Chinese Strike $500m Worth Of Gold In Ghana With Secret Method

Scores of villagers from a small town in China’s southern Guangxi province have struck gold worth more than 1 billion yuan in Ghana - but they're keeping their method a secret, reported the 21st Century Business Herald. An estimated 50,000 gold diggers, known as “the Shanglin gang", work in Ghana’s gold mines, Africa's largest producer of the metal after South Africa. Many have been lured to the foreign land after hearing friends and relatives' outrageous stories of their success. They are Shanglin villagers who have started from scratch, ambitious high school dropouts and hard working laborers eager to trade their sweat for cash. They have made a fortune in the West African country in the past eight years by investing and working in small and medium-sized gold mines, said the report. One such miner reportedly brought a gold bar to a relative as a “gift” upon returning to his hometown. Another person ordered a Ferrari over the phone from Hong Kong airport while he was transferring to a flight home. While to many these revelations sounds like wild rumours, an insider working at a local bank produced solid proof of their riches. In May and June 2011 alone, he said, more than 1 billion yuan (HK$1.2 billion) was wired into Shanglin by villagers working abroad, dwarfing the township’s 2012 revenue of little more than 300 million yuan. When the Shanglin villagers arrived in Ghana in 2005, larger sites for hard-rock gold mining had already been snapped up by international corporations. Smaller sites, using the placer mining technique usually near rivers, were traditionally run by quasi-professional independent operations. Placer mining, in which gold is extracted from other materials using water, had been so challenging that many of the Shanglin gang's Chinese predecessors had failed. Workers from northern Heilongjiang and southern Hunan provinces who ahead of the Shanglin villagers failed to turn a profit due to outdated techniques that led to low efficiency, said the report. Although placer deposits are harder to work with, they still contribute to 30 to 40 per cent of the total gold produced in Ghana. The Shanglin gang, however, had a “killer” technique involving remodelled sand pumps, secret technology they have since kept to themselves. This has revolutionised placer mining in Ghana and made the business hugely profitable. An average shop makes 100,000 yuan in gross profit daily, says the report citing a worker. Many operations thus easily make tens of millions yuan a year. Working with local village heads and labourers, the gang quickly expanded their business. They have built more than 1,000 operations by investing more than 3 billion yuan, according to an estimate by a Shanglin investor. In fact, almost all of the smaller mines in Ghana are now controlled by the Shanglin gang. An increasing number of Shanglin immigrants have even settled down there and married local women. Casinos have thrived as well because of their enthusiasm for gambling. Rumours are that some 20 per cent of the money earned by Shanglin people has been lost to gambling. Life in Ghana, however, is far from a fairy tale. Shanglin workers say they are frequently threatened and robbed, if not harassed by corrupt local officials. On many occasions they say they were able to buy their way out - but not always. In March, a Shanglin man died after being shot 27 times by a robber.

Source: www.scmp.com

US applauds Ghana’s political institutions in the wake of Election Petition

The United States is pleased with the on-going political situation in Ghana with regards to the current petition challenging the outcome of the December 2012 presidential polls in court.

Mr Michael Pelletier, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, African Affairs of the U.S Department of State, said “it shows that the institutions are working in Ghana and people have confidence in the institutions.”

Mr Pelletier said this when speaking with the Ghana News Agency at the US Department of State building in Washington DC on Friday after meeting with 2013 Spring Professional Fellows to address U.S-Africa foreign policy issues.

Professional Fellows are up and coming and mid-level emerging leaders, who are competitively selected from across the globe by partner agencies of the U.S Department of State to come to the U.S and work with U.S public and private institutions and NGOs with the aim to broaden their expertise as well as understanding of American society.

For this year’s Spring programme, 220 professionals in the areas of legislation, economics and media were selected from over 40 countries including Ghana, China, Peru, Costa Rica, to participate in an event where they spent four weeks working with various U.S institutions.

Some pundits have suggested that the on-going election petition case at the Supreme Court has and or might affect investor confidence in Ghana but Mr Pelletier said the election petition case did not affect U.S-Ghana relations in anyway adding it also did not undermine or cast a slur on Ghana’s integrity amongst the investment community in the U.S.

He said “you have the laws and the rules and you are just following the laws to address your grievances and that is right.”

The 2012 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, his running mate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Chairman of the NPP, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey are challenging the outcome of the December 2012 presidential results at the Supreme Court, and have requested the court to annul substantial amount of votes secured by the winner, President John Mahama, citing alleged irregularities during the polls.

Mr Pelletier said the U.S government would continue to work with the Ghana government to promote the welfare of the people in-line with its (U.S government) foreign policy objectives, which included strengthening democratic institutions, ensuring rule of law, free press, and promoting opportunities in economic growth and development.

Ms Tara Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs said the Professional Fellows Programme was at the core of the U.S government’s ideology and practicality adding it promoted mutual understanding between the U.S and other peoples across the world.

GNA  

Chinese Deny Killing Two Ghanaians In Obuasi

The two Chinese in custody for killing two people at Obuasi have denied carrying out the act. According to the Obuasi Divisional Police Command, Crime Officer DSP Kwabena Otuo Acheampong the Chinese fired guns at some four people who confronted them for encroaching on their concession, killing two. In an interview with Citi News DSP Kwabena Otuo Acheampong stated that the Chinese would help them in their investigations. He opined that although they “claim not to have taken part in the killings neither do they have knowledge of the killers; they would assist the police in their investigations.” The Obuasi police Command arrested two illegal Chinese gold miners for allegedly gunning down two Ghanaians. The deceased identified as Nana Boateng and Eric Ofori were reportedly shot dead on Thursday by the Chinese miners at Amamiriwa in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

Source: Citifmonline

Elephant pulls down Mahama’s billboard

An elephant from a forest reserve on the Ghana-Burkina Faso border has pulled down a 2012 campaign bill board of President John Mahama in the Ghanaian village of Bagli in the Laura Nandom area on Friday April 12, 2013.

