A coroner will look into the death of a man from Manchester whose “heavily mold-infested lodgings” has been linked to his demise.
Luke Brooks, 27, passed away on October 25 of last year, not long after informing his family that he had been having breathing difficulties recently.
An inquest into Luke’s death has now been initiated by a coroner who ruled over the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a moldy apartment only a few months ago.
Senior Coroner Joanne Kearsley will now decide whether Luke’s death is the second in recent times in Greater Machester to be down to medical issues brought on by mould.
His parents described him as a ‘light’ in their lives (Picture: MEN Media)
Rochdale Coroner’s Court heard how Luke and his family in a property they rented for eight years from a private landlord in Oldham.
Paul Lever, police coroners’ officer at Greater Manchester Police (GMP), told the court: ‘Luke resided with his parents.
‘He spent a lot of time in his room playing video games and left the house on a few occasions.’
After he started to fall unwell, he tried to get a GP appointment while being told by NHS’ 111 services he could have a ‘viral infection’ so should take ibuprofen, Lever said.
In the days before his death, Luke began to feel ‘weak’ and suffered from a skin rash and had ‘difficulty breathing’, the court was told.
Paramedics were called after Luke suffered a ‘fit in his bed’ before he stopped breathing altogether on October 25.
Detective Inspector Judith Holmes said council environmental health officials visited the family flat on November 1 and took several photographs.
She said: ‘There had been some cleaning done in the property between October 25 and the visit on November 1, Luke’s room had actually been cleaned at that point.
‘There was a small patch of mould growth above a radiator. They had already cleaned the internal walls of Luke’s room, however, it was untidy at that time. There were animals present during the visit.
‘Oldham Council visited the address in response to the family making complaints to the local authority.’
Holmes added that Luke’s parents complained about the property being in ‘disrepair’ as ‘opposed to any mould in the property’.
‘No formal issues’ were found by council officials but the force has commissioned a second inspection.
A microbiologist will now scour the flat for any signs of Aspergillus, the type of mould thought to be behind Luke’s sputtered breathing.
‘At this moment in time, the investigation is looking at whether criminal offences may have been committed and also what opportunities the council may have had as well,’ she said.
‘But at this moment in time, they are still keeping an open mind.’
Found flowering across bathroom tiles and living room walls, mould is very common in damp environments and can be especially harmful to children.
The fungi’s fuzzy tendrils slowly spread across surfaces and produce allergens which can cause sneezing, runny noses, skin rashes and red eyes.
But in more serious cases for those with respiratory conditions, certain black mould types such as Cladosporium and Alternaria can bring on sometimes deadly asthma attacks.
Many of the negative health impacts of mould were brought to national attention after the death of Awaab at his Rochdale home in December 2020.
His father, Faisal Abdullah, had complained about the mould to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing – he was told to paint over it.
Health visitors found in June 2020 mould had covered the kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom cupboard, this meant the toddler had ‘chronic exposure to harmful mould’, coroner Kearsley said at an inquest last November.
Now Greater Manchester could see the second death tied to mould in recent years.
Luke’s father, James, said: ‘Luke was a fantastic lad. He was a fit lad, he wasn’t unfit. He was the nicest lad you could meet.
‘He was a lovely human being. I was lucky to get 27 years with him. He never gave us any trouble.
‘He was a good artist, he couple play the guitar and the piano, he was very talented.’
His mother, Patricia, added: ‘He had a brilliant heart, he was funny. He was a wind-up merchant. He had the patience of a saint, our Luke.
‘He took over the cooking, he looked after me and James. He wouldn’t leave our side. He was our angel, he was the spark in this house.
Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale took to Facebook to share a post hours after Hitz FM morning show host Andy Dosty criticized the dancehall musician live on air.
Earlier during a discussion on his ‘Daybreak Hitz’ show, Tuesday, Andy Dosty was peeved about the fact that Shatta publicly insulted his mother, yet fans were expecting him to promote his new ‘Maali’ album.
Andy Dosty was peeved with Shatta Wale’s disrespect coupled with the high sense of entitlement from an SM fan who queried his refusal to promote Shatta’s new piece.
“You want me to talk about it? An artiste that stands on stage and insults my mother and talks anyhow and foolishly to my mother, and you want me to what? If you don’t have sense, I do. If you don’t respect, don’t come here. The woman who gave birth to me has lived a good life and has a good place to live. That’s all I have said. I love my mother, and nobody, nobody… I won’t speak ill of anyone’s mother; she raised me well. You can fool around. The fooling is too much in this country.
“You will be sitting there, and they will want to come and sit here and say they want to promote their stuff. What do you want to promote? If that woman didn’t give birth to me, where would you know me from? Foolish guy,” a visibly infuriated Dosty fumed with rage.
The issue courted controversy and divided opinions as some people chastised Andy Dosty for being unprofessional while others defended him.
While some expected Shatta Wale to rebut with the same level of rage, the Shatta Movement boss, who is currently on a business trip in Kenya, has shared a post on Facebook that does not appear to be a direct response.
He wrote: “Am On a Mission So Me Never Bother When Dem Call Me Names, Listen When It’s Necessary Never Go Astray Breda, Trust God And Trust None Ah Dem And ’memba Always To Be Inna Ur Lane, Been To Jail, Got Bail. #MAALI.”
What Shatta Wale said that touched Andy Dosty’s nerve
Halfway through his performance at a concert in Takoradi, sometime in February, Shatta Wale paused and raised some allegations against two astute media personalities.
Shatta said some persons including Andy Dosty and Abeiku Santana have resorted to countering his unbreakable record of featuring on Beyonce’s track with Sarkodie’s Bob Marley feature.
He said these individuals have tried to place Sarkodie on the same pedestal as him (Shatta) following the former’s feature in Bob Marley’s ‘Stir It Up’ remix.
“Now I have made them confused. Because I have featured Beyonce so you want to counter me with Sarkodie. Tell those radio presenters, Andy Dosty and Abeiku Santana, your mothers!” he fumed.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received one complaint that the ad was offensive and inappropriate for display in an untargeted medium where it could be seen by children.
Lovehoney said they did not believe the ad was inappropriate for untargeted display because a ball gag had no explicit sexual reference and children would not recognise it as a sex toy.
The retailer explained that the ad was created in response to the release of Harry’s memoir, which they pointed out contained ‘a number of indiscreet revelations, some of which had a sexual reference’.
Lovehoney said the advert made the point that ‘not all family stories needed to be shared’ (Picture: PA)
At the time the ad was published, Lovehoney issued a press release saying it ‘was meant to be humorous and that not all family stories needed to be shared with the public’.
The ASA said it understood that some people would find the ad ‘distasteful’ but believed that it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
However, it found that the image of a ball gag and references to the toy in the text were inappropriate for children to see.
The agency said: ‘We considered that while younger children were likely to be unaware of what the item was, older children might have greater awareness of what the object was intended for.
‘We therefore considered that the ad was inappropriate for outdoor display where it could be seen by children.
‘We concluded that the ad had been irresponsibly targeted.’
Harry released his book Spare on January 10, when he shocked Brits with multiple revelations.
These included the story of how he lost his virginity to an older woman and anecdotes about times he had done cocaine and psychedelics.
The 2022 Dormaa Central Municipal Best Farmer, Mr Jacob Takyi has appealed to the government to address cashew price fluctuations and disparities in the local market to protect farmers’ interests and guarantee them sustainable livelihoods.
Mr Takyi appealed in an interview with the GNA about the challenges of cashew farmers and the impacts on the industry at Antwirifo, near Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region.
He said a government-guaranteed price for the commodity would ensure the industry’s sustainability in the area and contribute positively to the country’s socio-economic development.
Mr Takyi suggested the establishment of cashew depots and buying centres across the Municipality to check and prevent individual private buyers from controlling prices of the cash crop to the detriment of the farmers.
He explained the establishment of a depot would help stabilise cashew prices on the market, which kept changing between GhC4.50p and GhC6.00 per kilogramme, depending on its quality in the Dormaa-Ahenkro enclave.
Mr Takyi said, “when the price was at GhC10.00 per kilogramme, the business was profitable. We could pay labourers and other workers who assisted us on our farms. Unlike today, we harvest more bags but the most worrying aspect is that the price per kilogramme is low at GhC4.00.”
“This is adversely affecting production. We use all the little profit we make to pay labourers and thus are left with nothing”, he noted.
Mr Takyi stated that the government’s failure to establish government-controlled buying centres to guide the purchases of the cash crop at a fixed price was long overdue because the situation had given room for individuals to dictate the pricing at the expense of the farmers.
“The prices keep on changing yearly and some buyers purchase from farmers on a credit basis,” he indicated.
Mr Takyi said the farmers had planned to form an association to serve as a mouthpiece that would advance their interest.
Police have confiscated a Ferrari that is worth more than £1 million because the driver failed to purchase insurance.
On Tom Crisp Drive in Lowerstoft, Suffolk, police stopped the Ferrari F40’s driver early on Friday.
Following a few checks, it was discovered that the freshly purchased, extremely costly car had no insurance, according to what police posted on Facebook. awful days, man.
A Suffolk Police spokesman said: ‘The vehicle was removed by a recovery company and the driver is able to get it back once they prove a policy of insurance has been bought.
‘They also have to pay a £150 recovery fee and daily storage costs until they collect it.’
The cars regularly sell for more than £1 million, and some have even been sold in excess of £2 million.
Last year a Ferrari worth £500,000 smashed into a row of parked cars.
CCTV footage shows the driver of the SF90 Stradale model – the most powerful Ferrari road car ever – crawling out of the wreckage after the crash.
After appearing from nowhere, it took only second for the Italian supercar to ram head-on into the row of parked vehicles in Halesowen, near Birmingham.
The video also shows at least two of the three vehicles had been severely damaged by the impact.
The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak has blamed the government for the challenges that have bedeviled the school feeding school.
This comes on the back of scores of caterers on the school feeding programme in the Ashanti region who were left in a shock, when the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah snubbed them, on Monday April 3, 2023.
The aggrieved traders had gone to the Regional Coordinating Council to present a petition.
For weeks now these caterers in Ashanti region have been protesting for the release of payments which is almost a year in arrears, and an upward adjustment of the allocation fee, from 97 pesewas per head to GHc3.
They have attributed the demand for adjustment to hikes in prices of food stuff and other food commodities on market.
Commenting on the development on Morning Starr with Francis Abban Tuesday the lawmaker indicated that statistics available shows that the school feeding program has led not only to increase in enrollment but retention as well.
“It is important to recognize that in many schools the caterers all together stopped cooking meals for the pupils largely because the government has failed to pay them. So clearly if we ought to blame, the blame must be squarely placed at the doorstep of this government.
“What worries me is that year-in and year-out budgetary allocations are made and Parliament approves this budgetary allocation. So it then becomes the question of priority because if allocations are made approved by Parliament and you expect that the caterers will be paid so that they can continue feeding pupils,” the lawmaker stated.
He continued: “But I think that this is another example of a lot of talk and less action. It is clear that the Akufo-Addo led Bawumia NPP government has only been paying lip service to education in general and basic education in particular. We all know the reason why the school feeding program was introduced. First of all it was supposed to offer students who are from less endowed backgrounds a hot meal a day. Intended to prevent them from being hungry.”
