passengers on board told Godwin Allotey (reporter) that, the driver had no fire extinguisher and as the fire spread to the rest of the bus, there was little any one could do immediately.

A distress call to the Ghana National Fire Service some 500 meters away yield an appreciable response but the raging fire had done enough to render the vehicle useless.

The fire service which is about 500 metres from the scene, was contacted but by the time the team got there it was too late to quench the blazing fire.


Story by Godwin Allotey Akweiteh
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/200911/37798.asp

Published: 11/12/2009

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