The vandalism by the elephant has left residents and spiritualists reading superstitious meanings into the incident because the opposition New Patriotic Party’s logo is an elephant.

While some believe it is a harbinger of how the election petition case will pan out at the Supreme Court, others have simply brushed it aside as a mere accident on the part of the marauding elephant.

Mahama Awudu, who witnessed the damage caused by the herd told XYZ News: “All of a sudden it pulled down John Mahama’s billboard and run back into the bush and went back into Burkina Faso”.

He said: “The Mallams and traditionalists have given their own interpretations into the incident".

Awudu noted that politicians in the area have also put a political twist on the incident.

The eyewitness said: “People are saying that…it means victory for the elephant family”, as far as the opposition flagbearer for the 2012 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s challenge of the 2012 election results is concerned.

“Other people are saying John Mahama’s family will handover, [and be] subdued,” he added.

Source: radioxyzonline.com

Plot To Unseat Prez Mahama...Mills' Henchmen Embark On Warfare

Members within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) who are said to be disaffected over President John Mahama's appointments are planning to put up a challenger to his candidature for the 2016 elections, reports The Finder newspaper. According to some members of the Youth Forum of the NDC, certain individuals within the party who were largely loyal to the late President John Atta Mills have embarked on a psychological warfare aimed at chipping away at President Mahama's support within the party. Two of the whistleblowers, Mr Saminu Mohammed and Paapa Bissue told The Finder newspaper on Sunday that they had evidence to show that some Mills loyalists who were unhappy about the President's appointments were fuelling disaffection in the party. "A whole regional youth organiser of the party during a recent meeting in the Eastern Region got up and said President John Mahama is destroying the party for them and they will not sit down for him to destroy the party," said Mr Mohammed who is also the Chairman of Grassroots thinkers of the party. The youth organiser's grievance, according to the whistleblowers, was that the new appointees of the President at the Flagstaff House do not know them or accord them the appropriate recognition. Mr Mohammed alleged that some old faces in the previous Mills' government are bent on ensuring that President Mahama does not go for a second term. "They are funding a candidate to contest the President," the whistle blowers maintained. According to Mohammed, he had received reports of people within the party spewing falsehoods about President Mahama. "Whoever they are talking about who wants to compete with President Mahama come 2016, we are equally ready for that person. The person should not be a coward, he should come out," he dared. Bissue said his group believes that the President made his appointments based on what was best for the country and the party. "When you create disaffection within the party, who loses?

Source: The Finder

God Will CurseThe NDC Govt For Deliberately Disrespecting Doctors - Prez Of GMA

President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Kwabena Opoku- Adusei, has launched an intense attack on government for disrespecting medical practitioners and deliberately failing to meet their demands which resulted in doctors retorting to a strike action. He underscored that medical practitioners were not calling on government to give them all of the nation’s money or increase their pay; but to simply pay them according to what the law states. "We're not calling on them to increase our pay or add something to it; all we are saying is that after they have evaluated our works they should pay us according to that”, he petitioned. The president of the association told Okay FM that though this current government has what it takes to settle their debts, the central government has intentionally decided not to honour doctors by paying them their remuneration. According to him, the Bible makes it clear in the book of Ecclesiastes that anybody who disrespects a health worker would incur the wrath and curse of God no matter the position that fellow occupies. Paraphrasing the text from Ecclesiastes, Dr. Opoku–Adusei stated that “before Jesus Christ was born, the good book advised people to render respect and honour to the doctor because their service is inevitable”. “The government simply disrespects us and feels they can hire people to replace us because our work is not important. We work and they refuse to pay us and decide to obey the laws at their own time. Government agencies don’t regard laws set by the Labour Commission and the central government does same.”

Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

Intimidated Chinese investors pack out of Ghana- Antwi Boasiako

Some of the Chinese illegal miners in Ghana Intimidated Chinese investors are reportedly packing out of the country. That is according to the President of the Ghana-China Chamber of Commerce. Daniel Antwi Boasiako said the Chinese feel threatened by the actions of the Ghana Immigration Service and the personnel of the Ghana Army. The security services in a bid to clamp down on illegal mining in Ghana, especially by Chinese immigrants have raided the illegal mines owned by the Chinese settlers. Over 50 of the Chinese workers have been arrested and will be repatriated after further investigations. The arrests of the Chinese workers have raised issues about a possible diplomatic row between Ghana and China but Ghana’s President John Mahama has been quick to dismiss any such fear. He said the development will not in any way affect the relationship with China. He cautioned the media against possible stereotyping, insisting, the laws of Ghana must be respected and whoever breaks it, irrespective of which country the person comes from, will be dealt with. He said Ghana’s relationship with China is on “solid ground.” But Antwi Boasiako thinks otherwise. He said the Chinese have begun packing out of the country for fear of being attacked by the security personnel. The Chinese immigrants claim some gold bars and other properties belonging to them were looted when the security personnel raided their offices, an allegation the Ghana Immigration Service has denied. The Service is expected to release an official statement later today on the matter. Meanwhile, an International Relations expert Vladmir Antwi Danso doubts if the action by the security forces will strain Ghana’s relationship with the Chinese. He said unless it can be proven that there were infractions in the implementation of the laws, the action by the security forces cannot hamper relations with the Chinese. He said Ghana’s laws are to be respected across board by all citizens and Chinese are no exceptions. If they break the laws they have to be dealt with, he stated. myjoyonline.com

Chinese working on HANSOL mines don’t have permits – GIS insists

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has disputed claims by Chief Executive of HANSOL Mining Ltd, Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako that the several Chinese arrested on his mines have legal permits.

GIS has therefore challenged Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako to provide original copies of Work Permit or Immigrant Quotas issued to him, as proof of his claim.