The deputy ranking member on the Education Committee in Parliament stated that current challenges with the school feeding program are defeating the purpose it was introduced for.
Nana Aba Anamoah, a renowned Ghanaian broadcaster, responded brutally to a “stupid” question posed by a Twitter troll.
On Monday, April 3, 2023, Nana Aba Anamoah shared a video in which she was having a good time with Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey in a London restaurant.
The video which has been well received by football fans, particularly Arsenal supporters also attracted abusive remarks from some social media users.
One such troll is from a user with the name Rashyfaze who sarcastically and in Nana Aba’s words ‘stupidly’ asked “Did she get home safe?”
Nana Aba Anamoah did not let it slide as she offered an even more scathing and ferocious response to the roll.
She tweeted “Yes, I did. I always feel safe around Partey. He’s a perfect gentleman. Do you have another stupid question?”
Nana Aba Anamoah and Partey, per social media engagement, appear to be good friends, and the ace broadcaster during her visit to London decided to call on her good friend.
Partey was captured in a video with Nana Aba Anamoah in a restaurant in the United Kingdom.
All attempts by Nana Aba to have Partey say something to the camera is met with jests by the Black Stars deputy skipper.
When he finally agreed to say something, he took a swipe at Manchester’s loss to the Magpies over the weekend.
“You are welcome, join us in celebration of United’s loss,” he said as he took a spoonful of what appeared to be chocolate.
Inconnection with the killing of a “happy and beautiful” two-year-old who was fatally mauled at her house, a mother and her “monster” boyfriend have been found guilty.
In the early hours of July 17, 2020, Lola James suffered “catastrophic” brain damage. She passed away in the hospital four days later.
Kyle Bevan, the mother’s partner, denied murder and said the family dog was to blame.
It was claimed that Lola had fallen down the stairs after being jumped on by the animal.
Lola James died after suffering a serious head injury at her home in south-west Wales (Picture: PA)
But a jury at Swansea Crown Court didn’t believe his story and convicted the 31-year-old of murder on Tuesday.
He had lived with the family in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire for just four months before killing Lola.
Sinead James, 30, Lola’s mother, had denied causing or allowing her death but was found guilty.
During the four-week trial, prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said Bevan had launched a ‘murderous’ attack on the little girl.
He used the hours after to cover his tracks instead of calling for an ambulance.
Mother-of-three James was asleep at the time and didn’t have a part in the vicious assault.
But the prosecution argued that James, who was said to be a victim of previous domestic violence, failed to protect Lola from Bevan.
Instead, she ‘chose to prioritise her relationship with him over her own daughter’s physical safety’, the court was told.
Lola had previously sustained injuries including a damaged nose, black eyes and a cut lip while in the care of Bevan, who was a self-confessed ‘spice head’.
A disturbing video of Lola that Bevan took following the attack that killed her and sent to his mother was played in court.
It showed him demonstrating how the little girl was unconscious, by picking up her limp body and attempting to stand her on her feet before letting her fall to the floor, telling the camera: ‘She’s gone.’
Giving evidence, James called Bevan ‘a monster’ and told the jury: ‘I never thought he would kill my children, never in a million years.
‘If I had gotten him out of the house my daughter would still be alive today.’
Lola’s heartbroken dad previously said his daughter’s ‘beautiful smile’ will always be missed.
‘From the very first time I met my beautiful daughter, Lola Patricia James, my heart was filled with such joy, a happiness I’d never felt before, an unconditional love and need to always protect her for the rest of her life’, he said.
‘Not in a million years did I think her life would be snatched away from her in such a cruel way.’
Lola’s grandmother also paid tribute to their ‘bubbly and happy girl who kept everyone on their toes’.
‘Lola Patricia James, you were the constant light in our lives, the sparkle of our eye’, she said.
Former deputy minister of Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu has outlined economic performance indicators that show that the governing New Patriotic Party has been a “huge joke in government.”
In a social media post dated April 4, Kwakye Ofosu described the overall performance of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Ado government as one of “rubbish governance.”
He said the economy had been destroyed, the economy bankrupted as a result of wastage by the government tasking that the NPP be kicked out of office as quickly as possible.
“The NPP has been a huge joke in government. They have offered rubbish governance, destroyed our economy, rendered us bankrupt, defaulted on our debt, destroyed our currency, wasted billions of public funds, and imposed the worst ever economic hardships on us and should be booted out at the earliest opportunity,” his post read.
Ghana is meanwhile undergoing external debt restructuring as part of conditionalities for an International Monetary Fund loan facility of US$3 billion.
Government approached the fund last year amid an economic squeeze brought on by a depreciating currency, galloping inflation, rise in the general cost of living, government being shut out of the international capital market and suffering multiple economic downgrades.
Whiles the opposition insisted that the headwinds were as a result of wanton borrowing and mismanagement, the government blamed the malaise on the aftershocks of COVID-19 as well as the Russia-Ukraine war.
Government and the NPP have serially promised to do all it takes to put the economy back on track.
During the lockdown, a married couple attempted to transport more than £200,000 out of the UK, but they got off easy.
In May 2020, Ardian Sharra, 51, and Valbona Laloshi, 41, had their Mercedes pulled over at the Folkestone, Kent, Channel Tunnel port.
The Tring, Hertfordshire, natives claimed to be traveling with their three kids to see family in Brescia, Italy.
They stated that they had £5,000 in the car, which they said was for local dental care.
But Border Force officers found another wad of £14,000 in Laloshi’s handbag and more than £200,000 hidden in a rucksack and suitcase in the boot.
National Crime Agency investigators searched the couple’s home and found documents detailing dozens of large cash deposits into their bank accounts.
They had paid more than £110,000 into their accounts in 2019 – more than five times their legitimately declared income for the year.
Sharra had bought the Mercedes for £11,000 in cash just two months before.
The couple admitted money laundering offences mid-way through their trial at Canterbury Crown Court.
Sharra was given an 18-month suspended sentence and 200 hours of unpaid work, while Laloshi got a 12-month community order and 50 hours of unpaid work.
The cash will now be forfeited as proceeds of crime.
NCA Branch Commander Mark Howes said: ‘This couple lied about the cash from the moment they were caught, initially telling officers it was for dental work in Italy, then claiming it was for a property purchase.
‘Our investigation showed they were using their various bank accounts to make criminal cash appear legitimate.
‘The NCA is determined to target criminal cash flows and prevent organised crime gangs benefiting from their illicit profits.’
Fifty-one persons are in police custody for allegedly attacking employees of Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL) and also destroying several properties belonging to the company have appeared before District Court B in Tarkwa.
The pleas of the accused persons who were arrested in batches have not been taken.
The Prosecutor, Superintendent of Police, Juliana Essel-Dadzie, appealed to the court presided over by Justice Isaac Osei Asare to remand the accused persons for two weeks to enable them to complete their investigations that were underway.
She said considering the number of persons arrested so far, releasing anyone on bail would interfere with their investigation, adding that “We need more time to probe further into the case. This will help us deal solely with only those involved in the crime and free the innocent persons”.
The accused persons would be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and other offences, Superintendent Essel-Dadzie informed the court.
However, counsels for eight of the accused persons, Bright Baiden and Jacob Acquah-Sampson, prayed to the court to grant their clients bail.
“Our clients have been in police custody for a while and since they have intelligent and competent officers, they should have completed their investigation. Our clients, provide the income that their respective families have to live and life is becoming unbearable for them” They pleaded to the court.
After listening to both parties, Justice Isaac Osei Asare said he would rule on the bail application on Friday, April 14, 2023.
The court also remanded all the accused persons into prison custody to re-appear on the same date.
Meanwhile, the Group Corporate Affairs Manager of GSWL, Gerard Boakye who was present in court with some employees after proceedings, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that, “we have not gotten into the case yet mainly because the police requested for more time to engage the suspects because the first set of suspects, they arrested paved the way to apprehend more, so I think all is in line with making sure that people are not wrongful judged”.
“We have no problem with the proceedings because we are a law-abiding company, we also believe in the human rights of people, we work and fight for that, so we are not disturbed that the law will take its course” he added.
On Thursday, March 16, 2023, some illegal miners from Subriso in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region attacked employees of GSWL over illegal mining activities at one of the company’s concessions.
The illegal miners injured some employees, smashed the windscreens of 22 dumper trucks, and set ablaze 12 vehicles which included excavators, ambulances, land cruisers, pick-ups and part of the administrative block of the company.
Stormy Daniels, a celebrity of the adult film industry, made a crude remark in response to Donald Trump‘s arrest on Twitter.
Stephanie Clifford is Daniels’ true name, and she appeared to revel in the news of the former president’s formal arrest and charges.
She wrote, “Y’all keep using the term “cum dumpster” like it’s a terrible thing.” “It’s definitely more pleasant to be beneath my handsome lover than to be in jail,” she said.
At Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday, 34 felony counts were officially filed against Trump. In the wake of an affair in 2006, he allegedly used bribes to buy the porn star’s silence.
The hush money payments allegedly occurred in 2016, just days before the presidential election, when Daniels offered to sell her story to a gossip magazine.
Trump reportedly instructed his attorney, Michael Cohen, to make the payments to Daniels to prevent the story from going public.
Cohen later pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges related to the payments.
Alvin Bragg, the district attorney for Manhattan, provided more information regarding the accusations that former President Donald Trump is facing.
At Manhattan Criminal Court earlier today, Trump entered a not guilty plea to 34 counts of falsifying financial documents.
Falsifying corporate records with the aim to defraud or conceal another crime is against the law in New York, according to Bragg. 34 false statements that were made to hide additional offenses. Anyone can commit these felonies in the state of New York.
The charges against Trump relate to hush money payments the former president allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He reportedly paid the actress for her silence through his attorney, Michael Cohen, and reimbursed him for ‘legal services.’
Manhattan District Attorney announces the 34 charges of falsifying business records against former President Donald Trump (Picture: Reuters)
‘The defendant repeatedly made false statements on New York business records. He also caused others to make false statements,’ Bragg said. ‘The defendant claimed he was paying Michael Cohen for legal services in 2017. This simply was not true.’
Bragg said the payments also violated New York and federal election laws, and accused the former president of running ‘a scheme to buy and suppress negative information to help Mr Trump’s chances in the election.’
Bragg said Trump and Cohen did this by running a ‘catch and kill’ scheme, in which various shell companies bought and suppressed negative stories about Trump before they were widely reported.
‘New York state election law makes it a crime to conspire or promote a candidacy by unlawful means,’ Bragg said.
What is Trump charged with and what’s next?
WHAT’S THIS CASE ABOUT?
The grand jury spent weeks investigating money paid during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to two women who alleged that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him.
Trump has denied the allegations.
His former lawyer Michael Cohen, who testified as a key prosecution witness, paid Daniels $130,000 through a shell company he set up and was then reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the repayments as legal expenses.
Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for former Playboy model Karen McDougal to be paid $150,000 by the publisher of the supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer, which squelched her story in a journalistically dubious practice known as ‘catch and kill’.
