Scotland Yardis not prosecuting former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey or anyone else who attended a gathering at Conservative Party headquarters during a Covid lockdown.
While London was under restrictions in December 2020, Mr Bailey and Tory aides were seen posing for a photo, raising glasses beside buffet food.
Indoor socialising was prohibited.
However, the Met stated that there was “insufficient evidence to disprove the version of events provided by attendees.”
Fresh questions about the event at Conservative Campaign Headquarters in Westminster were raised after it was reported that former prime minister Boris Johnson had put Mr Bailey forward for a peerage in his resignation honours list.
After the Daily Mirror published a picture of the gathering in December 2021, the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation.
Mr Bailey, a former candidate to be London’s mayor, apologised “unreservedly” for the event organised by his campaign team and said it was a “serious error of judgment”.
Then-Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, who is now business secretary, said “that scene is absolutely unacceptable”.
Before the photo was published, the Times had reported that a “raucous” party took place in the basement while Covid restrictions were in place.
The Met concluded the “photo by itself is not sufficient evidence on which to assess that an offence had been committed”.
Officers issued attendees with questionnaires to decide whether breaches of the rules were committed and fines should be issued.
“The investigation reviewed all the material thoroughly and after careful consideration, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to disprove the version of events provided by attendees to a standard that would meet the threshold required,” the Met said.
Mr Bailey, who remains a London Assembly Member, resigned as chairman of the governing body’s Police and Crime Committee after the picture emerged.
Scotland Yard issued a total of 126 fines over rule breaches in Whitehall and Downing Street while Mr Johnson was prime minister, in a scandal that helped end his tenure in No 10.
Mr Johnson and his then-chancellor Rishi Sunak paid fixed-penalty notices over a gathering held for Mr Johnson’s 56th birthday
The two officers were stabbed near Brussels North railway station on Thursday evening and taken to the hospital.
Prosecutors claim the suspect had previously walked into a police station and requested psychological assistance.
The motive of the attacker is unknown, but anti-terrorist officials have taken over the investigation.
The two police officers were on patrol in the Schaerbeek area of northern Brussels on Thursday evening when they came under attack. The officer who was fatally stabbed in the neck was just 20 years old, Belgian media report.
Police say another patrol arrived at the scene and “neutralised” the attacker. He was shot in the legs and abdomen before being taken to hospital. Initial reports that he had died have since been denied.
One local resident told the BBC they had heard “five or six shots” fired shortly after the attack, which occurred at around 19:15 (18:15 GMT).
“I was coming from work and I was on the phone with my dad and then I heard five or six gunshots,” the witness, named Kremel, said.
“My father asked me ‘what’s going on?’ I said it’s probably fireworks. He told me, ‘No, these are gunshots’.”
The motive for the attack is unknown but the public prosecutor later said that the suspect had entered Evere police station in the Schaerbeek area on Thursday morning, making incoherent remarks and speaking of hatred of the police.
He was escorted to a psychiatric unit for treatment but when police contacted the hospital later he had apparently left the hospital, the prosecutor said.
The suspect was reportedly on a list of potentially violent extremists.
“My sincere hope is that his hospitalised colleague will be well,” he added.
Police tape, sealed-off streets and flashing blue lights bring back bad memories for Brussels.
It was six years ago, but Brussels still bears the marks of a co-ordinated terrorist attack – at the main airport and on the metro – that killed 32 people in 2016.
In the coming weeks, nine alleged members of a cell of the so-called Islamic State group are due to go on trial for their involvement in the attacks.
Video shows the animal trying to regain its footing as the people recording urge the woman to pull over.
A dog has been seized by police after it was filmed being dragged along a road behind a mobility scooter.
Video posted on social media showed the animal sliding on its stomach and struggling to stand while its lead was connected to the vehicle.
At one point, the footage shows it hitting the kerb as the woman driving is challenged by onlookers who warn her “the dog’s gonna die” – but she appears oblivious and reluctant to stop.
The video is believed to have been recorded in the Erdington area of Birmingham.
West Midlands Police said the dog was located on Wednesday night in Stockland Green and was being cared for by the RSPCA.
A prominent police official, Inspector Entwie Bio, was detained by the police for driving recklessly near the airport.
On Monday November 7, 2022, the officer was taken into custody after being observed in his Toyota Land Cruiser with the license plate GT 8086 – 13 driving in the middle of the road.
He has undergone preparation for court.
The incident comes on the back of the arrest and conviction of Madina lawmaker Francis-Xavier Sosu for similar offense last Friday.
Montreal police are facing backlash for detaining a Black man accused of trying to steal his own car, and then losing the keys to the handcuffs.
According to a CTV report, Brice Dossa said he was stopped in a commercial parking lot next to his own vehicle by two plainclothes officers who detained him shortly after. Police believed the Honda SUV in question showed signs of attempted theft. Despite wearing plainclothes, Dossa said the officers did not introduce themselves as police, nor explain the situation prior to handcuffing him.
The video of the incident hit social media.
When Dossa was able to prove that the vehicle was his, officers were not able to let him go because they misplaced the cuff keys. The keys were eventually delivered from the nearby police station.
Upon being let go, Dossa told officers, “You’ve humiliated me.”
The SPVM are now facing backlash in what is being labelled as racial profiling following the video circulation of the incident on social media. Francois Bonnardel, Quebec’s public safety minister, released a statement saying that the incident is now being looked into.
Several city officials have come forth commenting on the SPVM’s actions. A member of Montreal’s executive committee for public safety, Alain Vaillancourt, called the incident “disturbing,” while Quebec’s minister in charge of fighting racism says that “[he] has questions.”
The incident is yet another public case in the long history of the SPVM being accused of racially profiling a Black person.
Recently, a Quebec judge ordered an end to random traffic stops in an attempt to curb violations typically affecting minorities that infringe on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
A man has mistakenly shot his 12-year-old nephew to death at Mankuma, a farming community in the Bole district of the Savannah region.
According to a myjoyonline.com report, the boy was left in the care of his uncle, who was on his way to the farm, by his mother.
However, on their way to the farm on a motorbike, the uncle mistakenly clicked a locally manufactured gun trigger that he was carrying, leading to the instant death of his nephew.
The deceased has since been buried.
Meanwhile, the Bole district police command has commenced an investigation into the matter.
The families involved have also indicated that they want to settle the case without any police interference.
Police in Duayaw Nkwanta in the Tano North Municipality of the Bono Region are on a manhunt for men who attacked and inflicted bodily wounds on two Policemen for the release of two miscreants they arrested.
A Police situational report sighted by MyNewsGh.com indicates that machete-wielding hoodlums numbering about 15, had earlier attacked the residence of the Chief of Adrobaa, a drug store and two other houses.
Following the attack, machete wounds were subjected on occupants of the residence after which they escaped from the scene
One PoliceCorporal Philip Sion and Constable Bernard Amoah upon getting wind of the attacks rushed to the scene. While on their way to the scene at Adrobaa, they spotted the machete-wielding young men who were riding at top speed towards Terchire.
The Police suspected that these young men could be part of the people who attacked the Chief’s Palace and therefore decided to stop them but they defied the Police and sped off.
The Police gave them a wild chase and captured them some 200 meteres close to the Terchire Police station and handcuffed them. A few minutes after they were arrested and handcuffed, thirteen young men came to the scene and demanded the release of the two arrested young men but the Police stood their ground and insisted they will not release the arrested suspects.
A scuffle ensued between the Police and the thirteen men and unfortunately, Police Corporal Philip Sion discharged his firearm on one of the men. He was attacked by the thirteen men. The Police officer was hit on the back of his neck with a club and fell and he was pounced on whiles Constable Bernard Amoah struggled with others over the release of the two handcuffed men.
Sensing danger, the Police ran for cover to the Terchire Health Center where they received treatment.
Meanwhile, when a reinforcement team arrived from the District Command, it combed through health facilities in the area where they met one of the suspects called Bilari Fuseini receiving treatment while Mutakiro Fuseini had been pronounced dead.
Police are currently on a manhunt for the remaining suspects.
The Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has been convicted of reckless and inconsiderate driving.
The lawmaker was arrested on Thursday, November 3, 2022, after he was seen driving in the middle of the road around the Airport by-pass in his V8 vehicle with no regard for law-abiding pedestrians and other road users.
The vehicle was impounded by the Police, and he was arraigned before the La District Court on November 4, 2022, on the charges of reckless and inconsiderate driving, driving in the middle of the road facing oncoming traffic and causing danger to other road users.
A statement from the Police said he was convicted by the court and fined an amount of GH¢2,400.
The court further directed him to remove the front beacon lights which had been unlawfully fitted on his vehicle.
According to the police, the MP subsequently paid the fine and removed the unlawfully installed lights before the vehicle was released to him.