The company applied to the Ministry of Interior in 2010 for an Immigration Quota for 30 expatriate workers, but was granted only ten.

HANSOL was therefore given forms to fill in the particulars of the intending expatriates. The filled out forms together with copies of Certificates/Diplomas for the applicants were to be forwarded to the Ministry of Interior for approval before they assumed duty.

However, according to a press release by the Ghana Immigration Service, signed by Head of Public Affairs Francis Palmdeti, Wednesday, HANSOL disregarded the directive and went ahead to hire the expatriates to work on its mining company.

“We are also aware that HANSOL applied to the Ministry of Interior for an Immigration Quota in 2010 for 30 expatriate workers. The Ministry of Interior granted them only ten [10] quotas and they [HANSOL] have not as yet provided the names of persons to fill the relevant quotas nor filled the necessary vetting forms. They have therefore not met the pre-conditions.”

Over 100 Chinese nationals were arrested about a fortnight ago for engaging in illegal small scale mining in separate operations.

Out of the 98 passports which were retrieved from them, 43 of them had residence permits endorsed in them “purported to have been issued by the GIS”,the release said.

“However, our investigations have established that some of these residence permits were either fraudulently acquired i.e without requisite quota/work permit or fake,” it pointed out.

Below is the GIS Press Release

ACOI Francis Palmdeti

It has come to the attention of the Ghana Immigration Service [GIS] that a group calling itself Mass Action Committee (MAC) called a press conference attacking the reputation and personality of the Ag. Director of Immigration [COP Dr P.A. Wiredu]. Similarly, one Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, MD of Hansol Mining Ltd is said to have also accused the officers of the GIS who conducted the operations on foreigners engaging in illegal mining of theft and vandalisation of his property. The GIS wishes to set the records straight.

1. RECRUITMENT 
There is currently no illegal recruitment going on within the GIS. The Service and the Director for that matter, cannot go ahead without due approval to undertake any kind of recruitment exercise.

There are procedures which the institution follows when it intends to recruit personnel and the GIS has not flouted its own procedures. What is currently going on is the conduct of medical examination for Bandsmen/Women, Sportsmen/Women and Drivers who were duly selected and processed last year and who are due for training. The recruitment of such persons had received the consideration and blessing of both the GIS Board and Management.

The Service also advertised for graduate professionals on the 31st of October, 2012 in the Dailies [“Ghanaian Times” and “The Daily Graphic”] and the process of selection is ongoing. There are also some serving Senior Inspectors who are on standby to go with the professionals being recruited to the Immigration Academy.

It is therefore untrue that clandestine moves are being made to recruit personnel into the GIS illegally.


2. CHINESE 
It is unfortunate that the GIS in its quest to enforce its laws would be accused of rather “cleaning her dirty acts”. The GIS, though under serious logistical constraints, has acted very professionally in the discharge of its mandate and would continue to do so. There is currently no embargo with the issuance of Entry Visas on any particular country or nationality and therefore the GIS cannot unilaterally refuse to issue visas to foreigners who apply and meet the legal requirements.

However, if after visas have been issued and an individual arrives in the country and breaks the law, the GIS would deal with the matter according to the law. This is normal best practice in other jurisdictions, including the developed world. It is important to note that, Residence Permits have been issued to over 3000 Chinese nationals operating legitimately in the following sectors of our economy: Transport, Telecom, Sports, Manufacturing, Health, Engineering, Energy, Education, Consultancy, Construction , Agric etc. It is therefore not true that the GIS is arresting foreigners or Chinese for that matter, in spite of the fact that they have valid permits.

The actions of the GIS cannot be hindered by individuals/institutions who have been affected by the ongoing exercise for flouting immigration regulations. The GIS therefore wishes to assure the good people of Ghana that it would not allow Ghana to be a place where foreigners can come in to flout our laws with impunity .

3. HANSOL
The officers of the Enforcement Unit of the GIS between the 18th – 22nd of March, 2013 undertook exercises in the Central and Western Regions. The operation was professionally carried out and the Service has a video footage of what transpired during the operation. At no stage of the operations did our officers, who were thirteen [13] in number rob or vandalize any property. We call on HANSOL MINING LTD [HANSOL] to provide evidence that GIS officers stole, and vandalized their properties. This story is a blatant untruth and should be ignored.

HANSOL, the GIS is aware, is listed by the Minerals Commission as one of the registered support service companies in Ghana. However, for it to benefit from some of the incentives offered by the Minerals Commission, i.e the recruitment of appropriate number of expatriates, they still would have to apply to the Minerals Commission who after vetting would write a letter of recommendation to the GIS. It is on that basis that the GIS would recommend for the issuance of work permits and subsequently grant them residence permits. HANSOL hasn’t done any of these at the time of this release.

We are also aware that HANSOL applied to the Ministry of Interior for an Immigration Quota in 2010 for 30 expatriate workers. The Ministry of Interior granted them only ten [10] quotas and they have not as yet provided the names of persons to fill the relevant quotas or filled the necessary vetting forms. They have therefore not met the pre-conditions.

Available records in our possession indicate that the last records of any form of work/residence permit issued to HANSOL was granted in 2008, at that time COP Dr P.A. Wiredu had not assumed office as the Ag. Director of Immigration. It must be noted that, at no time has Dr. Wiredu granted or endorsed any work or residence permit to HANSOL Mining Ltd. We therefore wish to request Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako to provide original copies of Work Permit or Immigrant Quotas issued to him, as proof of his claim.

We also are aware that, Mr. Antwi-Baosiako is in association with two other companies: AKOSOWOMO Co. LTD and MY LOVE CO. LTD whose workers were also held by us and have been granted bail.