WHAT’S AN INDICTMENT?
An indictment is the formal charge brought against someone after a grand jury — which is made up of members of the community — votes and enough members agree there’s sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.
The indictment against Trump remains sealed, as is standard in New York before an arraignment. But once the document is made public, it will lay out the crime or crimes that Trump is accused of committing.
Sometimes indictments include a lengthy narrative with lots of details about the allegations, while others are more basic and just outline the charges a defendant is facing.
WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?
Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that isn’t yet public.
Under the law, prosecutors must prove there was an ‘intent to defraud’.
The felony falsifying business records offense requires prosecutors to prove that the records were falsified with the intention of committing, aiding or concealing a second crime.
It’s not clear yet what prosecutors allege the second crime to be, but experts have said it is probably some kind of campaign finance violation.
WHAT’S AN ARRAIGNMENT?
An arraignment is generally the first time a defendant appears in court after being charged.
The judge will tell Trump the charges against him and advise him of his right to go to trial and other things.
Trump will enter a plea of not guilty — as is standard for defendants to do at arraignment. The indictment is expected to be unsealed upon his arraignment.
Trump is expected to walk out of the courtroom because the charges against him don’t require that bail be set in New York.
It’s possible — but unlikely — that Judge Juan Merchan could decide that Trump is a flight risk and order him held, with or without bail, though Trump’s lawyers would vigorously fight that.
WHAT WILL TRUMP’S DEFENSE BE?
Trump’s lawyers have vowed to ‘vigorously fight this political prosecution in court’.
Defense attorney Joe Tacopina has described Trump as a victim of extortion who had to pay the money because the allegations were going to be embarrassing to him. But he says it had nothing to do with the campaign.
Trump will no doubt try to fight the case on multiple fronts. He may try to have the case moved out of Manhattan or New York City entirely — arguing he can’t get a fair trial there — though it’s rare for judges to agree to do that.
Trump may also argue that the statute of limitations has passed.
He has complained that the statute of limitations ‘long ago expired’ because the hush money payments and Cohen’s reimbursements happened more than six years ago.
New York’s statute of limitations for most felonies is five years. For misdemeanors, it’s just two years. But in New York, the clock can stop on the statute of limitations when a potential defendant is continuously outside the state.
Trump visited New York rarely over the four years of his presidency and now lives mostly in Florida and New Jersey.
WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS FOR TRUMP?
Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
Already, the charges have been a boon to his fundraising. The campaign announced Friday evening that it had raised over $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment became public, far smashing its previous record after the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
Trump’s team over the weekend blasted out emails full of supportive comments from dozens of top Republicans, many of whom had already been supportive of him leading up to the indictment.
Those likely to be facing off with Trump in next year’s GOP primary contests have also slammed the prosecution.
Former Vice President Mike Pence called the indictment ‘an outrage’ and ‘nothing more than a political prosecution’.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said on Twitter that the indictment ‘is more about revenge than it is about justice’.
Biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also seeking the GOP presidential nomination, called the indictment ‘a dark moment in American history’.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday accused District Attorney Alvin Bragg of weaponizing the law ‘for political purposes’ to bring a case against a former president, never mentioning Trump by name.
‘True and accurate business records are important everywhere, to be sure. But they are all the more important in Manhattan – the financial center of the world.’
Bragg also said his office was very familiar with prosecuting charges of falsifying business records, calling it the ‘bread and butter of our white collar work.’
According to Bragg, the charge has been used to prosecute cases where defendants violated bank secrecy laws, covered up sex crimes, and committed tax fraud.
‘Fraud presents itself in all different forms in Manhattan,’ Bragg said. ‘At its core, this case today is one with allegations like so many of our white collar cases. Allegations that someone lied again and again to protect their interests and evade the laws to which we are all held accountable.’
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has warned against molesting members of the LGBTQ+ community.
He said that the debate about LGBTQ+ rights should not be left to hardliners – those who think that one is either in support of the community or not.
He stressed that while he doesn’t support the LGBTQ community, he will not want them beaten, molested, or imprisoned for belonging to the community.
He added that the tendency to judge one’s enlightenment or otherwise on whether or not one supports or disapproves of the LGBTQ community is untenable, adding that opposing the community should not mean one is uncivilized.
“The LGBTQ+ debate is difficult to have if you are not a hardliner. There are people whose view is that you either hate the LGBTQ+ or you support them. These hardliners include some members of the LGBTQ+ community, who argue that you’re either for them or against them.
I don’t support any of the variables in the LGBTQ+ movement. I have stated this a number of times. I also dislike the fact that some powerful countries are almost forcing some other countries to accept it as a norm and legalise it.
As I stated in my public lecture at the University of Ghana, if my daughter told me she believes she is a boy trapped in a girl’s body, I would call a psychologist, not a human rights lawyer. And I definitely would not call the police. These are my views I should be free to hold them irrespective of where I find myself.
On the issue of LGBTQ+, not all Americans or British or Canadians support the movement. So it is normal that the majority of Ghanaians don’t support it. Supporting LGBTQ+ should not be the standard rod for measuring civility. People who do not believe in gay or transgender should not be viewed as unenlightened,” explained.
READ ALSO: BREAKING News: Former 2nd Lady Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama confirmed dead The debate on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community has come to the fore again following the visit of the Vice President of American and his comments that rights, including LGBTQ rights, ought to be respected.
Read the full piece of Manasseh Azure Awuni below:
YOU CAN BE AGAINST LGBTQ+ BUT STILL…
The LGBTQ+ debate is one that is difficult to have if you are not a hardliner. There are people whose view is that you either hate the LGBTQ+ or you support them. These hardliners include some members of the LGBTQ+ community, who argue that you’re either for them or against them.
I don’t support any of the variables in the LGBTQ+ movement. I have stated this a number of times. I also dislike the fact that some powerful countries are almost forcing some other countries to accept it as a norm and legalise it.
As I stated in my public lecture at the University of Ghana, if my daughter told me she believes she is a boy trapped in a girl’s body, I would call a psychologist, not a human rights lawyer. And I definitely would not call the police. These are my views I should be free to hold them irrespective of where I find myself.
On the issue of LGBTQ+, not all Americans or British or Canadians support the movement. So it is normal that the majority of Ghanaians don’t support it. Supporting LGBTQ+ should not be the standard rod for measuring civility. People who do not believe in gay or transgender should not be viewed as unenlightened.
In the same way, opposing it is not the standard of measuring morality. Those who do not support LGBTQ+ should not expect everyone to hold a hostile position on the subject or against the community.
I don’t support LGBTQ+ activities, but my hardline position started to soften when I encountered Dr. Sulley Ali Gabass in my investigation. I began to appreciate that these are people real human beings. Some of them are good human beings.
I have maintained that I won’t be happy if any of my family members were an LGBTQ+ community member. But I would not want them to be beaten or molested if they were. I would not even want them to be jailed for it.
So, speaking up against attacks on the LGBTQ+ community does not necessarily mean supporting that community. Speaking up against hostile LGBTQ+ legislation does not mean one supports LGBTQ+ activities.
But considering the fact that the powerful LGBTQ+ community appears to be hostile to people who don’t support their cause and some actually suffer for it, it is difficult to have a reasonable debate on the subject.
Whatever the hostilities are, however, it will be dangerous to leave it to the hardliners. Some of the laws go beyond LGBTQ+ to stifle general freedoms such as the free speech of people outside the scope the law intends to regulate.
A Chop Bar owner in Tema’s heavy industrial area, Florence Mensah, has been slapped with a GH¢2,400.00 fine.
She was fined by the Tema Community Centre District Court for running a restaurant without a Medical Health Licence.
In default, she will go to jail for one week.
The Court Presided over by Siren Mahama fined Florence on her own guilty plea to three charges of dumping refuse in a public drain, burning trash in an open area, and failing to have a medical health certificate.
She was penalised GH¢1,200.00 for the first count, GH¢1,800.00 for the second count, and GHS2,400.00 for the third count, all to run concurrently.
Saudatu Issaka, an Environmental Health Analyst, prosecuting, stated that when Environmental Health Officers inspected the accused’s premises, they discovered haphazardly disposed of and burnt rubbish in the open.
Officers also discovered some of the refuse in the stormwater drains, according to the prosecution.
According to the facts, as presented by the prosecution, Florence was called to the scene and all of the problems were pointed out to her.
Florence and her three employees were unable to provide their medical health certificates, which allowed them to sell food to the public.
According to the Prosecutor, a notice of abetment was served on her and the two others after a short health education, ordering her to stop dumping refuse in the drain, provide dust bins to store their waste and obtain the medical certificate for herself and her employees within seven days.
The prosecution also stated that a re-inspection was performed on October 10, 2022, and that while the other two people did comply with the notification, she continued to burn trash in the open.
As per authorities, Donald Trump bribed a doorman $30,000 to bury a report about a secret child he claimed the former president fathered out of wedlock.
Trump, 76, made history on Tuesday when he appeared in a New York court as the first US president to be charged with a crime.
He sat stony-faced and mute before resolutely responding “not guilty” to 34 counts of felony business record-falsification.
Subsequently, Todd Blanche, his attorney, told the press, “We’re going to fight it. We’ll battle valiantly against it.
The judge set the next court hearing for December 4 and declined to impose a gag order, meaning both parties are free to discuss the case in the media.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said afterwards the charges relate to a ‘conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election’ – which Trump eventually won.
He is said to have ‘orchestrated a scheme’ to ‘purchase negative information’ – known as ‘catch and kill’ – in violation of election laws and then covered it up with fake business entries.
The indictment was finally unsealed and reveal the charges centre on alleged payoffs to two women – porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – and a Trump Tower doorman.
Prosecutors claim the employee was paid $30,000 after trying to sell information about an alleged child fathered by Trump outside of his marriage.
The investigation also concerns alleged payments of $130,000 and $150,000 to Daniels and McDougall respectively.
Both say they had affairs with the married Trump years before he entered politics.
Trump denies the claims as well as any wrongdoing involving payments and has called the prosecution a ‘witch hunt’.
On the way to court he described the experience as ‘surreal’, writing on his Truth Social page: ‘WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!’
Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump cut a more sombre figure as he was pictured filing past police through a hallway into the courtroom to be arraigned.
He was fingerprinted and processed but no mugshot is believed to have been taken.
That did not stop his presidential campaign team seeking to cash in on the proceedings by selling t-shirts emblazoned with fake ones along with the words ‘not guilty’.
They are up for sale on the official Trump 2024 website for around $36 each.
Trump earlier used his social media page to renew his attacks on Juan Merchan, the acting New York Supreme Court judge overseeing the case, branding him ‘highly partisan’.
New York City was braced for protests in response to the prosecution, and pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrators were split into separate pens outside the courthouse to keep the peace.
People crowded around along a gate at a park outside the courthouse where hundreds of media members camped out waiting.
Protesters waved flags occasionally and blew horns but were largely calm as they waited for the indictment to be unsealed and for Trump’s arraignment and processing.
What is Trump charged with and what’s next?
WHAT’S THIS CASE ABOUT?
The grand jury spent weeks investigating money paid during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to two women who alleged that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him.
Trump has denied the allegations.