“We would like to entreat all drivers to be mindful of the safety of other road users at all times to prevent avoidable accidents and their associated deaths and injuries, especially as the Christmas season approaches. The Police remain committed to ensuring safety and security on our roads as we deliver on our core mandate of protecting life and property as well as maintaining law and order in the country,” police urged in the statement.
Police in South Africaare investigating the discovery of at least 21 bodies of suspected illegal miners near an active mine in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
Police say 19 bodies were discovered on Wednesday afternoon, with two more discovered on Thursday morning. Police believe the bodies were moved to the location where they were discovered, which is a privately owned mine.
“We can confirm that this morning our search and rescue team went back to the scene and, as they were searching, they discovered two more bodies,” police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili said Thursday. “They retrieved them from an open (mine) shaft.”
The discovery is the latest in a series of incidents related to illegal mining in the Krugersdorp area. In July, eight female members of a film crew were raped and robbed at an abandoned mine in the area, where they were working on a music video shoot. The incident sparked violent protests against illegal miners in surrounding communities.
Last week, rape and robbery charges against 14 men, who are also suspected of being illegal miners, were withdrawn after police couldn’t link them to the rapes through DNA evidence. The men were among more than 80 people arrested during police raids on the abandoned mine where the rapes took place.
Illegal mining is rife in South Africa, with miners known locally as “zama zamas” searching for gold at the many disused and abandoned mines in and around the Johannesburg region. Krugersdorp is a mining town on the western edges of Johannesburg.
Illegal mining gangs, usually armed, are considered dangerous by the police and are known to fight violent turf battleswith rival groups. The trade is believed to be dominated by immigrants who enter illegally from neighboring countries Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.
The 14 men who had rape and robbery charges against them dropped are accused of being in South Africa illegally and have been charged with immigration offenses.
The first emergency call about trouble at Itaewon came in the early evening of 29 October.
“It’s so chilling right now,” the woman said, as she described a chaotic scene on the narrow streets of the Seoul nightlife district.
This was the first of 11 calls made to South Korea’s 112 emergency police hotline, begging police them to control the crowds before the fatal crush happened.
As calls for accountability mount, South Korean police have launched an investigation – with officers on Wednesday raiding the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, as well as police stations, fire stations and emergency call sites to look into whether officers taking the calls fulfilled their duty and took proper measures.
Police have also taken the unusual step of releasing transcripts of the calls.
From anxious warnings to screams of terror, the transcripts paint a horrifying picture of how the situation escalated.
The crowd builds up
In the first emergency call at 18:34 local time – hours before the crush happened – an Itaewon shopkeeper named Ms Park described people getting off at the Itaewon subway station coming up the narrow alley and mixing with people leaving the area, as well as others lining up to enter clubs.
“No one is controlling it right now. The police has to stand and control this. You should let people out first and then let people come in. People keep pouring in while they can’t get out,” she said.
In an interview with local radio station CBS on Wednesday, Ms Park said she made the call after she went for a walk with her daughter and husband and got separated from them by the huge crowds. They eventually regrouped and quickly rushed home.
This narrow alleyway was packed with people trying to make their way out in different directions
She described her terror at being caught up in crowds much bigger than what she was used to seeing in the area on a weekend, and her regret that the incident happened despite her early warning.
“On my way to home in the taxi, I thought if the situation would have been different if I waited there until the police came, by forming a [human barrier] with others, and letting young people know that the situation was dangerous. I regret it,” she said.
“Then the police might have taken stronger control like by blocking the roads or controlling the subway if they knew the situation that more people would come. But there was no police who could make such a decision, or take an action.”
Ms Park said that after her call she did not receive the customary text confirmation from the police informing her of their immediate actions – unusual for South Korean police, which prides itself on speedy and attentive follow-ups.
According to police records obtained by the Yonhap news agency, they mobilised officers for that call, but it is not known how many were sent down and what they did.
Falling and stumbling
The next few calls started coming in about two hours later, from 20:09 onwards.
By then, it was clear the situation had clearly deteriorated. The callers described seeing people stumbling after they were pushed, and getting injured.
“People are falling and things are getting out of control because the road here is blocked at the three-way intersection,” said the third caller.
At the end of the hour at 20:53, the fourth caller describes a harrowing situation near the Bronze nightclub.
The caller described the situation outside the Bronze nightclub (pictured)
“I feel like I am going to get crushed… many people are being crushed… it is chaos,” the caller says over a crackling phone line. They repeatedly beg the officer to “please help us”.
The officer assures the caller that they will send policemen to the scene. But police records showed they did not.
In fact, out of the 11 phone calls made to police, they only mobilised officers for four of them.
They did not dispatch anyone for any calls made from 21:07 onwards – the hour leading up to the crush.
Authorities said they had 137 officers on the ground at Itaewon that night. But they were clearly outmatched by the thousands that flocked to the area.
In one viral clip on social media, a lone police officer is seen in a massive crowd desperately shouting and trying to direct people away.
The final hour
On Saturday night, the calls kept streaming in steadily, getting briefer – and more urgent.
“I think there is going to be a real accident soon. Everything is insane,” said the sixth caller.
The eighth phone call at 21:10 was made in front of the Maman-e Kwangjang restaurant about 100 metres from Hamilton Hotel, and described people getting crushed there – illustrating how far the crowds extended to.
There was a lull of about 40 minutes. Then the final calls came in thick and fast, mostly from ground zero – the alley right by Hamilton Hotel.
The tenth caller appeared to be babbling in a panic.
“Yes, however, here, oh my, to come down the alley, I’m afraid, people are pushing and I think I am going to get crushed, please take control, yes,” they said.
In the last call at 22:11 – one of the briefest calls made – the caller dispensed with ceremony. Immediately after the police pick up, the person said urgently: “It feels like people can be stampeded here.”
The officer asked repeatedly where they were exactly, but was unable to get a clear answer. Then, this exchange occurred:
Officer: I am going to trace your location. Yes. Are you near Yongsan station, Itaewon station?
Caller: Ahhh (screaming), ahhh (screaming). The road behind Itaewon.
Officer: Yes. The police will be there.
The call ends abruptly. Four minutes later, the deadly crush began.
At least 29 suspects have been picked up by the police for their involvement in violent clashes between two factions at New Tulaku, Ashaiman, in the Greater Accra Region in the small hours of Friday (28 October 2022).
Initial investigation has disclosed that a misunderstanding between two rival factions at the New Tulaku meat market resulted in the attack in which six people sustained various degrees of injuries, the police said in a statement.
The injured are currently at the hospital receiving medical attention, and are all in stable condition, according to the medical authorities.
The suspects in the Ashaiman violence | Photo: Ghana Police Service
The police have since restored calm and deepened personnel presence at Ashaiman and its environs.
Investigation continues and all those involved will be brought to justice, the police added.
In one parent’s opinion, the since-fired daycare workers at the center of the ongoing Halloween mask controversy should do time in jail.
Katelyn Johnson, who says her two-year-old was among those scared when a daycare worker in Mississippi donned a Scream-inspired mask, was interviewed by TMZ over the weekend. According to Johnson, her child has exhibited potty-training “regression” following the series of mask-focused incidents.
“I do feel a felony is appropriate,” Johnson, wearing an ‘’I Back the Blue” shirt and stationed in front of an apparent piece of police-promoting wall decor, said. “There was inadequate supervision. They were traumatizing those children and some of those children are old enough to communicate and talk through those feelings and some of ‘em aren’t. And there is no telling with those children being so young when we will see that trauma surface. My son is two years old and he cannot communicate what is going on through his head. He can only tell me through reaction.”
Johnson added that her son has shown a “very strong reaction” to the specific mask used in the widely shared footage, speculating that this level of reaction is due to the alleged frequency of the mask’s usage.
“I would like to see them serve some jail time,” Johnson said, later clarifying that she would want to see those involved serving “anywhere from six months to a year” behind bars.
As previously reported, the masktroversy took off in response to footage captured at Lil’ Blessings Child Care and Learning Center in Hamilton. Local law enforcement announced last week that Sierra McCandless, Oci-Anna Kilburn, Jennifer Newman, and Shyenne Mills were each facing multiple counts of felony child abuse. Traci Hutson, meanwhile, is facing failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault charges.
In a statement shared with Complex via email last week, a rep from the Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed it had finished its investigation into the Lil’ Blessings controversy and passed its findings to the agency attorney.
“The facility remains closed at this time,” the rep added.
Three persons have been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court for conspiring to commit crime and causing unlawful damage.
Mr Amankwah Dotse, aged 38, Mr Emmanuel Kpobi, aged 50, and Mr Raphael Agboli, all Land guards, were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime and causing unlawful damage.
Again, Mr Agboli, was charged with two counts of threat of death.
They pleaded not guilty to all the offences levelled against them.
Mr Yaw Dankwah, counsel for the accused persons, prayed for their bail, saying that they were not a threat to society and not a ‘fright risk.’
He said his clients had a fixed place of abode, as well as people of substance to stand as sureties.