It must be explained that following the operations carried out by the GIS in the Western and Central Regions, a total of 60 Chinese nationals were arrested. The Military, on the other hand arrested a total of 78 Chinese, but out of that number, only 98 passports were retrieved, 43 of the passports had residence permits endorsed in them purported to have been issued by the GIS. However, our investigations have established that some of these residence permits were either fraudulently acquired i.e without requisite quota/work permit or fake.

The GIS as a statutory body responsible for immigration in the country will endeavour to uphold the tenets of the immigration profession. The general public is implored to assist the Service to ensure that this country remains conducive to all residents. It is important that individuals and institutions do not engage in activities that undermine our mandated role.

SGND: ACOI FRANCIS PALMDETI
HEAD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS – GIS 


myjoyonline

NDC Plots Against 3 NPP Gurus Uncovered

Kennedy Agyapong and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempah   Some National Democratic Congress (NDC) gurus in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, are hatching a fiendish plan to implicate three prominent New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in the recent riots which took place in the Garden City, Daily Guide has gathered. The three NPP gurus on the NDC’s hot list are Kennedy Agyapong, the Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh aka ‘Napo’ Manhyia South MP and Kofi Jumah, ex-Asokwa MP. Several meetings to get these NPP gurus into trouble at all cost have been held in a house at Ridge in Kumasi, sources hinted. The NDC members, according to reports gathered by the paper, are doing everything possible to link the three NPP gurus to dastardly acts. One of the NDC’s plan is to work on a tape recording, which is currently in their possession which they claim to have the voices of these three NPP leaders so that the police could use it to arrest them, they observed. Some unknown hoodlums brandished sophisticated guns and sharp machetes in a riot and rob people recently. The police have already intensified investigations into the matter to apprehend the culprits. Interestingly, the paper learnt that a top policeman usually attends the said meetings in a house at Ridge in Kumasi. A top security capo in the region and a known NDC man in Kumasi with medical background are said to be part of the NDC team that is hatching the ‘evil’ plan. The NDC’s plot is being implemented clandestinely. But surprisingly the NDC’s motive is already in the public domain as reports gathered indicate that the NPP has started monitoring them with keen interest. When contacted, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh said he was aware of the NDC’s destructive plot against him and two other NPP members. He said “threats of voice recording will not deter us from doing what is right for mother Ghana.” Napo said he has been closely monitoring the meetings of the NDC at three different locations at Ridge in Kumasi. He stated emphatically that the NDC’s fiendish plan would not materialize, stressing that the NPP members would not flout the law. Napo descended heavily on the Ashanti Regional Police Command, alleging that the police failed to prosecute about 150 suspects who were arrested in connection with the Kumasi riots. “Why have the police not prosecuted those they arrested at the premises of Affordable Housing at Asokore Mampong?” the Manhyia South MP quizzed. “Why did the police release these suspects a day after they arrested them?” The MP said the move by the police would send conflicting signals to members of the public. He charged the police to refrain from organizing mega press conferences to trumpet their achievement but embark on intelligence policing to arrest criminals in future.

Source: I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

ELECTION Petition: Supreme Court Fixes April 16 For Hearing...Throws Out EC's Request

Related Stories   The Supreme Court has fixed April 16, 2013 to start hearing of the substantive matter of the Election Petition filed by three leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), comprising the party’s presidential candidate for the 2012 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the party’s chairman, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey challenging the validity of the 2012 presidential election. The Petitioners, who have named President Mahama, the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the political party on whose ticket President John Dramani Mahama contested the elections as respondents, are claiming the election was rigged by the EC in favor of President Mahama. The court also decided that all witnesses would have to come by affidavit and have consequently asked the parties in the case to file affidavit of witnesses they intend to call. The petitioners and respondents would however give their evidence orally. This decision by the court was arrived at when sitting resumed Tuesday morning to consider, resolve and adopt issues to be raised by lawyers in the petition contesting the legitimacy of President John Dramani Mahama. Earlier on in the day, the court set out two issues for trial in the presidential petition. This was after the parties involved in the petition failed to determine the memoranda of issues on their own compelling the Supreme Court to narrowed the issues down to two. The issues set by the highest court of the land include whether or not there were statutory violations, omissions, irregularities and malpractices in the conduct of the elections held on December 7 and 8, 2012. The court is also to ascertain whether or not the said violations, omissions, irregularities and malpractices affected the outcome of the results of the elections. The Supreme Court also threw away a request by the EC that the petitioners should provide further and better particulars on 28 locations where they alleged that voting took place without authority. According to the EC, the petitioners have to date not complied with the court’s orders to provide further and better particulars on the said 28 locations. The petitioners, in an amended petition, alleged that voting took place at 28 locations which were not part of the 26,002 polling stations created by the EC, which has been sued alongside President John Dramani Mahama for allegedly padding results in favour of President Mahama. While the petitioners are praying the court to determine whether or not voting took place in the alleged 28 locations and whether or not votes cast in those areas were factored into the results declared after the polls, the EC holds the position that the petitioners have till date not provided information on the alleged 28 locations. In a motion on notice for an order for further and better particulars filed on behalf of the EC by its solicitors, Lynes, Quarshie-Idun and Co., on March 28, 2013, the EC stated that the petitioners had failed to comply with the court’s February 5 and 7, 2013 rulings which directed the petitioners to provide further and better particulars. According to the EC, although the court obliged and granted the EC’s request, the petitioners had to date not furnished it with further and better particulars on the said 28 locations. To buttress its position that the petitioners had not provided further and better particulars on the said 28 locations, the EC, in a supplementary affidavit dated April 1, 2013 in response to the petitioners’ affidavit in opposition dated March 30, 2013, stated that the petitioners had provided 22 locations instead of the alleged 28 locations. According to the EC, the said 22 locations after careful examination, "were all part of the 26,002 approved locations known to all political parties prior to the December, 2012 elections. "That the non-inclusion of the allegation regarding the existence of polling stations in which results were recorded on pink sheets having the same serial numbers was an inadvertent omission which the second respondent is seeking leave of the Honourable Court to correct, " a supplementary affidavit deposed to by Mr Amadu Sulley, a Deputy Chairman in-charge of Finance and Administration stated on behalf of the EC. But the nine-member Supreme Court panel, in a 6-3 decision threw away the EC's request. Today's sitting marked the last hurdle to be cleared before the hearing of the substantive petition which is calling for the annulment of 4,670,504 votes cast during the December 2012 presidential polls. On March 4, 2013, the three petitioners filed issues to be set out for trial while the President on March 13, 2013 also filed application for directions. They have petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the results of the December 7 presidential elections. They are requesting the court to annul 4,670,504 of the valid votes cast during the election at 11,916 polling stations where they claim irregularities took place.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