His former lawyer Michael Cohen, who testified as a key prosecution witness, paid Daniels $130,000 through a shell company he set up and was then reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the repayments as legal expenses.
Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for former Playboy model Karen McDougal to be paid $150,000 by the publisher of the supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer, which squelched her story in a journalistically dubious practice known as ‘catch and kill’.
WHAT’S AN INDICTMENT?
An indictment is the formal charge brought against someone after a grand jury — which is made up of members of the community — votes and enough members agree there’s sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.
The indictment against Trump remains sealed, as is standard in New York before an arraignment. But once the document is made public, it will lay out the crime or crimes that Trump is accused of committing.
Sometimes indictments include a lengthy narrative with lots of details about the allegations, while others are more basic and just outline the charges a defendant is facing.
WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?
Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that isn’t yet public.
Under the law, prosecutors must prove there was an ‘intent to defraud’.
The felony falsifying business records offense requires prosecutors to prove that the records were falsified with the intention of committing, aiding or concealing a second crime.
It’s not clear yet what prosecutors allege the second crime to be, but experts have said it is probably some kind of campaign finance violation.
WHAT’S AN ARRAIGNMENT?
An arraignment is generally the first time a defendant appears in court after being charged.
The judge will tell Trump the charges against him and advise him of his right to go to trial and other things.
Trump will enter a plea of not guilty — as is standard for defendants to do at arraignment. The indictment is expected to be unsealed upon his arraignment.
Trump is expected to walk out of the courtroom because the charges against him don’t require that bail be set in New York.
It’s possible — but unlikely — that Judge Juan Merchan could decide that Trump is a flight risk and order him held, with or without bail, though Trump’s lawyers would vigorously fight that.
WHAT WILL TRUMP’S DEFENSE BE?
Trump’s lawyers have vowed to ‘vigorously fight this political prosecution in court’.
Defense attorney Joe Tacopina has described Trump as a victim of extortion who had to pay the money because the allegations were going to be embarrassing to him. But he says it had nothing to do with the campaign.
Trump will no doubt try to fight the case on multiple fronts. He may try to have the case moved out of Manhattan or New York City entirely — arguing he can’t get a fair trial there — though it’s rare for judges to agree to do that.
Trump may also argue that the statute of limitations has passed.
He has complained that the statute of limitations ‘long ago expired’ because the hush money payments and Cohen’s reimbursements happened more than six years ago.
New York’s statute of limitations for most felonies is five years. For misdemeanors, it’s just two years. But in New York, the clock can stop on the statute of limitations when a potential defendant is continuously outside the state.
Trump visited New York rarely over the four years of his presidency and now lives mostly in Florida and New Jersey.
WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS FOR TRUMP?
Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
Already, the charges have been a boon to his fundraising. The campaign announced Friday evening that it had raised over $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment became public, far smashing its previous record after the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
Trump’s team over the weekend blasted out emails full of supportive comments from dozens of top Republicans, many of whom had already been supportive of him leading up to the indictment.
Those likely to be facing off with Trump in next year’s GOP primary contests have also slammed the prosecution.
Former Vice President Mike Pence called the indictment ‘an outrage’ and ‘nothing more than a political prosecution’.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said on Twitter that the indictment ‘is more about revenge than it is about justice’.
Biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also seeking the GOP presidential nomination, called the indictment ‘a dark moment in American history’.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday accused District Attorney Alvin Bragg of weaponizing the law ‘for political purposes’ to bring a case against a former president, never mentioning Trump by name.
Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters in Congress, organised a rally at the park, but it was tough to hear her over the throng of people gathered.
Trump is scheduled to return to Mar-a-Lago to hold a rally in which he is set to be joined by supporters as he seeks to use the criminal charges as a boost in his bid to return to the White House.
A conviction in the case would not prevent him from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
He has denied any wrongdoing and has blasted the investigation as part of a years-long ‘witch hunt’ aimed at damaging his candidacy.
The King’s official coronation invitation has been made public, and it is loaded with British iconography.
The Green Man, a legendary character from British folklore who symbolizes spring and rebirth, is its most prominent element.
The Green Man has appeared in many different guises throughout history, and some people view him as a kind of trickster.
Although the Green Man is sometimes associated with paganism, carvings of him can be seen in churches all around Europe.
He has been described as being a bridge between Pagan and Christian beliefs.
The King’s coronation church Westminster Abbey also features a Green Man – surrounded by leaf decorations on the Quire Screen, which separates the Nave from the Quire.
The elaborately decorated artwork – which will be reproduced on recycled card with gold foil detailing – also features a colourful abundance of wildflowers and wildlife.
The Green Man is crowned in natural foliage and formed of leaves of oak, ivy and hawthorn and the UK’s emblematic flowers.
The British wildflower meadow bordering the invitation includes lily of the valley, cornflowers, wild strawberries, dog roses and bluebells.
The meadow also features rosemary for remembrance, seemingly in memory of the late Queen.
Flowers appear in groupings of three, signifying the King becoming Charles III – the third monarch of his name.
The King, who has campaigned against climate change for years, is known for his love of nature.
A lion, a unicorn and a boar – taken from the coats of arms of Charles and his consort – can be seen amongst the flowers.
The invitation is the first official reference to ‘Queen Camilla’ – instead of Buckingham Palace’s previous use of ‘Queen Consort’.
It was designed by Andrew Jamieson, a heraldic artist and manuscript illuminator, and a Brother of the Art Workers’ Guild, of which the King is an honorary member.
The original artwork for the invitation was hand-painted in watercolour and gouache.
The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
The King acceded the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother – but it is traditional for a full ceremony to be held a significant time later as a mark of respect to the late monarch.
The Ministry for Interior has declared Friday, April 7, 2023, and Monday, April 10, 2023, as statutory public holidays.
In a terse statement signed by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, he indicated that the two holidays mark Good Friday and Easter Monday respectively.
“The general public is hereby informed that Friday, 7th April, 2023 and Monday, 10th April, 2023 which mark Good Friday and Easter Monday respectively, are statutory public holidays and should be observed as such throughout the country,” the statement dated Monday, April 3, 2023, said.
With about 71.3% of the country’s total population identifying as Christians, the Easter festivity is a major event on the annual calendar of Ghana.
The Christian population usually marks the period with various church activities after which they many people go out to public places especially beaches to spend the holidays.
The Kwahu area in the Eastern Region remains the centre of attraction for Easter celebrations in Ghana every year.
Former deputy minister of Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu has described as abysmal, the current administration’s performance so far.
He has outlined economic performance indicators that show that the governing New Patriotic Party has been a “huge joke in government.”
In a social media post dated April 4, Kwakye Ofosu described the overall performance of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Ado government as one of “rubish governance.”
He said the economy had been destroyed, the economy bankrupted as a result of wastage by the government tasking that the NPP be kicked out of office as quickly as possible.
“The NPP has been a huge joke in government. They have offered rubbish governance, destroyed our economy, rendered us bankrupt, defaulted on our debt, destroyed our currency, wasted billions of public funds and imposed the worst ever economic hardships on us and should be booted out at the earliest opportunity,” his post read.
Ghana is meanwhile undergoing external debt restructuring as part of conditionalities for an International Monetary Fund loan facility of US$3 billion.
Government approached the fund last year amid an economic squeeze brought on by a depreciating currency, galloping inflation, rise in the general cost of living, government being shut out of the international capital market and suffering multiple economic downgrades.
Whiles the opposition insisted that the headwinds were as a result of wanton borrowing and mismanagement, the government blamed the malaise on the aftershocks of COVID-19 as well as the Russia-Ukraine war.
Government and the NPP have serially promised to do all it takes to put the economy back on track.
According to the White House, President Biden is “not a focus” on Donald Trump’s court appearance.
Trump was formally detained and will soon appear in court.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at the monthly briefing that the President did not place a high focus on the significant legal case.
The president, as he does every day, will pay attention to the needs of the American people. He doesn’t put much thought into this, stated Jean-Pierre.
She continued: ‘When we first learned about the indictment, the president was not given a heads up. He was briefed his chief of staff, and he learned about this like all of you – through the reporting.’
Biden’s direct answer to questions about Trump’s court case has been ‘no comment, no comment, no comment’.
Jean-Pierre, said with a straight face that Biden ‘is focused on securing America’s energy independence’ at the briefing.
Jean-Pierre repeatedly declined to comment on the Trump indictment, saying that it’s an ongoing case.
She did say: However, that Mr Biden was sure to catch some of the “hours and hours” of coverage it’s getting.’
Biden previously said he had faith in the New York Police Department to handle any protests or unrest following Trump’s hearing on Tuesday.
‘We are prepared,’ Jean-Pierre said at the briefing.
The Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana today, April 5, 2023, have shown that the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 10.9395 and a selling price of 10.9505.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 10.30 and sold at a rate of 11.30.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 13.6777 and a selling price of 13.6925.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 13.40 and sold at a rate of 14.40.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 11.9906 and a selling price of 12.0015.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 11.20 and sold at a rate of 12.20.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.6106 and a selling price of 0.6111.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.45 and sold at a rate of 1.10.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 42.1042 and a selling price of 42.1608.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 13.50 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 19.00.
For the CFA, it is trading at a buying price of 54.6563 and a selling price of 54.7059.
At a forex bureau in Accra, CFA is being bought at a rate of 17.00 CFA for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 21.00 CFA for every 1 Cedi.
Our forex bureau rates are provided by Afriswap Bureau De Change in Osu, Accra.
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has condemned President Akufo-Addo for not being forthright with his position on the issue of homosexuality, during a joint press brief with the US Vice President, Kamala Harris.
The President has recently come under massive bashing following his responses to a question on the LGBTQ+ community during his joint press conference with US Vice President Kamala Harris.
When asked about Ghana’s stance on the issue, the President talked about the country’s anti-LGBTQ bill saying “the bill is going through the Parliament. The Attorney General has found it necessary to speak to the committee (the constitutional and legal committee of parliament) about it regarding the constitutionality . . . of several of its provisions. The parliament is dealing with it. At the end of the process, I will come in”.
He stated that the President has addressed the LGBTQ+ brouhaha on three different platforms and on each platform, his statements have been different.
“The President has shared his thought on three ocassions, when you listen to the first one it is different from the second one, when you listen to the third one it is different from the first one, one person you have three different thoughts, why? . . . It is a worry, as President when you talk you need to be firm and plain so we all know your stance . . . ” Kwesi Pratt said.
This, to him, it is a cause for worry, so he advised Nana Addo saying “as a President, you have to firm on your position but for this one, you can’t know where he stands when he talks”.
” . . What worries me is the inconsistencies . . . if you won’t state your position just keep quiet,” Kwesi Pratt told Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” show while addressing the President’s statements on the subject.
The morning before former President Donald Trump was officially charged, protesters gathered in a small park near Manhattan’s Civic Center.
The protesters assembled a gathering at Collect Pond Park, a tiny public space nearby Manhattan Criminal Court, where Donald Trump is expected to be tried on criminal charges for hush money payments at 2.15 p.m. today. The protest was organized by the New York City Young Republicans Club.
Only hours before the ex-hearing, president’s the conservative group also asked Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to speak in favor of the indicted former president.