Prosecution opposed the bail on the grounds that the accused persons would interfere with police investigation if granted bail.
The prosecution said the investigator needed ample time to do an investigation on the land.
He said there was the need to conduct a forensic investigation on a suspected Indian hemp found on one of the accused persons.
The Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah remanded the accused persons into police custody to reappear on October 24, 2022.
Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahibor, prosecuting, told the Court that complainant, Mr Jonathan Kwabena Ofori, was a Businessman and resided at Ofankor-Accra whilst the accused persons were residents of Kpobikope-Mayera.
The prosecution said suspects Mensah Dogbe and Godson Atakorah were at large.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said in 2004, the complainant acquired 20 plots of land at Mayera from Nana Ansah Henry and Dr Kumah for building purposes.
The prosecution said the complainant walled the land and put up a two-bedroom house on it for his caretakers, Erica Blankson and Emmanuel Owusu Danso, witnesses in the case.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said on August 20, 2022, the accused persons went and broke a portion of the fenced wall and sold part of the complainant’s land to one Michael Sackey.
The prosecution said the matter was reported to the Police and the accused persons were arrested.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said during investigations, the accused persons were warned by the Regional Police Command not to go to the land again.
The prosecution said on October 12, 2022, the accused persons went back to the land, pulled a pump action gun on the caretakers, and threatened to kill them.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said the Anti-Land Guard Team from Accra Regional Police Headquarters rushed to the scene and arrested the accused persons.
The prosecution said a search conducted in Mr Dotse’s bag revealed one wrap of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said investigations were still ongoing to apprehend suspects at large to assist police investigations.
The Police have arrestedtwo individuals seen in a viral video with one wearing a black attire with police insignia.
The person seen in the attire, Marcus Dankwah, is not a Police officer and is currently in custody together with his accomplice, police . A search conducted on them led to the recovery of the attire.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the said video footage, which originated from a TikTok account identified as the official page of Vzonetv and shared on various social media platforms, was taken on October 18, 2022.
The investigationalso revealed the suspects are social media content providers who produce videos for their online TV channel Vzonetv.
As the investigation continues to establish the source of the attire and prepare the suspects to face justice, we would like to caution the public against acts that tend to injure the reputation of the Ghana Police Service.
The National Cargo Transport Operators has declared an indefinite strike over the alleged harassment by the police at Enyinam in the Eastern Region.
According to the group, they will not offer their services anymore until the situation is addressed by the relevant authorities.
The National President of the Cargo Transport Operators Association, Alhaji Mohammed Tanko told the media that “one driver was harassed by the Police at Enyinam. He was arrested for no apparent reason.”
According to him, this is only one of several other incidents which is making our work difficult.
The group most affected by the alleged actions of the security agency, he said are those who offload charcoal from the Northern part of the country to the Greater Accra Region.
Alhaji Mohammed Tanko mentioned that “we feel we are being victimised by the police” thus want the situation to be addressed.
“We are going to lay down our tools till we get assurances from the relevant authorities,” he stressed.
Should the National Cargo Transport Operators embark on the strike action as indicated, traders would be affected as they would not have a feasible medium to convey their goods from the farms to the market.
The Police have arrested two individuals seen in a viral video, with one wearing a black attire with police insignia.
The person seen in the attire, Marcus Dankwah, is not a police officer and is currently in custody together with his accomplice, Pascal Nelson.
According to the police, a search conducted on them led to the recovery of the attire.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the said video footage, which originated from a TikTok account identified as the official page of Vzonetv and shared on various social media platforms, was taken on October 18, 2022.
The investigation by the police also revealed the suspects are social media content providers who produce videos for their online TV channel Vzonetv.
“As the investigation continues to establish the source of the attire and prepare the suspects to face justice, we would like to caution the public against acts that tend to injure the reputation of the Ghana Police Service.”
A video showing Iranian anti-riot forces sexually assaulting a female demonstrator while attempting to arrest her has sparked outrage on social media.
Users expressed their fury, with many demanding “justice” and the resignation of the police chief. Some pro-government users condemned the perpetrators as well.
Despite blockson some social media tools, Iranians are still managing to share powerful images of the protests.
The country has been rocked by the most intense unrest in decades.
The protests erupted last month when anger over the death in police custody of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Amini boiled over. Officials say she died from an underlying health condition, but her family says she died after being beaten by the morality police.
Numerous videos of the protest have gone viral both inside and outside of Iran. This latest video, which happened in Tehran’s Argentina Square on Wednesday, shows a group of officers in protective gear and helmets surrounding a woman on the main road.
One of them grabs her by the neck and leads her into a crowd of about two dozen police, many of whom are on motorcycles.
While the woman is being forced towards one of the bikes, another officer approaches her from behind and puts his left hand on her bottom.
The woman then crouches on the ground as more officers surround her. A female voice behind the camera is heard saying: “They are pulling her hair.”
Drivers in vehicles next to where it is happening start sounding their horns, a form of protest in similar situations seen in the past few days across the country.
The woman, who appears to have no hijab or headscarf, is then seen standing up and running away from the scene.
At this point, the same voice on the clip is heard saying: “Look at him [the security force officer], he is laughing”.
دیروز بیبیسی فارسی، ویدیوهایی از تعرض نیروهای امنیتی به دختران معترض منتشر کرد که واکنشهای گستردهای با هشتگ #تعرض برانگیخته است؛ از بغض و استیصال و نفرت و خشم تا یادآوری داعش و خرمشهر و «وعده حضور مصممتر در خیابان و انتقام خشونت علیه معترضان.»
بیشتر:https://t.co/5XCSTSYJ0Xpic.twitter.com/4Pay8TySCu
The footage has been verified by the BBC’s Persian service.
Tehran’s Police Public Relations office has said the incident is being investigated, state news agency Irna reported.
The police statement does not give details of what happened, but says that “enemies using psychological warfare tried to cause public anxiety and incite violence”.
The fact that the incident happened in public has led human rights activists to question what security forces might also be doing behind closed doors.
“Have you brought out the harassment of the girls of this land from [your] prisons into the open streets with the aim to shout out [at us] in public your obscenity, lechery and filth?” posted a social media user by the name of Atefeh.
Mistreatment, including sexual and psychological abuse, has been reported by many inmates, especially political prisoners, for years.
Many Iranians commented on social media that the video from Tehran had made them more determined to go out on the streets to protest, with one person saying they intended “to put their anger and fury into action”.
The police in the Ashanti Region on Thursday, October 13 arrested two armed robbers after a specialised intelligence operation.
One other robber attempted to fire at the police but he was overpowered by returned fire, leaving him dead upon arrival at the hospital.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, Grace Ansah-Akrofi, the deceased, whose name was given as Issaka Muniru, was wanted after jumping bail at the court.
He had led a gang to rob a pastor of his two gold watches and mobile phones on May 26, 2021.
“The deceased was granted bail by the court but he jumped the bail and a bench warrant was therefore issued for his arrest,” the police statement said.
“His accomplices are still attending trial at the court.”
In another robbery instance, he was arrested among four “but he managed to escape”.
The three suspects have since been remanded into prison custody.
The police commended the Ashanti Regional Police Command, especially personnel of the Regional Intelligence and Operations teams, for leading the operation.
“We would like to assure the public that we will continue to carry out our constitutional mandate of protecting life and property and maintaining law and order even at the peril of our lives.”
The Founder of Heaven Way Church in Accra, Patricia Asiedua formerly known as Nana Agradaa, who has been arrested for allegedly scamming some members of her church, has accused some men of God of plotting her downfall.
She said her enemies have made all manner of accusations against her which include burying her own child in the church. But she, said, God is on her side.
Nana Agradaa indicated that she never defrauded anyone.
“I announced to Ghanaians that I was going to give out cash to members of my church to invest in their businesses and that anyone who needed cash support should come. If you aren’t a church member, the first thing to do in order to benefit from this gesture is to register to officially to join us.
“I did the all night event and distributed the money to members of my church and so if you only registered that day and couldn’t get a share of the cash, that cannot be fraud, I have not offended you in any way.
“In every church we have offertory, I am the only one who does this on camera. This was a fundraising exercise which I announced to everyone that it was starting from 1000 Cedis to Coins,” she said in a recorded video which has gone viral on social media.
She added “Everybody in Ghana knows that people are plotting my downfall, they want to destroy my ministry , there were demonstrations against me when I was being ordained , people even accused me of burying my own child to grow the church but God is with me.”
The Police arrested her on Sunday October 9 following allegations of money doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public.
She is currently assisting police investigation.
“Anyone who is a victim of the alleged money doubling scam should report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further action to assist the investigation,” the Police said in a statement on Sunday October 8.
The Ghana Times reported on Thursday, April 2, 1959, about the itinerary that Queen Elizabeth II was to use during her visit to Ghana in November of that year.
With the headline, “Itinerary of Queen’s visit out,” the report detailed all the things the monarch was to do in the country.