Koku Anyidoho's Position Scrapped

The position of a Communications Director at the presidency - as Koku Anyidoho, a former spokesperson to late President Atta Mills occupied –has been scrapped by the Mahama administration. That position was missing in the list of the President’s new appointments. Information and Media Relations Minster, Mahama Ayariga has meanwhile confirmed to Daily Guide that “there won’t be a presidential spokesperson”. Instead, he revealed “the minister of Information and Media Relations would be the spokesperson of government which includes the president”. Mr Ayariga was speaking in an interview responding to queries as to who would speak for the president after his spokesperson; John Jinapor was nominated as a Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum. “The position will be scrapped after he [Jinapor] has been approved by parliament and assumes his role as Deputy Minister for Energy and Petroleum. There won’t be the office of presidential spokesperson,” Mr Ayariga maintained. He explained further that “the intention of the president is not to have a presidential spokesperson…that is the arrangement that President John Dramani Mahama wants to establish”. “Technically, once John becomes Deputy Minister, there won’t be anybody replacing him as presidential spokesperson; so that will be the end of [that position].” Same is said to be applicable to the office of Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur where former Deputy Information Minster James Agyenim Boateng had been tipped as likely spokesperson. According to Mr Ayariga, “we are working towards a harmonization of the structure of communication on behalf of government, so veep’s office will be within the structure and not operate outside of it.” With the president said to have virtually completed his ministerial appointments, it is unclear where the likes of Koku Anyidoho, James Agyenim Boateng and other spokespersons of the presidency would be heading.

Source: Daily Guide

Nana Vrs Mahama:Hurdle Cleared...Hearing Of Substantive Election Petition Today

The Supreme Court will resume sitting Tuesday morning to consider, resolve and adopt some issues to be raised by lawyers in the petition contesting the legitimacy of President John Dramani Mahama. Barring any last minute hitch, the court’s sitting is likely to mark the last hurdle to be cleared before the hearing of the substantive petition which is calling for the annulment of 4,670,504 votes cast during the December 2012 presidential polls. During the sitting, the court will arrive at issues for trial and subsequent determination based on the rules of court, the law, consultation with the parties in the case where the need arises, evidence before it and also according to its discretion. In doing that, the court is expected to decide whether or not to immediately reject some, approve all or fix a date to rule on more than 30 issues proposed by the parties to be set aside for determination. The court might in accordance with the law and its discretion not delve into issues agreed on by all the parties in the case. It will concentrate mainly on stalemate matters, resolve those issues and thus pave the way for the hearing of the substantive matter which promises to be a landmark in the legal and political history of the country. Key among the issues to be looked into is whether or not President Mahama or Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was validly elected as President in the December 2012 presidential polls. Another vital issue likely to be adopted by the court is whether or not voting took place without prior biometric verification at many polling stations across the country. The nine-member panel is also expected to consider or reject whether or not the alleged statutory violations, irregularities and/or malpractices introduced 4,670,504 invalid votes into the total number of votes cast in the December 2012 presidential election.