Around 8am, the park was largely empty, save for a handful of early protesters.
Gregory Williams, from the Bronx, sat on a lawn chair he set up on the sidewalk, waiting for the days events to begin. He told Metro.co.uk that he was there early to celebrate.
Williams brought along a large cardboard cut-out poster of Hillary Clinton, as well as a homemade sign that read ‘Lock Him Up.’
‘I think it’s ironic that for eight years, they always said “lock her up.” Now, I get to say “lock him up.”‘
Perez, a Trump supporter from Bushwick, Brooklyn, told Metro.co.uk that he hoped the former president would be found innocent on all charges and called the arraignment ‘political BS.’
‘It never happened before, in United States history, that a former president got indicted,’ he said.
Perez also said he was hopeful that the court proceedings would help Trump win the Republican primary and eventually the presidential election in 2024.
Nearby, another man wearing a red MAGA hat ripped off his shirt to reveal he was wearing a full set of stars-and-stripes overalls. ‘This is an unjust prosecution!’ he yelled as news cameras flocked to his location. ‘We should throw [District Attorney] Alvin Bragg in Guantanamo Bay!’
The event also attracted large numbers of counter-protesters, many of whom were wearing black-and-white shirts with messages like ‘Witches know this isn’t a witch hunt’ and Trump is the definition of depravity.’
A Trump supporter rips up a counter-protester’s banner (Picture: Leonardo Munoz / AFP via Getty Images)
Two women, who identified themselves just as Olivia and Beth, came from Indianapolis to witness the historic event. ‘It is really important to show that nobody is above the law,’ the women said.
One man on the counter-protester side, who said his name was David, spoke in English and Spanish about Trump’s mishandling of the Hurricane Maria disaster.
‘Nobody should have to go through what the people of Puerto Rico went through, and continue to go through to this day,’ he said. He also brought a roll of paper towels, a reference to the viral moment in 2017 when Trump tossed goods to survivors in a crowd.
NYPD officers split the park into two halves for each side, but protesters from both sides still managed to confront one another.
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tries to address the crowd in Collect Pond Park (Picture: REUTERS)
Around 9am, two women unfurled a large banner reading ‘TRUMP LIES ALL THE TIME’ on the pro-Trump side. Moments later, a blonde woman wearing a red MAGA hat leaped onto the banner and began tearing it up.
‘I don’t care b***h I’m from New York!’ she yelled in the counter-protesters’ faces.
Around 9.30am, right-wing New York congressman George Santos made a brief surprise appearance at the protest.
The recently-elected Republican has been the target of criticism since it was revealed he embellished or lied about large portions of his resume, including his career and identity.
A Trump supporter wears stars-and-stripes overalls at the protest (Picture: REUTERS)
Rep Santos was quickly harried by the press, and left moments later.
Eventually, Rep Greene arrived around 10.30am for her scheduled talk. She was given a megaphone by protest organizers, but her words were completely inaudible as counter-protesters in the crowd drowned chanted and banged on pots and pans.
‘We’re the party that wants to protect the lives of the unborn, we’re the party of male and female, two genders only,’ she told the few supporters who could hear her.
Meanwhile, counter-protesters chanted ‘go back home’ to the congresswoman from Milledgeville, Georgia. Others yelled ‘talk about gun reform!’
Social media influencer, Naomi Asiamah, popularly known as ‘Hajia Bintu’, has disclosed that at a point in her life, she was nurtured in a mission house.
Recounting her childhood memories in an interview with Delay, Hajia Bintu said she once lived in a manse, under the care of a certain pastor and his wife in Kumasi.
This according to her, was immediately after she left Adansi Fomena, where she lived with her grandmother until about age 9.
Bintu, who said her mother had travelled to Accra to start a family after her father had gone missing for a long time said,
“A methodist pastor and his family once came to our village. His wife was so fond of me, she liked me very much. So, when they were going to Kumasi, they took me along. I grew up in a mission house. I stayed there since I was 9 years old until about 13 years. We lived in Sepe Brokuom until the man retired. At that time, his wife was a lecturer at KNUST so we stayed on campus for a while.”
When asked why she did not spend most of her childhood days with her biological mother, Hajia Bintu replied,
“I don’t know. But I later lived with my mother when I turned 14.”
The United Fetish Priests Association (UFPA) is solidly behind the passage of Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill which pending approval in Parliament.
They have vowed to invade Parliament with eggs and schnapps to curse lawmakers should they vote against the controversial Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (anti-LGBTQI+) Bill.
According to the group’s president Nana Mosi Bansere, it would be a betrayal of Ghana’s tradition and culture if the MPs chose to put their own interests ahead of the nation and reject the bill.
He continued by saying that if Ghana allows the practice of homosexuality, the effort and sacrifice of the forefathers would be in vain and the nation will be cursed spiritually.
“Our tradition, culture, gods, rivers, dwarfs, ghosts, and other spirits surrounding our country frown on LGBTQI+, so, we (United Fetish Priest Association) will go after them with eggs and Schnapps if they vote against the Bill. We don’t trust them, we will resist LGBTQI+ with our last breath.
“The toil and the blood of our forefathers will be in vain and they will regret sacrificing their blood for Ghana and will therefore demand answers from traditional priests if they don’t support the fight against same-sex marriage and called on traditional rulers to wake up,” onuaonline.com quoted him to have said in an interview with Onua FM on March 04, 2023.
Ghana is in the process of passing a law that criminalises LGBTQ+ practices.
Under the bill, persons found guilty of breaching the law could be sentenced to jail among other forms of punishment.
The bill has received wide public acceptance but has also attracted criticisms from human rights activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris during her recent visit to Ghana raised concerns about the bill while describing LGBTQ+ practice as a human right.
Hostel management of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has threatened to confiscate any video game console found in any hostel room, effective April 3, 2023.
In the notice on March 30, the management said although video games were banned in students’ rooms some had managed to smuggle them in.
“It has come to the notice of Hostel Management that some resident students brought video game consoles to the Hostel which are prohibited,” the notice read.
To that effect, the notice warned that from Monday, April 3, any gaming console found in student rooms would be seized.
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“This notice comes to inform all resident students that from Monday, 3rd April 2023, any video game console found in any room in the hostel will be confiscated,” the notice stated.
It has been over 24 hours since the directive kicked in but it is unclear yet how implementation has gone so far.
The United Fetish Priests Association (UFPA) has vowed to invade Parliament with eggs and schnapps to curse lawmakers should they vote against the controversial Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (anti-LGBTQI+) Bill.
According to the group’s president Nana Mosi Bansere, it would be a betrayal of Ghana’s tradition and culture if the MPs chose to put their own interests ahead of the nation and reject the bill.
He continued by saying that if Ghana allows the practice of homosexuality, the effort and sacrifice of the forefathers would be in vain and the nation will be cursed spiritually.
“Our tradition, culture, gods, rivers, dwarfs, ghosts, and other spirits surrounding our country frown on LGBTQI+, so, we (United Fetish Priest Association) will go after them with eggs and Schnapps if they vote against the Bill. We don’t trust them, we will resist LGBTQI+ with our last breath.
“The toil and the blood of our forefathers will be in vain and they will regret sacrificing their blood for Ghana and will therefore demand answers from traditional priests if they don’t support the fight against same-sex marriage and called on traditional rulers to wake up,” onuaonline.com quoted him to have said in an interview with Onua FM on March 04, 2023.
Ghana is in the process of passing a law that criminalises LGBTQ+ practices.
Under the bill, persons found guilty of breaching the law could be sentenced to jail among other forms of punishment.
The bill has received wide public acceptance but has also attracted criticisms from human rights activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris during her recent visit to Ghana raised concerns about the bill while describing LGBTQ+ practice as a human right.
The Tarkwa District Court B has seen 51 people who are accused of attacking Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL) workers and destroying a number of the business’s properties.
The accused individuals who were detained in groups have not had their sworn declarations heard.
In order to give the ongoing investigations time to be completed, the prosecution, Superintendent Juliana Essel-Dadzie, pleaded with the court, which was presided over by Judge Isaac Osei Asare, to remand the accused for two weeks.
Given the amount of people detained thus far, she claimed that releasing anyone on bond would obstruct their investigation, adding that “we need more time to look into the situation. This will enable us to focus our efforts just on the criminals while releasing the innocent.
However, counsels for eight of the accused persons, Bright Baiden and Jacob Acquah-Sampson, prayed to the court to grant their clients bail.
“Our clients have been in police custody for a while and since they have intelligent and competent officers, they should have completed their investigation. Our clients provide the income that their respective families to live and life is becoming unbearable for them,” they pleaded to the court.
After hearing both parties, Justice Isaac Osei Asare said he would rule on the bail application on Friday, April 14, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Group Corporate Affairs Manager of GSWL, Mr Gerard Boakye who was present in court with some employees after the proceedings, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that, “we have not gotten into the case yet mainly because the police requested for more time to engage the suspects because the first set of suspects they arrested paved the way to apprehend more, so I think all is in line with making sure that people are not wrongful judged”.
“We have no problem with the proceedings because we are a law-abiding company, we also believe in human rights of people, we work and fight for that, so we are not disturbed that the law will take its course,” he added.
On Thursday, March 16, 2023, some illegal miners from Subriso in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region attacked employees of GSWL over illegal mining activities at one of the company’s concessions.
The illegal miners injured some employees, smashed the windscreens of 22 dumper trucks, set ablaze 12 vehicles which included excavators, ambulances, land cruisers, pick-ups and part of the administrative block of the company.
The former president Donald Trump aggressively criticized the criminal accusations he is facing and the several other investigations into him in his first statements following his arraignment.
At after 8.15 p.m., from Mar-a-Lago, Trump said: “God bless you all.” He had just finished getting his fingerprints taken in a Manhattan courthouse. God’s blessings on you all. Furthermore, I had no idea that something similar could occur in the United States.
Defending our country bravely against those who want to do it harm is the only crime I have ever done.
Trump claims election interference is behind criminal charges after his arrest
Trump slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into a hush money payment to a porn star, and called the presiding Justice Juan Merchan a ‘Trump-hating judge’.
He also ripped other probes on him including Georgia’s investigation into whether he and his allies tried to overturn the state election, and a federal investigation into his handling of classified documents that wound up at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump called special counsel Jack Smith – who is overseeing the federal probes into the classified materials and his actions around the January 6 Capitol riot – a ‘lunatic’.
The ex-president also brought up the Hunter Biden laptop scandal and blamed the country’s problems including an economic slowdown on the Biden administration and Democrats.
Some TV news stations did not air Trump’s full speech, even though it ran for less than 30 minutes. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow explained that it was ‘basically a campaign speech in which he is repeating his same lies and allegations against his perceived enemies’.
Meanwhile, ABC News cut it off as Trump claimed that President Joe Biden would provoke an ‘all-out nuclear World War 3’.
Trump walked into his Florida resort to cheers from fans wearing MAGA hats.
His family members who entered Mar-a-Lago smiling included his son Eric Trump and wife Lara Trump, and his youngest daughter Tiffany Trump. Walking behind them was Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who appeared for a speech outside Manhattan Criminal Court before being swarmed by protesters and escorted away by police.