One of those activities was for her to participate in the State Opening of Parliament in the morning of November 13, but the most intriguing aspect of this report was on how Ghana’s president, Kwame Nkrumah, would vacate his official residence at Government House (the Christiansborg Castle) for the queen.
This was announced by Kojo Botsio, Chairman of the Planning Committee and Minister of External Affairs when he met the press.
“Disclosing this at a press conference at the Ministerial Conference Room…, Mr. Kojo Botsio, Chairman of Planning Committee and Minister of External Affairs, said that the Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be in Ghana from Thursday, November 12 to Saturday, November 28.
“Mr. Botsio said the Prime Minister, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, is personally in charge of the whole arrangement for the Queen’s visit. He said that the Queen had informed the Government that the expenditure in connection with her visit should not be too expensive.
“During Her Majesty’s 17-day visit, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah will take up residence at Flagstaff House, while the Queen occupies Government House, Osu,” the newspaper report said.
Some members of the Heaven Way Church in Weija have accused their leader, Evangelist Mama Pat, popularly known as ‘Nana Agradaa’, of cleverly deceiving them and running away with their monies.
According to the aggrieved congregants, Nana Agradaa had earlier promised to double their monies through her special spiritual endowments.
Based on this assurance, the affected worshippers said they were convinced to give her various sums, in expectation of multiplied outcomes.
But in a series of viral videos on social media on Saturday, the church members who reposed confidence in the recently converted fetish priestess said their monies have not been doubled, with no trace of Nana Agradaa.
In their view, this smacks of a well-orchestrated scheme by the preacher to trick them out of their sweat.
The angry and betrayed congregants, therefore, trooped to the church premises on Saturday in search of answers from Evangelist Mama Pat.
Some of them who were spotted in the viral videos intimated that they had given huge sums to Nana Agradaa, ranging from GHS1,000 to GHS20,000.
But amidst the brouhaha, some social media users have criticised the affected church members for being too gullible and vulnerable.
According to the critics, ‘Nana Agradaa’, as she is popularly called has gained notoriety for swindling her unsuspecting clientele, and therefore her congregants should have known better in dealing with her.
Others have however laid the blame at the doorstep of the Police for failing to keep the former spiritualist in check after claiming she had repented and become a minister of the gospel.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service says it has begun investigations into an alleged money doubling scam that was perpetrated by Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as ‘Nana Agradaa’.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Police said the suspect, who is the leader of the Heaven Way Church at Weija, reportedly committed the crime against some members of her congregation.
According to the Police, the aggrieved members launched a series of reports which have subsequently compelled the Police to probe the matter.
In its social media post, the Police, therefore, urged members of the general public to assist with investigations, while remaining calm.
“The investigation was initiated following reports that have come to the attention of the Police on the matter.
We would like to urge anyone with information that can assist the investigation to report to the Accra Regional Police Command at Accra Central close to the COCOBOD building. While investigation continues, we urge everyone, especially those who might have been affected to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands” the statement emphasised.
The Ghana Police Service says it has begun investigations into an alleged money doubling scam which was perpetrated by Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as ‘Nana Agradaa’.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Police said the suspect, who is the leader of the Heaven Way Church at Weija, reportedly committed the crime against some members of her congregation.
According to the Police, the aggrieved members launched a series of reports which have subsequently compelled the Police to probe the matter.
In its social media post, the Police, therefore, urged members of the general public to assist with investigations, while remaining calm.
“The investigation was initiated following reports that have come to the attention of the Police on the matter.
We would like to urge anyone with information that can assist the investigation to report to the Accra Regional Police Command at Accra Central close to the COCOBOD building. While investigation continues, we urge everyone, especially those who might have been affected to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands” the statement emphasised.
On Saturday, social media was awash with videos of aggrieved church members of ‘Nana Agradaa’, accusing their leader of swindling them.
In a spree of comments monitored by JoyNews, the betrayed congregants said they took her for her words and gave out various sums of money with the hopes of receiving multiple folds as she had promised.
Some of the victims of the supposed scam said they have traveled from very long distances to meet Nana Agrada to collect their money after her promises failed.
Meanwhile, scores of social media users have criticised the affected church members for being too gullible and vulnerable.
According to them, ‘Nana Agradaa’, as she is popularly called has gained notoriety for swindling her unsuspecting clientele, and therefore her congregants should have known better in dealing with her.
Others have however laid the blame at the doorstep of the Police, for failing to keep the former spiritualist in check, after claiming she had repented and had now become a minister of the gospel.
The Ghana Police Service has reportedly arrested a man captured in a viral video beating a baby.
According to reports, Richard Kofi was arrested on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at Akaa Buem in the Jasikan Municipality of the Oti Region.
The suspect is said to have been picked up by the police who took him to the palace of the chief of the town before he was whisked away into custody.
The police are said to also have arrested the wife of the suspect who lives separately from her husband’s house.
The assaulted baby was also rescued and taken into police care.
This brings an end to the hunt commenced by the police after GhanaWeb reported the video viral in which the suspect was seen beating up the baby with a whip.
The Ghana Police Service on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, announced a bounty of GHC2,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the man who was captured in the video.
In the said video, the suspect is seen holding the by one arm and whipping him up while the baby’s frantic cries for mercy was ignored.
Subsequent to the police announcement, children advocacy non-governmental organisation, Child Rights International also announced another reward of GHC10,000 reward for any such information.
An additional reward of GHC5,000 was announced by Givers Herbal Company Limited for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
This brought to a total some GHC17,000 as the bounty declared for the arrest of the suspect.
Meanwhile, a local journalist in the area has confirmed the suspect is currently in the custody of the Jasikan Police Command.
Prof. Charles Marfo, Provost of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s (KNUST) College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CoHSS), has echoed the clarion call for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to be entrusted with the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the country, Purefmonline.com reports.
The former President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) in an interview with Kwame Adinkrah on Kumasi-based Pure FM stated that the IGP has shown competence through his high-class tactical abilities and has over the period exerted the qualities needed to garner gains concerning the leadership responsibilities required to combat the galamsey menace.
According to him, Government’s efforts to suppress galamsey activities so far do fall short of rewards and punishments modalities which he describes as a key ingredient to sustain the fight.
He stated that the IGP has matured with such potential to tighten the loopholes and gaps in the galamsey fight processes.
“Kwame, the last time, I heard you in one of the viral videos recommending the IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare as the man befitting for the galamsey fight job. I think so too.
Let us look at this, for instance, he was denigrated for introducing the system where competent relatives replace officers who die in the line of duty, but Kwame, what has been the overall feedback and the attitude of our officers after this system was introduced?
These are the rewards and punishments I am talking about. When I commit myself to the nation and I am gone, what happens to my family?”
“We need a formidable system to cater for rewards, benefits or emoluments of front liners (security personnel) commissioned to these illegal mining areas.
Such modalities will ingrain patriotism and uncompromising commitment toward the national course.
This and many more I think Dampare is likely to bring on board if he’s left to lead the charge in the galamsey fight.”
“The illegal mining sector has tendencies to corrupt those security officers ordained to fight galamsey. Without any modalities, when these military officers are pushed into the forests and see these miners living lavishly, what do we expect them to do?” He quizzed.
The KNUST CoHSS Provost further re-echoed his description of Dr. Dampare as a brilliant policy maker, referring to his latest instituted rewarding systems in the Police Service; an emergency medical fund and replacement of officers who die in the line of duty with the deceased qualified family member into the Police force.
Such tactful packages, according to him, will eliminate diabolic thoughts questioning the essence of committing oneself to the success of a national need.
Chief Executive Officer, of the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei says the man in a viral video seen abusing a toddler might have done so under the influence of smoking weed (marijuana) and losing his ability to think rationally.
He believes the man could also be suffering from schizophrenia or that he’s a psychopath.
In the widely circulated video, the man is seen whipping the innocent child in the presence of other men while the victim cries in pain. However, none of them made any attempt to rescue the toddler.
The Police in a statement said they “have sighted a horrifying video on social media in which a male adult is seen subjecting an infant to severe beating under a tree. Efforts are underway to track down the individual involved, have him arrested, and rescue the child.”
The Police are entreating anyone with information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect to contact the police on 0243809991 and have offered a GHC2, 000 reward for anyone who will provide information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Commenting further on the incident in an interview on Nkawkaw-based Agoo FM Morning Show Ene No Bio, Dr. Akwasi Osei roundly condemned the act saying nobody with a sound mind could be this wicked to an innocent toddler.
“There is every indication that all is not well with this man, he needs a psychiatric evaluation. It may be the case that he’s smoked wee(marijuana) and is unable to think right hence doesn’t know that his action could hurt the toddler. He could also be suffering from a mental illness (schizophrenia) or it could also be the case that he has a personality disorder – a Psychpath, who has no conscience and sense of remorse. I don’t think that the man is just being wicked, there’s more to it. He definitely has to be evaluated psychologically.”