Source: Mabel Aku Banaseh/D-Graphic

rLG Boss Again!! - GH¢33 Million For Trees Not Planted

As details emerge of how the John Mahama led government sunk GH¢15 million into an NGO owned by Roland Agambire, of rLG fame, for a Guinea fowl project which has so far only 600 birds and 20 eggs to show for the money, he has been associated again with another ‘scandal’ of gargantuan proportions. Asongtaba Cottage Industries, the NGO owned by Mr Agambire, was handed GH¢33 million to plant trees in a re-afforestation project. Thus far, there is little on the ground to show for the huge investment sunk into this project. According to details emerging from this project, the John Mahama government, through SADA, gave GH¢33 million to Asongtaba for the planting of five million trees. This puts the cost per tree planted at GH¢6.60, a cost insiders claim has been inflated by as much as 70%. But even then, those who took part in the tree-planting exercise in the North say that less than 300,000 trees were planted in the project which took off in the second half of last year. It is recalled that on November 27, 2012, the Chief Executive Officer of SADA, Gilbert Seidu Iddi, claimed that it had cultivated 4,200,000 seedlings of tick, mahogany, cassia and shea in the five regions of the SADA ecological zone aimed at greening those areas and reducing climate change effects. This claim, the New Statesman can reveal, is not true but was only made a few weeks to the December 7, 2012 elections, solely to boost the electoral chances of then caretaker President, John Dramani Mahama. Evidence available to the New Statesman shows millions of Ghana cedis of cheques were issued from Ghana Government accounts into accounts of Asongtaba in Stanbic Bank, Access Bank and Ghana Commercial Bank just weeks before the election. Ongoing investigations by this paper suggest that hundreds of millions of Ghana cedis was spent in the last few weeks to the election to allegedly “buy and steal votes.” The details are shocking and go to show how much of the taxpayers’ money was used by the NDC to influence the election, only to come back after the election to demand of the people to tighten their belts and pay for the record overspending of 12.1% of the budget.   The Face Behind GHc12m Guinea Fowl Project RLG BOSS The New Statesman can disclose that the Chief Executive Officer of Ghanaian Telecommunications company, rLG communications, Roland Agambire, is the face behind Asongtaba Cottage Industries & Exchange Programme, the company behind the GH¢12 million Guinea fowl project. The guinea fowl project is a joint partnership between Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Savanna Accelerated Development Authority. Chief Executive of SADA, Gilbert Iddi, in justifying the investments, said model farms had been established in five regional capitals, with many more farms expected to be established in all the regional capitals. SADA is the initiative of President Mahama, who is said to have influenced all projects, as well as major decision, of the Authority. Checks conducted by the New Statesman at the Registrar General’s office indicate that Mr Agambire, a businessman with very close links to the President John Mahama, is the member of the Executive Council of this Asongtaba Cottage Industries and Exchange Programme, which was incorporated in the year 2004 and registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation. A Joy FM news report, filed yesterday by its Upper East regional correspondent, Albert Sore, revealed that the incubators on the guinea fowl farm, for which government sunk GH¢12 million, housed only 20 guinea fowl eggs. Also, through Asongtaba, the John Mahama-led NDC government took out GH¢33 million and said it used that to plant five million trees. This puts the cost per tree planted at GH¢6.60, a cost insiders claim has been inflated by 70%. But even then, those who took part in the tree-planting exercise in the North say that less than 300,000 trees were planted in the project which took off in the second half of last year. Further evidence available to the New Statesman shows millions of Ghana cedis of cheques issued from Government accounts were paid into accounts of Asongtaba in Stanbic Bank, Access Bank and Ghana Commercial Bank just weeks before the election. Ongoing investigations by this paper suggest that hundreds of millions of Ghana cedis was spent in the last few weeks to the election to allegedly “buy and steal votes.” The details are shocking and go to show how much of the taxpayers’ money was used by the incumbent to influence the election, only to come back after the election to demand of the people to tighten their belts and pay for the record overspending of 12.1% of the budget. The objectives of Asongtaba (translated from Guruni to mean ‘You scratch my back I scratch your back’) as spelt out on the ‘Form 3’ of the Company’s registration documents include: “To establish and train the youth in cottage industries like basketry etc., with the view to making them self employed; To help members in times of need; and To engage in cultural exchange programmes.” The business occupation of Roland Agambire, as stated on the form is that of an “Exporter” with residential address “H/No. 485/3, Madina, Accra”. As of 2004, four other Directors of the company included Miriam Ajavon, Lucy Ajavon, Paul Ajavon and William Asare. Strangely enough, all four directors have the same residential address as Mr Agambire and are all “Exporters”. The Secretary of the company, as stated on the registration form, is one Gregory Yeye, who is also an “Exporter”. “Eddie Nikoi Accounting Consultancy” is the company that has been provided on the registration document as the Auditor of the company. However, a notification in the change of directors was made to the Registrar General’s Department on October 30, 2009, where the original directors in the persons of Lucy Ajavon, Paul Ajavon and William Asare, all resigned from the company. George Yeye also resigned as secretary of the company and was replaced by Miriam Ajavon.

Source: Fiifi Arhin/thestatesmanonline.com

Justice Kpegah Warns Nana Akufo Addo.

Retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Francis Yaonasu Kpegah has called on the 2012 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to enter appearance and file a defence to claim of impersonation he [Kpegah] has brought against him in court. Justice Kpegah also asked Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to “desist from using his paid agents and assigns to vilify me in the media”. Below is a full statement he issued FROM JUSTICE: FRANCIS YAONASU KPEGAH TO: ALL MEDIA HOUSES I hope and pray that NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO in the spirit of respect for the rule of law which the legal fraternity holds dear to our hearts enters appearance to the suit I have filed against him at the Fast Track Division of the High Court and not claim he has not been served with the writ of summons and statement of claim. As a former Attorney General and leader of the Ghana Bar, he should have respect for the sanctity of our courts and repose trust in the Ghanaian legal system. He should stop using his paid agents and serial callers to defend him and castigate me in unprintable language on the air waves. I have always trusted in the judicial system and will have my day in court. The battle to defend himself should be in a court of law and not the air waves. 1 am a former Supreme Court Judge, who had to struggle in life to achieve that feat. My judgments in high profile cases are ample testament and there for all to see. I am convinced beyond a scintilla of doubt that posterity will surely judge me in that light. 1 did not have life the easy way and that is why humility and respect for humanity have always been important to me. Let me make the point that I am not doing the bidding of any person or group of persons as is being represented by the henchmen and paid assigns of NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO- ADDO. 1 have been described by one Kwame Akuffo who is a known close ally of NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO as a 'senile old man'. I am not surprised by utterances from young men like that since that has been their stock in trade. Why rain insults on me because I have sued your pal and mentor. The young man in question I am reliably informed and verily believe same to be true trained under NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO - ADDOos a lawyer in his Chambers. 1 can understand the discomfort and apprehension of people like him since one of the reliefs I am seeking from the honourable court is: •A declaration that the LAW FIRM established as AKUFO-ADDO, PREMPEH AND CO.at 67 KOJO THOMPSON ROAD, Adabraka, Accra is an ILLEGAL LAW FIRM and therefore not competent to represent any party in litigation before any court in Ghana'. If the honourable court grants this relief, the implication would be that persons such as Kwame Akufo would be deemed not to have done their pupillage which is a non-negotiable requirement by the General Legal Council. All persons therefore who after training under NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO established their own law firms and purported to take on pupils would also be in serious trouble. I am reliably informed and verily believe same to be true that the said Kwame Akufo accused me of being guilty of a criminal offence by using the stamp which bear my title as a Justice of the Supreme Court on the statement of claim before signing same. He however, failed to name the offence there off. I am convinced that his knowledge of the law and common sense is in serious doubt. I will use this limited opportunity to educate him. Legal practice goes way beyond wearing expensive suits and jewellery. It entails hard work, sacrifice and denying oneself of most if not all the ordinary pleasures of life. Per my statement of claim I pleaded a material fact that 1 am a retired Justice of the Supreme Court. Let me also state unequivocally that the title of a retired justice of the Supreme Court in Ghana remains with him until death. There is no serious lawyer who does a bit of reading who would be oblivious of this fundamental fact. That is why 1 am still referred to as JUSTICE FRANCIS YAONASU KPEGAH and not FORMER JUSTICE FRANCIS YAONASU KPEGAH. My advice to him is that if there are any extra curricula activities taking his mind away from learning the law he should abandon same and get back on track. In the words of the inimitable Oliver Wendell Holmes 'the life of the law has not been logic, it has been experienced'. The experiential value of learning the law is sacred. He must devote time and energy to learning the law rather than doing social commentary on radio. If an 'senile old man' as Kwame Akufo has described me has a better appreciation and grasp of the law than him then one wonders what he is. Some lawyers have virtually become 'radio lawyers' spewing nonsense in the name of legal commentary which is an affront to the ethics of the bar. It is an elementary fact in legal circles that it is only when a party to a suit knows he has no defence and or a weak defence that they resort to speaking of peripheral issues such as the use of a stamp as alluded to by Kwame Akufo to the complete neglect of the substantive matter which is that NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO -ADDO stole the identity and is impersonating one WAD Akufo-Addo who was called to the Ghana Bar and is No. 1190 on the ROLL OF LAYERS IN GHANA who may have been murdered in London or Ghana . For the sake of himself, his party and the reputation of his late father I am calling on NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO to sit down and pray to God for guidance and do a self-introspection of himself. He should forthwith enter appearance and file a defence to my claim in court and desist from using his paid agents and assigns to vilify me in the media. This case is a very serious one and it should be treated as such. I have nothing personal against the person of NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO. My interest is that the right thing must be done at all times. Let me state that the infantile attempt by NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO, his paid assigns and agents to use one Nelson Coffiea so called veteran lawyer who wrote an article in the Statesman Newspaper (a pro New Patriotic party Paper with strong ties to NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO- ADDO) appealing to me to drop the case against NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO will not wash with me. This childish act only indicates to me that my writ is hitting NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO hard because he knows and 1 know that he was never called to the Ghana Bar. He should stop pretending he has not been served with the writ of summons and statement of claim. He should come out of his rat hole and defend himself in court and not on the air waves. MEDIA RED ALERT 1 will be securing an order from the courts directed at the Coroner of Accra to exhume the mortal remains of the dead body that was found under very mysterious and inexplicable circumstances in the Law Chambers of NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO and buried under even more mysterious circumstances. The case must be revisited for all Ghanaians to know what really happened to the victim whose right to life as guaranteed by the 1992 constitution was truncated. Those who aspire to rule this Country must come just as in the Law of equity 'with clean hands'. I am going to pursue my suit against NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO -ADDO to its logical conclusion. I consider this action as purely a public interest one and no amount of name calling, castigation on the air waves by paid agents and assigns of NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO -ADDO or the death threats directed at me and my family will make me renege on my decision to ensure that justice is done. 1 am challenging NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO -ADDO to contest the case against him in a court of competent jurisdiction and stop this cheap and vile propaganda on the media. NO MEDIA HOUSE SHOULD CALL ME FOR COMMENT. As a retired Supreme Court Judge I believe in the Courts and will always preserve and protect their sanctity. I shall have my day in court. I promise all Ghanaians a THRILLER IN MANILA which will be replicated right here in Ghana. There will be an UNPRECEDENTED STORM. Yours in the service of our dear country:

Source: FRANCIS YAONASU KPEGAH

Ghana Has A Cheap Opposition Leader – Gabby Otchere-Darko

The Executive Director of policy think tank Danquah Institute, Asare ‘Gabby’ Otchere-Darko has described Ghanaians as “lucky” to have a “cheap opposition leader,” weeks after a tension-filled election whose results are still being resolved. Gabby Otchere-Darko believes a more rabid opposition leader would have incited his supporters to take to the streets and violently challenged the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections but Nana Akufo-Addo has constantly urged his party members to stay off the streets and seek redress in the courts. “Ghanaians are lucky to have a cheap opposition leader in Nana Akufo-Addo, because he chose the cheaper option of going to the court and keeping the peace, rather than the more expensive option of telling his supporters to take to the streets and protest. “So yes, Ghanaians are lucky the main opposition leader chose the cheap option,” Gabby declared on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show of Tuesday March 26, 2013 in response to an article in the Africa Watch magazine, which claimed that Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP were scheming to bring about chaos if the Supreme Court ruled against the party. He accused the New York City-based magazine of seeking to “cause mischief when there is no mischief”. Mr Otchere-Darko had also warned in an earlier article that major actors in the political sphere especially the National Peace Council (NPC), Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and others were guilty of shirking their responsibility to Ghanaians, by remaining silent in the face of the simmering tensions in the country. The Publisher of the New Statesman is particularly worried about the failure of civil society groups and other stakeholders to prepare the minds of the electorate to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court, pointing out that whatever the outcome, one side of the political divide will feel aggrieved. Asare Otchere-Darko took particular issue with the Peace Council, wondering why they had gone so quiet so soon after the elections. Ghana, he said, is enjoying “negative peace” and “we are not preparing ourselves to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court. We are not doing it, we are all such quiet as if Ghana cannot experience any disturbances. “Perhaps the National Peace Council will only act when they see people violently protesting. They want to see a conflict before they act. “I doff my hat for them, they played a positive role in ensuring a peaceful election, but the election results are in dispute, and this is not the time to keep quiet.” Source: Adomonline.com

Parties Back To Court On April 2

The Supreme Court will resume sitting on April 2, 2012 to resolve, consider and adopt issues to be raised by lawyers in the petition challenging the legitimacy of President John Mahama.