What is Trump charged with and what’s next?
WHAT’S THIS CASE ABOUT?
The grand jury spent weeks investigating money paid during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to two women who alleged that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him.
Trump has denied the allegations.
His former lawyer Michael Cohen, who testified as a key prosecution witness, paid Daniels $130,000 through a shell company he set up and was then reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the repayments as legal expenses.
Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for former Playboy model Karen McDougal to be paid $150,000 by the publisher of the supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer, which squelched her story in a journalistically dubious practice known as ‘catch and kill’.
WHAT’S AN INDICTMENT?
An indictment is the formal charge brought against someone after a grand jury — which is made up of members of the community — votes and enough members agree there’s sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.
The indictment against Trump remains sealed, as is standard in New York before an arraignment. But once the document is made public, it will lay out the crime or crimes that Trump is accused of committing.
Sometimes indictments include a lengthy narrative with lots of details about the allegations, while others are more basic and just outline the charges a defendant is facing.
WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?
Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that isn’t yet public.
Under the law, prosecutors must prove there was an ‘intent to defraud’.
The felony falsifying business records offense requires prosecutors to prove that the records were falsified with the intention of committing, aiding or concealing a second crime.
It’s not clear yet what prosecutors allege the second crime to be, but experts have said it is probably some kind of campaign finance violation.
WHAT’S AN ARRAIGNMENT?
An arraignment is generally the first time a defendant appears in court after being charged.
The judge will tell Trump the charges against him and advise him of his right to go to trial and other things.
Trump will enter a plea of not guilty — as is standard for defendants to do at arraignment. The indictment is expected to be unsealed upon his arraignment.
Trump is expected to walk out of the courtroom because the charges against him don’t require that bail be set in New York.
It’s possible — but unlikely — that Judge Juan Merchan could decide that Trump is a flight risk and order him held, with or without bail, though Trump’s lawyers would vigorously fight that.
WHAT WILL TRUMP’S DEFENSE BE?
Trump’s lawyers have vowed to ‘vigorously fight this political prosecution in court’.
Defense attorney Joe Tacopina has described Trump as a victim of extortion who had to pay the money because the allegations were going to be embarrassing to him. But he says it had nothing to do with the campaign.
Trump will no doubt try to fight the case on multiple fronts. He may try to have the case moved out of Manhattan or New York City entirely — arguing he can’t get a fair trial there — though it’s rare for judges to agree to do that.
Trump may also argue that the statute of limitations has passed.
He has complained that the statute of limitations ‘long ago expired’ because the hush money payments and Cohen’s reimbursements happened more than six years ago.
New York’s statute of limitations for most felonies is five years. For misdemeanors, it’s just two years. But in New York, the clock can stop on the statute of limitations when a potential defendant is continuously outside the state.
Trump visited New York rarely over the four years of his presidency and now lives mostly in Florida and New Jersey.
WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS FOR TRUMP?
Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
Already, the charges have been a boon to his fundraising. The campaign announced Friday evening that it had raised over $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment became public, far smashing its previous record after the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
Trump’s team over the weekend blasted out emails full of supportive comments from dozens of top Republicans, many of whom had already been supportive of him leading up to the indictment.
Those likely to be facing off with Trump in next year’s GOP primary contests have also slammed the prosecution.
Former Vice President Mike Pence called the indictment ‘an outrage’ and ‘nothing more than a political prosecution’.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said on Twitter that the indictment ‘is more about revenge than it is about justice’.
Biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also seeking the GOP presidential nomination, called the indictment ‘a dark moment in American history’.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday accused District Attorney Alvin Bragg of weaponizing the law ‘for political purposes’ to bring a case against a former president, never mentioning Trump by name.
Trump finished his remarks with his familiar campaign slogan.
‘With a very dark cloud over our beloved country,’ he said, ‘I have no doubt that we will make America great again.’
Second lady of the Republic of Ghana Samira Bawumia surprised famous Ghanaian twin photographers Twinsdntbeg on April 3, 2023, as they marked their birthday.
Celebrating in her office, she surprised them with two beautifully handcrafted cakes.
One of the cakes had pictures of the talented young men plastered around it. To top it all, a 3D camera was placed on the top and beside it had a card saying ‘Happy Birthday’.
The other birthday cake was much simpler. It was garnished with blue and white balls and beside it had the same card as the first cake.
In a video that was shared on the Instagram page of the twins, Samira Bawumia, together with other employees who work in her office were captured singing the Happy Birthday song.
They made merry, ate and drunk as they celebrated the special day of the young men.
Below is a video of the Second Lady of Ghana celebrating with the twin photographers.
Radio show host, Andy Dosty angrily responded to a listener who asked him to discuss and promote Shatta Wale’s latest album ‘Maali’.
During Andy’s show on Hitz FM, the listener via text stated that the album was doing well but nobody was talking about it.
After Andy read the message, the on-air personality expressed fury towards the texter and Shatta Wale on the basis that the musician insulted his (Andy Dosty) mother and spoke foolishly about her on stage.
“You want me to talk about it? An artiste that stands on stage and insults my mother and talks anyhow and foolishly to my mother, and you want me to what?” he exclaimed.
He reiterated his love and respect for his mother, stating that he would not speak ill of anyone’s mother because he was nurtured.
“If you don’t have sense, I do. If you don’t respect, don’t come here. The woman who gave birth to me has lived a good life and has a good place to live,” he added.
Andy criticized Shatta Wale’s behaviour of insulting people and noted that people do not take things seriously and instead encourage his foolish behaviour.
He also called out those who wanted to come on his show to promote their stuff without respecting him or his mother.
“That’s all I have said. I love my mother, and nobody, nobody… I won’t speak ill of anyone’s mother; she raised me well. You can fool around. The fooling is too much in this country.
“You will be sitting there, and they will want to come and sit here and say they want to promote their stuff. What do you want to promote? If that woman didn’t give birth to me, where would you know me from? Foolish guy,” a visibly infuriated Dosty fumed with rage.
A man in San Antonio, Texas is under investigation after he allegedly utilized his Apple AirTag to track down the person who stole his truck and kill him, The New York Post reports.
As confirmed by the San Antonio police department, the incident went down on Wednesday, March 29 after the man was able to track the thief down to a shopping center 20 miles from where the truck was stolen.
Officials first got reports of a stolen vehicle earlier in the day. “Our suspect today stole the white truck you see back there,” officer Nick Soliz told reporters. “They stole it. Little did they know, it was tagged with an Apple AirTag. … They tried to confront the suspect, who they saw in their vehicle… I don’t know if an argument happened, but we know during this time he believes that a firearm may have been pulled by the suspect.”
At the scene of the shooting, there were several bullet casings and two cars with windows that had been shot out. The suspect was shot and killed, but police are unsure if they had a gun or not. “If you are to get your vehicle stolen, I know that it is frustrating but please do not take matters into your own hands like this,” said Soliz. “It’s never safe as you can see by this incident.”
“AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” said an Apple spokesperson in a previously released statement regarding the use of AirTags for criminal purposes.
“Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag. It’s why the Find My network is built with privacy in mind, uses end-to-end encryption, and why we innovated with the first-ever proactive system to alert you of unwanted tracking. We hope this starts an industry trend for others to also provide these sorts of proactive warnings in their products.”
Ghanaian fashionista and businessman’ Osebo the Zaraman’, real name Richard Brown, has given Ghanaians food for thought. This time, the fashion model decided to question Christians and their myopic way of seeing things.
Speaking in an interview with blogger Sammy Kay on the Go online show, Osebo explained that the God of Israel is not the same as the God of Ghana. Hence, made the call to all Ghanaians to start praying through Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka. He cited examples to support his assertions.
According to him, in the past, God only cared about the Israelites and nothing else during the period of David, when he became the King.
Osebo, however, indicated during the interview that there is a different God at different periods, eras, and times. Therefore, people need to be wide awake, not static. Just like how God in heaven is not static but rather moves.
He touched on the reason why people can pray through the Apostle Kwadwo Safo and not just Jesus Christ only. He explained that Jesus Christ came into this world in a human body and not in any other form, yet he was worshipped. A main reason why the assertion that “Almighty God is a living man” became a popular phrase on the lips of people.
The ‘Zaraman’ added that Jesus Christ came in a human form and was given reverence. Same can be done for Apostle Kwadwo Safo based on the power of God upon his life.
As Easter approaches, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has issued a public alert warning the public to be cautious of online scams that may be perpetrated during this period.
Malicious actors are known to take advantage of the season to trick unsuspecting victims into sharing their personal information or parting with their hard-earned money.
According to the CSA, the three most common Easter season scams to avoid are online shopping scams, mobile payment services fraud, and courier service scams.
1. In the online shopping scam, cybercriminals create fake online shops or impersonate existing businesses on social media pages, offering heavily discounted goods. Victims are enticed to send money for these deals but never receive the items.
2. In the mobile payment services fraud, malicious actors trick unsuspecting victims into sharing their mobile money wallet PIN. The scammers then proceed to make unauthorized payments or transfers from the victim’s wallet.
3. Meanwhile, in the courier service scam, cybercriminals impersonate workers of a legitimate courier service and lure unsuspecting victims to believe they have a package that needs to be delivered for a certain fee. No delivery is made after the victims make the payment.
To avoid falling victim to these scams, the CSA recommends being cautious of unsolicited emails or messages offering exciting or “too good to be true” deals connected to the Easter celebration. They also advise against sharing personal information such as credit/debit card information or bank account details with anyone, especially if the person is not known well.
The CSA advises using only reputable online marketplaces or retailers when purchasing items or gifts. They also urge the public to look for reviews and customer feedback and always insist on payment after delivery. Finally, they warn against paying any delivery fees for goods that were not ordered.
The CSA has a 24-hour Cybersecurity/Cybercrime Incident Reporting Points of Contact (POC) for reporting cybercrimes and for seeking guidance and assistance on online activities. The public can call or text-292, WhatsApp-050 160 3111 or email – report@csa.gov.ah to report any cybercrimes or seek guidance and assistance on online activities.
As Easter approaches, it is important to stay vigilant and take the necessary precautions to avoid falling victim to these scams.
A ‘stupid’ question by a Twitter troll has been met with a corresponding brutal response from ace Ghanaian broadcaster Nana Aba Anamoah.
On Monday, April 3, 2023, Nana Aba Anamoah shared a video in which she was having a good time with Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey in a London restaurant.
The video which has been well received by football fans, particularly Arsenal supporters also attracted abusive remarks from some social media users.
One such troll is from a user with the name Rashyfaze who sarcastically and in Nana Aba’s words ‘stupidly’ asked “Did she get home safe?”
Nana Aba Anamoah did not let it slide as she offered an even more scathing and ferocious response to the roll.
She tweeted “Yes, I did. I always feel safe around Partey. He’s a perfect gentleman. Do you have another stupid question?”
Nana Aba Anamoah and Partey, per social media engagement, appear to be good friends, and the ace broadcaster during her visit to London decided to call on her good friend.
Partey was captured in a video with Nana Aba Anamoah in a restaurant in the United Kingdom.