Dr. Akwasi Osei added that going forward, the child despite his age should be monitored and given the needed help as this abuse on him could leave him with trauma and affect him in the future.
He further urged the police to arrest whoever recorded the assault for questioning for looking on for the assault to be perpetrated.
Police officials in Wales and England have promised to send an officer to each and every house that has been burglarized.
The pledge commits forces to send an officer to investigate every report of home burglary, regardless of location and what has been stolen.
All 43 forces agreed to the commitment at last week’s meeting of the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Its chairman Martin Hewitt said the move was aimed at giving people “peace of mind”.
The pledge follows a report from the police watchdog in August which found most victims of burglary, theft, and robbery in England and Wales were not being given the justice they deserve.
In the year to March, Home Office figures showed just 6.3% of robbery offences and 4.1% of thefts in England and Wales resulted in charges, while recent figures found police attendance at burglaries in London had fallen to 50%.
Mr Hewitt said some forces had struggled to attend all burglaries because of “limited resources”.
“We want to give people the peace of mind of knowing if you experience that invasion, the police will come, find all possible evidence and make every effort to catch those responsible,” Mr Hewitt wrote.
“That’s a critical part of the contract between the police and public.”
Mr Hewitt added that burglary was “invasive” and could be “deeply traumatic” for victims.
The plan is to prioritise incidents where a home has been burgled, as opposed to outbuildings and garden sheds.
Sara Thornton, previous head of the NPCC, told the BBC in 2015 that budget cuts and the changing nature of criminality meant the public should not expect to see an officer after crimes such as burglary.
The latest agreement, signed up to by all forces in England and Wales, follows similar commitments from several services across the country, including the Metropolitan Police Service.
The Met’s recently-appointed commissioner, Mark Rowley, last month said his officers would “get back” to attending all reports of a burglary in London.
IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA Image caption, Sir Mark Rowley said the Met’s low attendance record for burglary was “unacceptable”
Sir Mark told the BBC a crime as severe as burglary needed a “proper policing response” and described the Met’s low attendance record as “unacceptable”.
“We’re never going to turn up to every single crime, and the public understands that, but something as severe as burglary needs a proper policing response,” he said.
“It’s too serious an intrusion not to have somebody turn up”.
Greater Manchester Police committed to attend to every report of a burglary in July last year and said it had since seen “a number of positive results”, including a 95.8% increase in arrests between August 2021 and July 2022.
Supt Chris Foster, the force’s lead for tackling burglary, said: “It is therefore only right that we use all of our policing powers to deal with those individuals who invade the homes of others and steal their property.
The two accused persons in the Mankessim ritual murder case appeared in court on Tuesday, October 4, 2022; and were remanded by the judge till October 18.
In court, a third accused person by the name of Jonathan Obeng was added to the charge sheet that already had Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom, Christopher Ekow Clarke and one Pastor Michael Darko.
They are standing trial for the murder of a prospective student nurse by the name of Georgina Asor Botchwey.
When the day’s sitting ended and the two accused were being ushered into police vehicles by heavily armed guards, residents and relatives of the deceased accosted them and rained insults and curses on them.
In a Ghana News Agency video cited by GhanaWeb, a weeping elderly woman refers to one accused person as a wizard repeating severally, ‘God will punish you,” amid wailing.
Another man is spotted pointing fingers at the other accused hurling insults. As the police vehicle carrying them drives off, bystanders hoot and continue to insult the accused persons.
The Mankessim murder case involves a young lady, Georgina Asor-Botchwey, who had travelled to Cape Coast with the hope of being admitted into the nursing school there but was later discovered to have been killed and buried.
Her remains were discovered in a shallow grave dug in the kitchen of the Tufuhene who was reportedly aided by Michael Darko, a pastor and fiancé of the sister of the deceased.
The family has since called for the court to expedite the trial and grant it closure in the matter.
Police in South Africa are investigating the killing of a German tourist during an attempted carjacking in the eastern Mpumalanga province.
The victim was part of a group of four German tourists who were waylaid on Monday evening while travelling towards a safari lodge at the Kruger National Park.
The gang is said to have ordered the tourists to open the doors of their vehicle, but when the driver reportedly locked all the doors, one of the suspects shot him through the window, police said.
Local police said the tourist died on the spot and the suspects sped off without taking anything.
“This is really cruel and uncalled for given the economic challenges that our country is facing,” police boss Semakaleng Daphney Manamela said.
Reports from some residents who live close to Madam Janet Nsia, a woman who has been accused of beating her househelp to death, have revealed how the accused person used to ill-treat the latter.
According to most of these residents, Mama Jane was fond of maltreating the late Akua Kyem as though she was not a human being.
The reports further revealed that there was not a single day Mama Jane wouldn’t be seen begrudging the deceased.
Further interrogation revealed that the deceased had been the second victim to die in the hands of madam Jane through similar maltreatment.
A 24-year-old Akua Kyem who died on Monday was said to have died after suffering a severe beating and bruises from her 57-year-old house mistress, Madam Janet Nsia.
The sad incident which happened at Anwomaso in the Oforikrom municipality of the Ashanti region saw some blood stains on the body of the deceased.
Madam Janet Nsia who earlier denied a hand in the death of her house help went to the Domeabra police to report the incident whilst she declared herself innocent.
In her earlier narration, madam Janet claimed that Akua was found dead in her room on Monday morning, thus after she had come home very late on the previous night and refused to talk to her even after she had asked why Akua was coming home late.
She has allegedly confessed to having struggled with the 24-year-old before her demise.
Despite her earlier claim of innocence, some nearby residents accused her of beating the girl the previous night, with most of them citing a noise that emanated from the struggles during the previous night. They told GhanaWeb on condition of anonymity.
Some also blamed her and wondered why she chose to go to the police instead of sending the girl to a hospital after seeing her lied helpless.
“If she did not know the girl was dead already, why did she choose to go to the police instead of sending her to a hospital?”. An angry neighbour quizzed.
Mr. Kwadwo Peprah, the deceased’s family head who spoke to GhanaWeb on Tuesday evening said, the accused who was sent to the Ejisu magistrate court on Tuesday confessed to struggling with the victim on the previous night over a misunderstanding.
According to him, Mama Jane who was said to have accused the victim of stealing her Five Hundred Ghana Cedis confessed to beating her with her hands and other objects like knives, etc.
Meanwhile, the accused, madam Janet Nsia has been remanded into prison custody by the Ejisu magistrate court and is expected to reappear in court on 12th October 2022.
Alexander Kareem, whose sister works for the Metropolitan Police, was fatally shot in June 2020 in west London after being mistaken for someone else. His brother Kabir has expressed concerns that he could be the target of his brother’s killer, who has never been brought to justice.
The brother of a man shot dead in an unsolved murder says he is living in fear of an attack by the killer who is still at large.
Alexander Kareem – whose sister is a serving Metropolitan Police officer – was gunned down near his home in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, in June 2020, in a case of mistaken identity.
Nine people, including a boy aged 16, were arrested over the 20-year-old’s death but have been released and told they will face no further action.
Alexander’s older brother Kabir, who lives near to where the murder happened, told Sky News he is “very likely to have crossed paths” with his sibling’s killer, or someone who knows who is responsible and is fearful about what their response might be.
It comes after Mr Kareem and his sister, PC Khafi Kareem – who has more than 1.4 million Instagram followers after appearing on Nigeria’s Big Brother – publicly appealed for anyone with information about their brother’s murder to come forward.
Mr Kareem said: “Given the fact the killers will know who I am because we’ve been publicly trying to seek justice, I have to be vigilant.
“I don’t know how they would react coming across me.
“It’s mentally draining. It’s something I’ve had to live with and learn to cope with.”
‘I don’t want to live a life in fear’
Mr Kareem, 29, said he had thought about moving to a different area but he did not want to be “pushed away”.
“I don’t want to live a life in fear and think I have to run away from what’s happened,” he added.
“People who need my support are here. I don’t think it would be right for me to leave.”
Alexander was on his way to a friend’s house on an e-scooter when he was attacked shortly after 12.30 am on 8 June 2020.
Police believe a white Range Rover drove past and shot him on Askew Road, Shepherd’s Bush, in a case of mistaken identity. The vehicle was later found burned out.
Sky News revealed earlier this month that hundreds of killings have gone unsolved in London in the last two decades – including incidents in which victims have been shot, stabbed, strangled, and drowned.
Mr Kareem said he was still hopeful his brother’s killer would be caught but is concerned “there doesn’t seem that much attention given to this investigation”.
Image: Kabir Kareem says he is ‘wary’ every time he leaves his house
“I will never give up hope,” he said.
“(The police are) saying they’re actively investigating it but honestly it doesn’t feel like that at the moment.”
‘Stuck in that place of grief’
Mr Kareem said his mother is “still in a dark place” more than two years after the murder of her son, who was described by his family as a “computer genius” and planned to go to university.