Lawyers for the parties met on Monday March 19, 2013 following a directive from the court advising them to meet, deliberate and arrive at issues to be set out for trial and determination, but that agreement could not be reached by the parties.

Following the communication of the deadlock to the registrar of the Supreme Court on March 19, 2013, the registrar in a letter dated March 25, 2013 fixed April 2, 2013 as the date for the court’s next hearing.

Under the procedures of the court, the legal teams for the petitioners, the President, the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are expected to officially announce the areas they agreed on and those they disagreed on. The court will then consider the issues disagreed on and arrive at a solution before the hearing of the substantive case begins. 

Following that, a memorandum of issues would then be set out for trial. Key among the memorandum of issue to be set out for trial are whether or not persons were allowed to vote without biometric verification and whether or not votes cast in 11,916 polling stations should be annulled by the court.

On March 4, 2013, the petitioners filed issues to be set out for trial, while the President, on March 13, 2013, also filed an application for directions.

Both sides agreed on a request for the court to determine whether or not persons were allowed to vote without biometric verification, among others.

However, the President prayed the court to decline the petitioners’ prayer for the court to allow parties in the case to adopt audio-visual aids in the presentation of evidence.

On the petitioners’ prayer that parties in the case be made to exchange documents to be relied on seven days before the trial, the President is pleading with the court to reject that request.

President Mahama is also praying the court to decline the petitioners’ suggestion that seven days before the trial, all parties must be made to present a list of witnesses and a brief summary of the nature and relevance of each witness’ testimony to enable the court to determine its probative value.

Agreed issues on record

President Mahama has, however, not opposed the petitioners’ suggestion that the hearing of the petition should take two months.

The parties are also not opposed to the application on whether or not persons were allowed to vote without biometric verification.

The issues that are likely to be set out for trial include: whether or not persons were allowed to vote without undergoing prior biometric verification and whether or not votes cast exceeded the ballot papers issued to voters at polling stations during the polls in some polling stations.

The court will also decide whether or not to annul votes cast in 11,916 polling stations.

The EC has said the petitioners had failed to fully comply with the court’s orders to supply it with further and better particulars.

The stalemate

The court, on March 14, 2013, gave the legal teams in the case seven days to sit and narrow issues for determination and indicate the areas they did not agree on for the court to resolve.
However, barely seven days after the court’s directive, lawyers for the petitioners, President Mahama, the EC and the NDC met, deliberated and hit a deadlock.

Following the stand-off, the legal team for the petitioners, on March 19, 2013, wrote to the registrar of the Supreme Court and indicated that they and lawyers representing President Mahama, the EC and the NDC met and agreed on relatively few issues.

They officially wrote to the registrar to indicate the outcome of the meeting and prayed the registry to set a short date to enable the parties to appear before the court for resolution.

The letter, dated March 19, 2013 and signed by Mr Akoto Ampaw of Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Co. and addressed to the registrar of the Supreme Court, stated, “This is formally to notify the Supreme Court that following the order of the court, counsel for all the parties met in an attempt at reaching an agreement on the memorandum of issues as set out in the applications for direction and further directions.

“We however, regret to inform the court that with the exception of the relatively few number of issues agreed on, we were unable to reach a substantial agreement on the issues.”

“We would, accordingly, be grateful if a short date could be fixed for the parties to appear in court to take directions as to the issues and the mode of trial in order to expedite trial of the petition,” it said, adding, “We will, at the hearing, give notice to the court with respect to the issues we managed to reach agreement on.”

The letter was copied to the lawyer for President Mahama, Mr Tony Lithur; counsel for the EC and counsel for the NDC, Mr Samuel Codjoe.

Lawyers for the parties in the case, as a sign of respect to the court, have declined to disclose the issues they agreed on and those they disagreed on.

The petitioners, Nana Akufo-Addo; his running mate, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, and the Chairman of the NPP, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, filed the petition at the highest court of the land, praying the court to annul votes cast in 11,916 polling stations due to what they termed “gross and widespread irregularities”.

They had, in a December 28, 2012 petition, called for the annulment of votes cast in 4,709 polling stations but amended their petition on February 9, 2013 after the court had granted them permission to do so and cited 11,916 polling stations as the total number of polling stations where alleged irregularities were recorded.

The three had initially called for the cancellation of 1,342,845 valid votes cast during the election at 4,709 polling stations due to the alleged irregularities recorded during the elections but are now urging the Supreme Court to pronounce an additional 3,327,659 valid votes cast as invalid.

The Supreme Court, on February 7, 2013, granted the petitioners’ prayer of amendment and, accordingly, allowed the amendment.

President Mahama, who is the first respondent, the EC and the NDC, the second and third respondents, respectively, have filed their responses.

They have all refuted the petitioners’ allegations on the grounds that President Mahama won the elections legitimately in the full glare of the media, local and international election observers.

The NDC applied to join the petition on December 31, 2012 and was duly granted permission by a 6-3 majority decision of the Supreme Court on January 22, 2013.

On March 14, 2013, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed applications filed by 327 people who sought to join the petition. The nine-member panel held that the presence of the 327 applicants “was neither necessary nor convenient”, adding that their being allowed to join would defeat the purpose of the Supreme Court (Amendment) Rules 2012 (C. 1. 74) which calls for an expeditious trial in an electoral petition. Per the court’s ruling, nobody can join the petition. The matter is being heard by the court, presided over by Mr Justice William Atuguba, with Mr Justice Julius Ansah, Mrs Justice Sophia Adinyira, Ms Justice Rose Owusu, Mr Justice Jones Dotse, Mr Justice Annin Yeboah, Mr Justice P. Baffoe-Bonnie, Mr Justice N.S. Gbadegbe and Mrs Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo as members.

Source: Daily Graphic