All attempts by Nana Aba to have Partey say something to the camera is met with jests by the Black Stars deputy skipper.
When he finally agreed to say something, he took a swipe at Manchester’s loss to the Magpies over the weekend.
“You are welcome, join us in celebration of United’s loss,” he said as he took a spoonful of what appeared to be chocolate.
Social media influencer, Naomi Asiamah, popularly known as ‘Hajia Bintu‘, has disclosed that at a point in her life, she was nurtured in a mission house.
Recounting her childhood memories in an interview with Delay, Hajia Bintu said she once lived in a manse, under the care of a certain pastor and his wife in Kumasi.
This according to her, was immediately after she left Adansi Fomena, where she lived with her grandmother until about age 9.
Bintu, who said her mother had travelled to Accra to start a family after her father had gone missing for a long time said,
“A methodist pastor and his family once came to our village. His wife was so fond of me, she liked me very much. So, when they were going to Kumasi, they took me along. I grew up in a mission house. I stayed there since I was 9 years old until about 13 years. We lived in Sepe Brokuom until the man retired. At that time, his wife was a lecturer at KNUST so we stayed on campus for a while.”
When asked why she did not spend most of her childhood days with her biological mother, Hajia Bintu replied,
“I don’t know. But I later lived with my mother when I turned 14.”
Patrons of Indomie Fest will this year be thrilled to hours of exciting musical performances and various fun games on Easter Monday, 10th April at the Afua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra.
Renowned artistes including Kuami Eugene and Lil Win will grace the occasion in what is billed to be the best Indomie Fest ever. Also on stage will be this year’s Talented Kids contestants.
The annual event organized by Indomie is to provide revellers, especially children and their parents a unique fun packed day to celebrate the Easter festivities. The organisers say there will be acrobatic displays, bouncing castles, a trampoline, a train ride and many other activities.
There will also be lots of tasty Indomie noodles for patrons to savour.
The organisers said a lot of preparation have gone into this year’s event to make it extra exciting in a very secure environment. They explained that the decision to organise Indomie Fest is to create an appropriate atmosphere for families to bond, as they expect the children to attend with their parents.
Indomie Fest which is in its 4th year has always attracted heavy patronage and organisers have ensured that it delivers on what it promises.
According to the organizers, patrons should expect more exciting surprises. They urged parents to come and observe the children have fun as Indomie Fest provides an opportunity for them to identify unique talents in their children.
Evangelist Samuel Nyamekye, the Chief Executive Officer of Miracle Films, has threatened to sue Kwame Burger .
According to him, Kwame Burger’s explicit remarks about Kumawood actresses have him gearing up for a courtroom slugfest.
Actor, Kwame Burger, who has served as the production manager for a number of film producers, has firmly declared that roughly 70% of Kumawood actresses are now dependent on the hookup industry to survive.
To support his claims, Kwame Burger emphasized that only Agya Koo and LilWin received salaries of 5000 Ghana Cedis during their peak years as actors. As a result, all the Kumawood actresses’ lavish lifestyles are a result of their new endeavor, the hook-up industry.
The term “hook-up business” refers to prostitution in which wealthy, married men and attractive, intelligent women mingle primarily for financial advantage.
Other members of the industry, including Miracle Films, are furious with him for what he said, and is prepared to summon the actor in question to court.
Evangelist Samuel Nyamekye, who also works as a director and producer, admitted in an interview with Hello Entertainment Review that he was incensed when he viewed the actor’s video.
He claims that he cannot stand by while some riffraff destroys an industry that he has worked hard to create.
“Actually, after speaking with my lawyer, we plan to issue him with a summons on Tuesday, requiring him to appear and provide confirmations”, he told the host.
The Director-General of the National Lottery Authority, Sammi Awuku, has indicated that there are plans by the National Security, working with it, to start undercover works at fishing out persons engaged in illegal lottery activities.
According to the NLA boss, the global loss of revenue by the World Lottery Association, is indication that there is the need for Ghana to also tighten its belt and ensure that it does not also continue to face losses.
With the support of the state agencies in charge of security, Sammi Awuku said that they are hopeful of turning the situation of revenue generated by the NLA around.
“We continue to dialogue with our stakeholders and partners. We do not charge 35%. Anybody charging 35% commission is illegal, and I think that is what has fed into the public in the illegal space.
“Last year alone, the World Lottery Association estimates that the global body lost $1.3 trillion through illegal lottery activities. And, we are hoping that this year, the story will be different, and that is why’ve been very serious about engaging the state security agencies.
“And in the coming weeks, the National Security and the National Signals Bureau will be operating undercover, to make sure that we arrest all persons who are engaged in illegal lottery,” he explained.
National Security to go undercover to arrest illegal lottery operators – Sammi Awuku
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has justified ‘being rude’ to some caterers of the School Feeding Programme in the region who besieged his office.
Speaking in an interview on Onua TV, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Osei-Mensah explained that his reaction to the action of the women should not matter because they were engaging in an illegality.
According to him, the women did not have permission from the Ghana Police Service to demonstrate which makes their action illegal and he does not condone illegality.
“You cannot demonstrate without informing the police. What they did was illegal, they didn’t even inform the police.
“You don’t just wake up like that and then you rise with noise to the Regional Coordinating Council. Is that what we do?
“Do you use illegality to solve your problems? Is that what you are saying… I don’t allow illegality in the system, no matter who you are,” he said in twi.
Background
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, could not keep his cool as he was addressing caterers of the School Feeding Programme in the region who besieged his office.
A viral video sighted by GhanaWeb showed the regional minister screaming at the caterers when he could no longer bear their complaints about the amount paid for the meals they provide to Junior High School students.
Simon Osei-Mensah could be seen in the video urging the caterers to stop making noise at the premises of the Ashanti Regional Secretariat.
He told them to present their petition and leave.
The women, who were not happy with his comments, started shouting at him.
The minister, clearly angered by the women raising their voices at him, threw his hands at them and left them unattended at the regional secretariat.
The women then started shouting “97 pesewas yengye bio, 97 pesewas yengye bio”.
The twi statement the women made means that they are no longer going to accept the 97 pesewas fee per head, they are paid for the meals they cook for pupils in government basic schools.
The Palestinian Embassy in Ghana has donated food to more than 600 Muslim women and children in Accra in support of their Ramadan.
The donation which involves 25 kg of rice each was a token of love that the Palestinian Embassy demonstrated.
Ambassador Ahmed Al-Khalil thanked the women who honoured the invitation for their show of love and concern for the Embassy.
He said despite the fasting mood, they still were able to move from their homes to honour his invitation at the Embassy for the token.
Mr Kwesi Pratt, the Managing editor of the Pan-African Television was the guest to the ceremony.
He said the essence of gift was to facilitate the ongoing peaceful relations between the Embassy and the people of Ghana and urged the Muslim community to use the fasting season to pray for the peace of the world in the ongoing global turmoil.
Shaik Arimiyawu Shaibu, the spokesperson of the national Chief Imam called for the creation of a medium to facilitate communication and relations between the embassy and the Muslim community in Ghana and to reiterate the essence of fasting to deepen the relationship between Allah and His servants.
He said aside the abstinence from food and water, Muslims were reminded during this fasting period their duty to share the little that they had with those who do not have.
Pastor Isaac Mensah of Grace Gate Global Ministry admonished the Muslim community undergoing the 30 days fasting period to be steadfast and generous to all in the society.
He narrated from the Bible, which was translated to the gathering by Shaik Arimiyaw in the Hausa language, the story of how Jesus Christ (Annabi Issah, A. S) lamented ill-treatment from his followers when he visited them in an image of a naked-poor person looking for help in the form of Cloths, food, and shelter, and was rejected and mistreated.
The General Secretary of Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA) Dr Wale Adikran was also available to help in the success of the programme
The Ambassador also donated a PA system to a mosque and indicated that at any-time, he was willing to Honour same request from the Church as well.
He emphasised on world peace and the need for all the different groups of the world to live together as one. Earlier, the Ambassador invited 200 orphans to his residence on his birthday to entertain them in solidarity.
He thanked Ghanaians and their leaders for the peaceful atmosphere created in times of global turbulence and assured his commitment to continue to advocate peace in Palestine and everlasting peace in Ghana.
The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ntim, has refuted claims the Akufo-Addo-led government has ignored calls to reduce its government size.
According to him, Akufo-Addo has been listening to Ghanaians about how to manage expenditures while maintaining a dynamic team of ministers and appointees to deliver its mandate.
Speaking at a press conference, he said, “Therefore, it is not true that the government has ignored calls to reduce its size. Instead, the government has been listening to Ghanaians, establishing a more robust control mechanism to manage expenditure while maintaining a dynamic team of ministers and appointees to deliver on its mandate.”
He also dismissed claims that the government has appointed people to needless positions, adding that the NDC government employed more presidential staffers.
“The NDC has been promoting the view that this government has appointed people to needless positions and is paying them for doing nothing. It must be stated on record that many of the workers at the Presidency are public sector employees. Today, out of the 995 workers at the Presidency, 658 (66%) are public sector employees.
“The NDC government had more presidential staffers than this administration. While we have 44 presidential staffers and 1 Minister of State at the Presidency, the Mahama-NDC Administration had 61 presidential staffers, 6 Ministers of State, and the 3 “wise men,” he added.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has supported some 24,819 small-scale rice farmers in the Northern and Ashanti Regions to boost production.
The support included capacity training, technical assistance, resources and the provision of certified seeds, and aims to revamp domestic rice production in line with plans to make the country self-sufficient in the grain’s production.
Apart from the farmers some 1,780 MMDA agricultural officers and agricultural extension agents also benefitted from the project through training and provision of logistics.
The project is under the Sustainable Development of Rain-fed lowland rice productions Project Phase II (TNESUI II), within a bilateral technical cooperation implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and JICA from 2016 to 2021 to boost rice production in the country.
Also, rice extension guideline developed by TENSUI II incorporated into the national rice development policies were disseminated to farmers and MoFA.
During a field visit by the Japan Embassy team to the funded projects sites, led by the Head of Economic and Development Cooperation from the Japan Embassy in Ghana, Sonoda Shohei, it was observed that the initiative has made great impact.
The visit revealed that through the project, an average yield of 5.02 tonnes of rice was recorded in Ashanti Region and 3.47tonne/ha in the North, North-East and Savannah Regions. Average yields of farmers who applied the recommended techniques were increased by 116.3 percent; from 1.37tonne/ha to 2.96tonne/ha in the regions – with Ashanti increasing from 1.62tonne/ha in 2016 to 3.60tonne/ha in 2020, and the Northern sector recording 1.12tonne/ha in 2016 and 2.05tonne/ha in 2020.
In all, 35 MMDAs from the Northern and Ashanti Regions were provided with capacity training to develop district rice extension plans aimed at strengthening the capacity of MMDAs to carry out rice extension activities under the government of Ghana decentralised system.
Mr. Shohei was impressed with the project’s impact, and commended the beneficiaries and implementers for ensuring value for money.
“The government of Japan is committed toward assisting countries grow their economies to curb poverty rates,” he said.
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Dauda Abdul-Salam, noted that the support has helped train more extension officers to assist the numerous farmers in adhering to good agronomic practices.