“We can’t move on as a family knowing no one has been held responsible for the murder,” he said.
“It keeps us stuck in that place of grief.
“It’s still hard to take. You do think about it every day. There’s not a day that goes past where you don’t think about him.
Image:Alexander was described by his family as a ‘computer genius’
“If I see someone who may resemble him – like a young boy with glasses – it brings up those memories and triggers certain thoughts.
“It does get you emotional.”
Asked whether he believed people know who killed his brother and have not come forward, he replied: “Most definitely.”
In a direct message to those people, Mr Kareem said: “You can’t protect the same people who are destroying our communities.
“(Alex) wasn’t involved in gangs… he was just a young person.
“It could have been anyone’s brother, it could have been anyone’s child.”
Image: Alexander’s sister Khafi (L) and mother Victoria (R) during his burial
Victim’s sister ‘angry’ over killer still at large
On the second anniversary of Alexander’s death in June, his sister Khafi said her brother was “murdered in cold blood on the streets of London” and her grief “felt like a dagger” to her chest.
“Two years on and still his murderers have not been found. This is not okay,” she said.
“It hurts me every day and is not getting any easier, I just find better ways to suppress my grief as time goes on, but every time it arises it is like a dagger to my chest afresh.”
Ms Kareem said news of “young black boys dying needlessly… trigger so much for me” and she was angered that the people responsible for her brother’s murder are “still walking the streets”.
“It makes me so, so angry,” she added.
“If you have any information on Alex’s death, it is not too late to speak up.”
Aaron Carter got a welfare check from police this week after it appeared the singer was doing drugs during an Instagram Live session, TMZ reports.
Police told the outlet they received a call Tuesday evening about Carter “possibly overdosing on social media.” Earlier that night, Carter hopped on Instagram Live to chat with followers. At one point, the screen went black and fans thought it sounded like Aaron was huffing air duster, as they could hear spraying and inhaling in the background.
Law enforcement responded to Aaron’s home, and said the singer was asleep when they arrived. There were no drugs at the scene, and police confirmed there was no type of suicide attempt either.
Aaron subsequently claimed it was all in good fun, referring to himself “the troll hunter” while spraying what appeared to be an air freshener. “I’m tired of people coming after me so I trolled everybody,” he told TMZ.
Carter, who’s never shied away from opening up about his past drug addiction, claims to be five years sober.
Earlier this week, Carter announced plans to sue his on-off girlfriend Melanie Martin for defamation in response to claims that he broke her ribs, which he says is not true. While speaking with TMZ reporters, Aaron said his forthcoming lawsuit will look like “Johnny Depp/Amber Heard 2.0”
The Police say the chief arrested in connection with the murder of a prospective student nurse at Mankessim is still alive and in their custody.
They described as false some media reports suggesting that the suspect has died.
“The chief and his accomplice who were remanded into police custody by the court to reappear on October 4, 2022, are alive and in custody.
“We, therefore, urge the public to treat the report with the contempt it deserves,” the Police said in a statement on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom in the Central Region was picked up at his hideout at Akwa Krom in the Ekumfi District.
This was after a pastor confessed to helping him kidnap, kill, and secretly bury the lady.
Mankessim District Police Command arrested Nana Clark Onyaa and had him transferred to the Regional Police Command in Cape Coast to assist in investigations.
The body of Georgina Asor Botchwey was exhumed by the pastor and police investigators on Tuesday in the room of Nana Clark Onyaa, the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom.
According to sources, the chief, who is also the president of the Mankessim Traders Association, and his accomplice, kidnapped the nurse after engaging in sexual acts with her.
They then killed her and buried her in one of the chief’s apartments.
The pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He then led the police to the chief’s residence, where the victim’s body was exhumed.
The victim’s body was reportedly buried nearly three weeks ago. Along with the body, the victim’s bag, shoes, and other possessions were also found at the chief’s house.
Following a tip from local residents who observed the strange behavior of the foreigners in the vicinity, the arrest was made.
Members of the community allegedly spent months observing the foreigners’ “suspicious activities” before deciding to submit them to the police for more inquiry.
The move followed the “See something, say something” campaign being spearheaded by National Security as a citizens’ awareness campaign aimed at protecting the country against terrorist attacks.
The campaign, dubbed: “See something, say something”, encourages the public to be vigilant of the activities of suspicious characters and report such activities and characters to the security agencies.
The campaign forms part of the ministry’s border counter-terrorism strategy aimed at sensitising the public to terrorism threats and encouraging the citizenry to collaborate with state security agencies to reduce the threat of terrorism in the country.
Related: ‘See something, Say something’ campaign launched
One of the community leaders, Mohammed Ali said they reported them to the police because they believe they pose a security threat and want the security agencies to probe their operations.
“For several times, I entered and asked them, what are they doing. They said that they were learning. In the evening, you see them making phone calls, different phone calls, everybody making a phone call. Maybe they are trying to convince someone or I don’t know, so that is what they have been doing around here,” Ali said.
A member of parliament representing Ketu South, Dzifa Gomashie, has urged the police to conduct a thorough inquiry into the most recent drowning tragedy at the Laklevikope lagoon.
On September 18, a mother and her three children drowned in a dyke that was purportedly built in a lagoon by a salt mining firm in Laklevikope, Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region.
Due to this, the locals felt obligated to ask the government to make sure the business adheres to safety protocols to avoid similar incidents in the future.
They are also calling on the mining company to put safety signposts along the lagoon.
Reacting to the incident in a Facebook post, the legislator extended her condolences to the bereaved family and demanded an investigation into the matter.
Dzifa Gomashie in the Facebook post said “While I commiserate with the affected communities, I also want to urge the Ministry in charge, the Minerals Commission, and the Municipal Assembly to take the extremely urgent steps necessary to avert any more tragic deaths.“
“Indeed, I demand a full-scale Police investigation into the present case and the publication of the report, as well as the full disclosure of the efforts to ensure the lives and property of the people are protected.”
“We are a peaceful and law-abiding people and will support the state in the discharge of their duty but we will not sit aloof whilst foreign entities imperil the lives of our people die,” she added.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, is in Wa of the Upper West Region today, September 19, 2022.
Mr Dampare’s visit comes in response to the most recent purported claims of murders and disappearances in Wa.
The IGP was accompanied with other top officers, additionally, his visit comes after police in Wa’s “Napogi-ba Kolee” expansion uncovered a body buried in a shallow grave.
The deceased identified as Seidu Dakpuli is the latest security personnel who went missing two days ago.
Some body parts are said to be missing after the exercise.
This comes days after angry youth in the area massed up on the streets and burnt tyres protesting the unexplained killings.
The IGP’s visit is expected to boost Police morale and also assure the citizenry of the readiness of the law enforcement agency to protect them.
Apart from the IGP’s presence, the Police administration has also assured the people of the Wa and its environs that it has taken cognizance of their security concerns and has, therefore, put in place measures to support the Regional Police Command to beef up security to ensure the safety of all persons in the Metropolis.
In this regard, special purpose investigation and intelligence teams as well as additional police visibility and crime combat teams have been deployed to Wa under the leadership of the Director-General of Operations.
The Police reiterated its pledge to the public that they will continue to work towards ensuring the safety and security of all persons across the country.
The Council described the development as disturbing and highlighted that because school administrators fail to recognize “unwanted” individuals in the exam halls, such occurrences have risen in this year’s assessment.
Six schools had a total of reported occurrences of impersonation as of Friday, September 16.
Prince Boateng SHS in Nsawam recorded 15 cases, Vicar Trust SHS, Kasoa – three and St. John SHS, Asante Bekwai, two cases.
Winners SHS, Nkawkaw; Sunyani Business College and Mococo SHS, Nkawkaw all recorded a case each.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, urged school authorities to “fish out any impersonators even before they are allowed into the examination room.”
She added that there is a number of syndicate cheating cases in schools where teachers extort money from candidates and provide answers to them in the examination halls.
“This practice involves…the execution of pre-arranged plans by these same persons to assist candidates to cheat by solving questions and distributing photocopies or printed solutions to the candidates.
“A number of cases from the following schools have come to our attention: Asawinso SHS, Action SHS, Madina; Juaben SHS, Aduman SHS, Sunyani Business College, Oxford Business SHS, Sunyani and Miracle SHS, SHS.”
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, condemned the incident and called it “utterly appalling.”
After being attacked by a man with a knife in Leicester Square in the heart of London, two male police officers are receiving medical attention in a hospital.
According to the Metropolitan Police, a Taser was used in the early morning incident, and a man was detained on suspicion of causing serious bodily harm and assaulting a healthcare practitioner.
The condition of the two officers is not known and their families are aware of the incident, which is not being treated as terror-related.
The man arrested was taken to a hospital for treatment where he remains at this time.
Footage from the scene shows police officers guarding an area of Whitcomb Street which has been taped off.
A man has been arrested in connection to the incident
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said the service was called to reports of an incident in Great Windmill Street, near Shaftsbury Avenue at 6.01 am
The scene of the stabbings near Leicester Square
They added that three ambulances, a medic in a response car, and London’s air ambulance were dispatched to the scene and that three people were treated and taken to hospital.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has condemned the attack and called for anyone with information about the incident to contact the police.
He described it as “utterly appalling”, adding that the officers “were doing their duty and assisting the public at this momentous time for our country”.
“My thoughts and prayers are with them, their loved ones, and police colleagues following this disgraceful attack.
“Attacks against the police will not be tolerated and any perpetrators will be caught and prosecuted,” he said.
The problem of noise pollution is getting out of hand and it is becoming increasingly obvious that the three institutions which have statutory responsibility for controlling the phenomenon are unable to deal with the situation.
Years of Ghanaian officialdom operating under the Ostrich Effect, have our society reeling under the onslaught of incessant noisemaking by membersof our society whose value systems do not permit them to have any qualms about discomfiting others.
Having allowed impudence to become entrenched over the years, the agencies are finding it very difficult getting the recalcitrant places of worship, the street-side preachers, night clubs, drinking bars, vendors, illegally operating broadcasters, transport hub announcers, and eateries, to conform to the noise control laws.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) which have received a lot of flak for reneging on their noise-controlling duties are of late, manifesting their preparedness to enforce the relevant laws.
In order to nail noise offenders and do away with the lack of noise measuring devices as the reason for non-performance, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has acquired and deployed Sound Levels Metres (SLMs) within its jurisdiction.
The EPA has announced its intention to equip the MMDAs with SLMs as well as train the staff on their use.
The Agency has also intimated its plans to restrict facilities with the heavy noise-generating potential to areas where they would not inconvenience communities.
In the face of the daunting task confronting the two institutions, it is of critical importance that the third noise control body is immediately deployed to help check the menace.
It is propitious that the primary law enforcement agency is one of the noise-controlling institutions. There is no doubt, that the entry of the Police into the fray would engender widespread compliance.
The Police Service has however not shied away from its responsibility towards safeguarding the well-being of members of society.
As back as October 2004, when the EPA celebrated its 30th Anniversary, the Police representative who is now in charge of the Legal and Prosecutions Directorate, stated the readiness of the Service to deal with individual and corporate violators of section 296 (7) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Eighteen years down the line, not much has been heard about Police action on noise offending, except for the closure of a noisy church and the arrest of its leader at the instance of the Ashanti Regional Minister, and the broaching of the subject matter during the October 2021 engagement with some Faith-based Organisations.
With the criminalisation of the noise disturbance provisions of Act 29, police action will effectively check perpetrators and deter those of a similar bent.
It is pertinent to remind the Service of its additional authorization to arrest and prosecute persons who violate Section 57 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).
Section 293 (1) of Act 29 authorizes them to arrest and prosecute persons who operate facilities where people gather to play and dance to music without the written permission of the Local Assembly.
Under Section 295 of the same Act, the Police can arrest and prosecute persons who use music to intentionally provoke, challenge, insult or annoy others while section 296 (7), makes it an offence to ignore warnings and wilfully or wantonly make loud or unseemly noise by whatever means to annoy or disturb any person.
This provision is broad enough to cover a lot of noisy situations. It is important that the Police distinguish cases where noise measurement is required from those which do not require the deployment of SLMs.
Guidelines drawn will help avoid the stock excuse for declining to process noise-related complaints.
Perhaps the provision which has the greatest prospect of effectively reducing the levels of noise made after dark is Section 296 (8) of Act 29.
This provision empowers the Police to arrest and prosecute any person who plays music in public between 8pm and 6am without the written permission of the Local Assembly or appropriate Minister.
The most injurious form of noise disturbance occurs between the hours of 8pm and 6am when the basic rights of residents to peaceful existence are regularly violated by the purveyors of noise making.
Churches that hold all-night services till 5am without adequate permission, and open-air night clubs which start operating at 6pm and close at 4am the following day are all in violation of Section 296 (7) of the Act.
It is the moment the muezzin rends the air with his call to prayer and when the street side preacher and the broadcaster begin to ply their trades.
While other noise-offending sections of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) are activated by complaints of the public, Sections 293 (1) and 296 (8) can be independently detected by the Police on their normal rounds, especially during the night.
Venues for regular merry-making either have written permission of the Local Assembly or not, just as places where music is publicly played between 8pm and 6am.
If the Police whether on their own or in response to public complaints would robustly enforce these two provisions, the wanton noisemaking in our towns and cities would be effectively curtailed.
The many appeals, petitions, write-ups, and electronic and print media campaigns have not made a dent in the attitude of the noisemakers. It would therefore be necessary for the Police to adopt a centrally coordinated and well- publicised nation- wide approach.
It is incumbent on the disciplined institution to create the enabling environment for Ghanaians to rest, recuperate, study, meditate and reflect as envisaged by the framers of the noise-controlling laws.
This could be hopefully achieved if the purposeful leadership of the Police Administration under would organise sensitisation programmes to help the personnel better appreciate their roles in controlling noisemaking.
Research has revealed that the Home Secretary should utilize their power to restructure “failed” police forces and, if necessary, appoint a new chief constable.
According to Policy Exchange, a center-right research organization, policing has “lost its way” and some ordinary infractions are “in essence almost totally decriminalized.”
A serious intervention, according to the report’s author, former detective chief inspector David Spencer, is required.
Making Britain safer, according to Boris Johnson, has always been a top goal.
The report said that the public feels police officers are “more interested in being woke than solving crimes”.
It said police should avoid acts that may be intended to show solidarity against discrimination, such as taking the knee or wearing a badge on their uniform.
These acts could be interpreted as having “a partisan political view” and “has the potential to be hugely damaging to public confidence,” the report said.
Mr Spencer said the police’s ability to solve common crime is “woefully low” with only 3.5% of residential burglaries, 6.3% of robberies, and 4.1% of thefts solved during the last year.
He said tackling online crime should be a priority for law enforcement and the government.
“Less than 2% of all police officers in the UK are dedicated to the investigation of fraud or the sexual abuse of children online,” Mr Spencer said.
“The threats to individuals, the public and wider society from online child abusers, computer hackers and online fraudsters are huge and growing.”
He said the government’s aim to recruit 20,000 more police officers in England and Wales by 2023 “will fail to make any real contribution to tackling the online threat” because they are mostly “uniformed police officers deployed to do traditional policing”.
“As a result, these offenses are in essence almost entirely decriminalized.”
The report said regulations should urgently be amended to allow police chiefs to dismiss officers found guilty of criminality or serious misconduct.
IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS
Image caption,
Boris Johnson will meet new front-line officers on one of his last visits as prime minister
Mr Johnson will meet new police officers on the frontline on Wednesday as part of one of his final visits as prime minister.
Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Johnson said: “Making our streets safer has always been central to my mission to level up this country because everyone should have the security, confidence, and opportunity that comes from having a safe street and a safe home, wherever they live.”
He said the government is cracking down on “vile gangs” and putting dangerous offenders behind bars for longer.
He said the government’s plan to recruit 20,000 new officers will provide the “firepower for years to come in the fight against crime”.
The government says more than 13,790 extra police officers have been hired across England and Wales as part of Mr Johnson’s pledge to put 20,000 additional officers on the streets.
An inquiry by the police into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was allegedly mauled by a lion at the zoo has begun.
The unidentified person was discovered dead in the zoo’s lion enclosure.
“After the necessary forensic examination of the scene, the body has been removed and deposited at the Police Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsyâ€.
The statement said the Police are working with management of the Zoo and the forestry commission on the investigation.
The forestry commission earlier announced the death of the man at the zoo after he reportedly scaled the fence and entered the lions den.
The Sowutuom police in the Greater Accra Region have detained a 19-year-old stepmother and placed her under arrest for allegedly killing her 4-year-old hearing- and speech-impaired son in Santa Maria, an Accra suburb, by severely abusing him.
Belington Hutchful, the boy’s given name, is said to have been the victim of abuse and torture at the hands of Sandra, his stepmother.
According to the landlady, Emelia Dodson, who reported the issue to the Sowutuom police, the severely-beaten boy was dragged on the floor by the stepmother before his death.
She told Accra 100.5 FM’s mid-day news on Friday, August 26, 2022, that in the past, all attempts to rescue the boy by the neighbours resulted in a quarrel with the stepmother.
The landlady said all this happened without her notice until one day she witnessed the maltreatment of the boy herself.
She explained that she was compelled to lodge a complaint against the stepmother at the police station after witnessing how mercilessly the boy was treated.
She said a team was dispatched to the scene to arrest the stepmother.
Also, the victim, who was seriously hurt as a result of the torture, was sent to the Ridge Hospital in Accra for treatment, where the doctor and police discovered several fresh bruises as well as scars on his body, including his genitals.