“The project helped to salvage the plight of farmers to maximise yields, while for the processors massive job opportunities were created which benefitted mostly women and youth in the rural areas,” he said.
Memuntu Alhassan, a rice processor, said the project has helped to produce 100 bags per week to meet the high demand as well as easing the stress in processing rice.
Women out-growers were also trained to produce quality parboiled rice.
Naaba Musah Akabonga, the incumbent President of the Council of Zongo chiefs in the Ashanti Region, has retained his position in a peaceful election held in Kumasi.
The Council of Zongo Chiefs is made up of several tribal chiefs in the Ashanti region who have been duly nominated, vetted, and installed as heads of their individual tribes.
Out of the 33 tribal heads who voted during the elections supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC), Naaba Akabonga had 22 votes to retain his position, whilst his close contender, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim had eleven 11 votes.
In all, there were eleven positions available for the elections and out of the number, seven went unopposed.
They were the First Vice President, Deputy Secretary, Public Relations Officer, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Porter, and Co-ordinator.
The second vice president position was won by Alhaji Mohammed Abu Banda who had 23 votes, whilst his contender, Alhaji Ussif Rabo had 10 votes.
The secretary position was taken by Ousman Mohammed Darow, who had 24 votes whilst his opponent, Azuma Ndago had nine votes.
The Protocol officer position went to Sani Mohammed Ayamba with 18 votes whilst his contender had 15 votes.
Naaba Akabonga, speaking at a ceremony after the election said his victory was for all the people and called on all members to rally behind the new leadership with unity of purpose to ensure they achieved their set objectives.
He said his doors were open for consultations and that he should be prompted to always focus his attention on the set objectives of the council and the chieftaincy institution.
Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim, a former President of the Council commended the members for the peaceful way they conducted themselves during the elections.
He called for greater unity among the members to promote peace and progress of Zongo communities.
A lowbed trailer belonging to Ebeko Services, a logistics company, carrying a new Zoomlion crane from Accra to Takoradi was on Tuesday morning involved in an accident around the University of Cape Coast (UCC), completely blocking the main highway.
This caused heavy traffic on that stretch.
The grey and green crane with registration number GT 5975-23 fell off the trailer with the number GC 9677-12, and landed on its side blocking the Accra-bound side of the road few meters after the UCC West Gate.
There was no injury or fatality.
The accident happened around 0830 hours, resulting in a gridlock on the highway, compelling drivers to use the UCC campus as a bypass under the direction of security personnel.
A joint team from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Service (GNFS) directed traffic as efforts were made to clear the road when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) arrived on the scene around 0920 hours.
The crane could not be lifted after about two hours of trying but one side of the road was cleared for traffic to flow.
Some eyewitnesses who spoke to the GNA gave varying accounts of speeding and overtaking on the stretch.
The driver of the trailer, who only gave his name as Atsu, said the accident was caused by a speed ramp after one of the stands under the trailer hit the ramp and caused the lowbed to lose balance.
The security personnel available were not immediately ready to speak on the incident.
Traffic was moving slowly while the crane
was still on the road as at the time of filing this report.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has urged the public to be mindful of fire safety as they prepare for the Easter celebrations.
It also advised the citizenry to refrain from any act that would pose a fire threat to life and property.
This is in a statement issued and signed by Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sapong, Director, Fire Safety Directorate of the GNFS, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
It said fire safety cautiousness was necessary due to the recording of sporadic fire incidents during such events.
The statement said due to activities involving family gatherings, cooking and merry making, such incidents were highly predictable and that all must be cautious.
It asked the citizenry to ensure there were active fire extinguishers at vantage points at homes, workplaces and other public places.
The statement wished the public a happy and fire free Easter celebration and urged it to contact the GNFS on 0299340383/0299340643/ 122 in the event of a fire outbreak. GNA
The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Stephen Ntim, has accused the John Dramani Mahama-led administration of employing more presidential staffers than necessary.
He said the Mahama government employed more presidential staffers than this government, including three wise men.
According to him, this government on the hand has listened to calls by Ghanaians to reduce its government size rather than give needless positions.
Speaking at a press conference, he said, “The NDC has been promoting the view that this government has appointed people to needless positions and is paying them for doing nothing. It must be stated for the record that many of the workers at the Presidency are public sector employees. Today, out of the 995 workers at the Presidency, 658 (66%) are public sector employees.
“The NDC government had more presidential staffers than this administration. Whiles, we have 44 presidential staffers and 1 Minister of State at the Presidency, the Mahama-NDC Administration had 61 presidential staffers, 6 Ministers of State, and the 3 “wise men,” he added.
He said Akufo-Addo is maintaining a dynamic team of ministers and appointees to deliver his mandate.
“Therefore, it is not true that the government has ignored calls to reduce its size. Instead, the government has been listening to Ghanaians, establishing a more robust control mechanism to manage expenditure while maintaining a dynamic team of ministers and appointees to deliver on its mandate,” he said.
The Tema Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has disconnected power supply to 310 consumers for owing and engaging in illegal connections.
As part of measures to increases revenue collections and to recover debts owed the power supply company, engineers from the Electricity Company of Ghana from Monday, March 20 to Friday, March 31 visited 2,344 customers to re-calibrate electric meters and correct illegal electrical connections.
Speaking on behalf of the Tema Region of ECG, Sakyiwaa Mensah, the Public Relations Officer of ECG in an interaction with the media explained that, the customers’ reluctance to give access of their meters to engineers continues to remain a major challenge in the mobilization exercise.
“310 of the customers have been disconnected from the national grid. These customers are made up of individuals, small-scale and large-scale organizations. Some are from illegal connections while some are debt issues,” she said.
She reiterated that; it is of utmost importance for customers to allow engineers from ECG access their meters for checks when requested.
“Some of the customers try to prevent us from accessing the meters. We would like to remind our customers that as much as possible the meters have to be made available to ECG staff whenever necessary,” Sakyiwaa Mensah concluded.
Suspected witches at the Gambaga witches camp in the East Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region say they are very safe and happy at the camp.
According them, life at the camp was very comfortable and they expressed their heartfelt appreciation to the chiefs and people of Gambaga for the warm reception, which had given them hope.
However, they appealed for food aid and clothing for their upkeep.
Critics, social actors and some human rights organisations are advocating the disbandment of the Gambaga witches camp.
According to history, one Imam Baba, an Islamic Cleric set up the camp in the 1900s to provide shelter and security for people accused or labelled as witches and wizards in the area and since then the camp had been in existence to shelter the inmates.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) learnt from residents that witchcraft and wizardry were regarded as taboo in most communities in the northern part of the country, and suspects were either banished or killed by the local people, including their relations.
Many of the alleged witches fled their communities to find refuge at the camp to escape the severe beatings, molestations, inhumane treatment and other worst forms of human rights abuses meted out to them.
During a visit to the camp, some of the inmates told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the camp was their new home, and a safe haven for them, saying its disbandment would worsen their plights.
The visit forms part of an on-going “Engaging Media and Minorities to Act for Peace building (EMMAP)” project, a two-year intervention that started from March 2022 and would end in February 2024.
As part of the project, 10 Journalists from Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia, who are participating in the online course were selected to undertake the five-day face-to-face training and field visit to some selected Ghanaian communities that host minority groups.
The purpose of the EMMAP programme, which is funded by the European Union (EU), is to raise public awareness of the interconnections between conflict, migration and minority exclusion to help build and consolidate sustainable peace in Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
The EMMAP is being coordinated by Uganda-based Minority Rights Group International (MRGA) and implemented by the Ghana-based Media Platform on Environment and Climate Change (MPEC) and Media Reform Coordination Group (MRCG) of Sierra Leone.
Most of the inmates at the camp, who shared their ordeals, said their respective communities labelled them as witches and wizards, alleging they bewitched victims with chronic diseases and sicknesses.
“My husband has two wives, myself and another woman. My rival woke up one morning and informed my husband that she saw me in her dream that I was chasing to kill her.
“The information got to the community and they labelled me as a witch and attempted to kill me, but I was able to flee to the camp for safety, after they subjected me to severe beatings,” one of the inmates, Kologo Tindana, who claimed to be a native of Zalatenga stated.
Another inmate, Gideon Salifu who said he was a native of Nalerigu said, “I was seriously brutalised after one man told the people he saw me in his dream. I am not a wizard and as I stand now I don’t know what to do.”
“I have four wives and 12 children and as we speak my wives and children are going through serious discrimination and stigmatization in the community”, he stated.
“My biological son woke up one morning and started beating me mercilessly. He claimed I had bewitched him, that was why he is facing difficulties and struggling to succeed in life”, Dinwaak laar, an aged woman who claimed she was a native of Sagbani from the Bimoba tribe, indicated.
“Life at the camp here is far better for me than to be sent to my community where my people and relations had neglected and trying to kill me”, Dinwaak Konbiuk, an inmate and a blind aged women, said.
Mr Sampson Laari, the Caretaker at the Camp, in an interview, said the camp contained 93 females aged 54 years and above, three children and four males, saying some of them were also living with their children.
They are mostly from the Bimoba, Komkomba, Dagomba and Mamprusi tribes, he said, saying the situation at the camp was worsened until the Presbyterian Church of Ghana under its “go home project’ adopted the camp.
Since then, Mr Laari said water and sanitation as well as hygiene and shelter had improved, and appealed for more support for the upkeep of the inmates, saying the camp needed more support to build more shelters for the inmates.
He said many of the people in the local communities were ignorant, and appealed for support to intensify community sensitisation for successfully re-integration of the inmates back to society.
Mr Laari said the “Presby go home project” that aimed at helping to re-integrate the inmates had successfully re-integrated about 108 of the inmates in the society.
Through the project’s skill training programme, some of the inmates were engaged in soap and beads making to enhance their socio-economic livelihoods at the camp, he added.
Mr. Laari said some of the inmates also had mental problems, saying others who could not engage in the skill training also fetched and sell firewood.
He said almost all the inmates had been registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and benefited from the government LEAP programme, which served as a kind of relief for them.
The group donated a bag of rice and three bags of maize to support the upkeep of the inmates.
Minister of Information Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has stated that the three tax bills that were passed by Parliament on March 31, 2023 were already existing taxes that needed amendments.
According to him, the notion that these taxes were new and will cause hardships and overburden Ghanaians is not true.
Last week, parliament passed three revenue bills namely the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, the Excise Duty and Excise Tax Stamp (Amendment) Bill, and the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill.
Government however believes that the implementation of these revenue bills will rake in about GH¢4 billion annually to support domestic revenue mobilisation.
The information minister on his part explained that the tax measures have been expanded to make room for some other components to be added to the scope of the taxes.
Oppong-Nkrumah told Asaase Radio that “…These three revenue bills that have just been passed by Parliament are actually not three new taxes.”
“The Income Tax Act already exists; the Excise Duty Levy Act already exists and the Fiscal Responsibility Act already exists. The view of the fiscal policy managers is that there are some categories of persons and some transactions that are not covered by these already existing acts.
“And therefore, it is important to expand the base and include those ones in these already existing revenue measures,” Oppong-Nkrumah added.