Some of the co-tenants who also spoke with Accra 100.5FM narrated how the stepmother had been consistently subjecting the boy to both verbal and physical abuse for no known reason.
For his part, Alhaji Yusif Daku, the Santa Maria Zongo chief, who prevailed on the landlady to report the matter immediately to the police, took the opportunity to charge all residents, tenants and landlords to report such abusive acts to the police to protect lives.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command is on a manhunt for the persons who ransacked the office of the founder of United Progressive Party, Akwasi Adae Odike.
The Regional Command confirmed that some damage was caused to the glass doors, vehicles, television, and chairs at the office of Odike.
According to sources, the attackers who held pistols were led by one Jamal, who is currently on the run with his accomplices.
The offices of Akwasi Addai Odike were on Monday ransacked and vandalized by some unknown persons.
This occurred on the back of tensions between Mr. Odike and traditional authorities in the Ashanti Region following recent commentaries the UPP founder made against chiefs in the area.
Akwasi Addai Odike in a recent interview on Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM criticised chiefs within the Asante Kingdom for failing to help end illegal mining activities in the region.
He was also accused of threatening to incite the youth to rise against the chiefs if they fail to play their roles in curbing the illegal mining menace.
His comments were, however, described as distasteful and disrespectful by members of the Kumasi Traditional Council.
The illegal drug was found inside military-style ammunition boxes and hidden within a three tone lathe in a shipping container. The police worry that Australia could become part of a ‘global fentanyl epidemic’.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) seized more than 5 million doses of fentanyl, a deadly opioid that is circulated illegally on the streets, on Monday. According to a press statement by the ABF, this was the largest shipment of fentanyl ever detected in the country.
The opioids were found in a shipment arriving from Canada in Melbourne in December 2021, hidden inside an industrial wooden lathe, the statement described.
At an examination of the shipping container two months later, in February, Australian police officers discovered nearly 60 kilograms of illegal substances. The powdered drugs were covered up inside of military-style ammunition boxes and hidden further within a three tone lathe.
An analysis by forensic officers proved that the substances were made up of 11.2 kilograms of pure fentanyl — which is equivalent to about 5.5 million potential lethal doses of 30 milligrams — and some 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of 27 million Australian dollars (roughly €18.5 million, or US$18.5 million).
First known large seizure in Australia
Prior to that, Australian police said they had only ever detected illegal fentanyl in amounts of less than 30 grams. They went on to say that as little as 28 milligrams of the drug can result in death.
“This was a massive amount of Fentanyl,” ABF Commander Maritime and Enforcement South James Watson said.
“Fentanyl is an extremely toxic substance to handle as well as being a lethal drug to use. There is a fentanyl epidemic in many parts of the world today, resulting in thousands of deaths of users every year,” Watson highlighted.
Australian Federal Police acting Commander Anthony Hall added that the lacing of illegal drugs with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl proved especially dangerous.
“People who use illicit drugs can never be certain what they are ingesting and this seizure highlights the potentially lethal game of Russian roulette they play. We don’t want to see Australia joining other countries in that deadly game,” he said.
Police said the 23-year-old remains in custody for questioning.
Officers believe the child was abducted in Warne Avenue in Droylsden, before being taken to a wooded area, then to a van.
She was reunited with her family after finding her way back to a nearby park, but parents in the area were warned to be “extra vigilant”.
The arrest comes after police released a number of CCTV images of a man they wanted to track down, saying he had been “hanging around” prior to the incident.
A 35-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday but released without further action.
Locals have been urged to check CCTV, dashcam video and doorbell footage for any clips that might assist the investigation.
Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 9262.
The Police received a distress call that there was a robbery attack on the Adom Gold buying shop around 7:30pm on Wednesday, August 3, and Police moved quickly to the scene.
While the robbers were fleeing the scene upon seeing the Police, they started shooting indiscriminately injuring an officer in the process. Police returned fire but the robbers managed to escape.
The officer is currently on admission at the Konongo Odumase Government Hospital and in stable condition.
The Inspector-General of Police has spoken to him and the commanders on the ground.
There is currently an ongoing anti-robbery operation in the area to get the suspects arrested to face justice.
Meanwhile, the Police have urged members of the community to remain calm and be on the lookout for any suspicious characters among them and inform the Police accordingly.
They also urge hospitals and other health facilities in the area to report to the Police any persons who report to them for treatment of gunshot wounds or any other wounds.
Still, in the Ashanti region, Six students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have been remanded on Wednesday.
The suspects were accused of raping a first-year student.
The development comes after the suspects were arraigned at the Asokore Mampong District Court.
This is the second time a KNUST student has been charged with raping another student at the school.
A robbery attack on a gold buying shop at Konongo in the Ashanti Region have been prevented by the Police.
According to the Police, on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at 7:30 p.m, they received a distress call reporting a robbery attack on the Adom Gold Buying Shop.
They hurried to the scene immediately, however, when the robbers saw the police, they started shooting randomly, injuring an officer in the process.
The Police said they returned fire but the robbers managed to escape.
The officer is currently on admission at the Konongo Odumase Government Hospital and in stable condition.
The Inspector-General of Police has spoken to him and the commanders on the ground.
There is currently an ongoing anti-robbery operation in the area to get the suspects arrested.
The Police have, therefore, urged members of the community to remain calm and be on the lookout for any suspicious character among them and inform the Police accordingly.
They have also urged hospitals and other health facilities in the area to report to them any persons who report to them for treatment of gunshots wounds or any other wounds.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, says the Bolgatanga Technical Institute will remain closed indefinitely until a committee set to investigate disturbances submits its report.
On Monday, a riot broke out at the school following the arrest of two of their colleagues and a teacher for allegedly engaging in examination malpractice.
Students were asked to vacate the school premises.
The Upper East Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Council, Stephen Yakubu, said the final year students will be writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from their homes.
In an interview, Mr Yakubu said he does not know when he will order a direct opening of the institute.
He also noted that there will be a committee to investigate the culprits and ringleaders who caused the riot.
Thus, for the time being, he indicated that the final year students of the institute will write their WASSCE from home, while, the other students would have to stay home till a directive is given on the reopening of the school.
Mr Yakubu also revealed that he is working closely with the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum to have the investigations done and a report filed to him.
A Japanese national, Morikawa Hikawu, has been arrested in Ghana upon a request by INTERPOL Tokyo, following the revocation of his passport by Japan.
According to the Ghana Police Service, the suspect was put before court and was remanded into lawful custody awaiting his removal from the country.
The INTERPOL Unit of the Ghana Police Service is working with the Ghana Immigration Service, INTERPOL Tokyo and the Japanese Embassy in Ghana for his removal.
“We would like to assure the public that the Ghana Police Service will continue to use due process to deepen our regional and international law enforcement cooperation,†parts of the statement read.
A three-year-old has died and a one-year-old is in hospital after falling five meters from a balcony in the city of Saarbrücken. Police are treating the mother, who is also in hospital after falling, as a murder suspect.
  Police are treating the incident as a possible homicide
Police in Saarbrücken is investigating a mother who allegedly threw her two children off a balcony, one of whom died.
A three-year-old girl perished as a result of the incident, a spokesman for theSaarland state police said Friday.
A one-year-old girl is in hospital from her injuries, incurred in the fall, the spokesman added.
Father, and relatives were also at home when the incident occurred
The 38-year-old mother is being treated as a suspect formurder and attempted murder, according to police. She is currently in hospital after also falling from the balcony, which was around five meters high.
Police also spoke to the father of the children, as well as some relatives, all of whom were in the apartment when the incident occurred on Thursday evening.
Two leading figures vested in Finance in Parliament have clashed over the alleged printing of GH¢22 billion by the Bank of Ghana for injection into the economy.
Ranking Member on Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson first made the allegation on Mondayand repeated same on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday blaming the rising inflation rate on that measure by the Central Bank
“In the 2020 budget, the project was that the government was going to take zero amounts from the Central Bank only for us to see that between January to June 2022, this administration has taken GH¢22 billion cedis from the Central Bank of Ghana. When the Bank of Ghana gives money to the government it is called printing of money and that is unacceptable.â€
However, this was sharply rebutted by a Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr John Kumahwho indicated that the stated amount is an overdraft advanced by the Bank to the government.
He indicated that there was nothing illegal about it.
“If you read section 30 of the Bank of Ghana Act, it is within the remit of the law for Bank of Ghana to grant overdrafts and support to the Central government without printing money.â€
Minority spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson had accused the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) of printing more currency for the country without approval from Parliament.
The former Deputy Finance Minister said the BoG and government have perpetuated illegality which must be dealt with.
“Between January and June 2022, the Minister responsible for Finance and the government went to the Central Bank, and they encouraged the BoG to print money worth GH¢22 billion. They have printed GH¢22 billion fresh money without the knowledge of Parliament and without informing all of usâ€, he said.
Ato Forson said this is hidden on page 97 of Appendix 2a of the mid-year budget under the section on Bank of Ghana.
