Day: June 20, 2024

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has extended the timeline for the presentation of the Independent Cross-

Party Committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review report, at a formal handing over ceremony of a joint statement by the Government of Sierra Leone and the All Peoples Congress, APC.

The President expressed appreciation to the committee members, international partners, and moral guarantors, noting that there was every reason for him and every Sierra Leonean to be optimistic and happy. He said the country was coming of age, and so was democracy, which was a process that could develop over time.

President Bio said every generation of leaders would make their own contributions, stating that what they were doing today – the government and the Tripartite Committee members – was intentional and that they were making their contribution to the evolution of democracy in Sierra Leone.

He thanked the leadership of the two political parties, development partners, and the Ambassadors of
the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union for working intimately from the back to make sure that they provided the guard race to keep the process within terms of reference.

‘This is not the final day, inasmuch as we are optimistic as a nation. Ladies and gentlemen, you still have some work to do, and I am going to tap you on the back and encourage you to go back and come as quickly as possible with a mission-accomplished report.

‘After considerable progress has been made, I want to thank all of you for the progress, as many issues have been trashed. Despite some of them being very contentious, with time, you will be able to trash them and come back with a final word. As I receive this joint communiqué, I want to send you back with a vote of thanks and encourage you to continue doing what you have been doing.

‘Since both the SLPP and APC have been grumbling about the ECSL and its processes, for me, my legacy will be, why don’t we deal with the institution by reforming it and putting all the c
hallenges together from the point of view of the parties and deal with it so that future generations of leaders will not get out of hand over this?”.

Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara acknowledged in his statement, on behalf of the APC party, that ‘this is the second time President Bio is chairing a meeting that has to do with cross-party initiatives on addressing, correcting, and sanitising institutions that are doing wrongs with the electoral system in the hope of building a strong democracy’.

He described the engagement as history in the making, pointing out that it was the first time two leading political parties, with strong rivalries and some disagreements, had agreed to sit at the table. He thanked President Bio for the privilege accorded them, stating that the cross-party initiative was working for Sierra Leone. He noted that it was not supposed to work for any individual, which was why all those institutions embedded in the agreement for national unity were meant to provide collective responsibility f
or the country.

Dr Kamara said he believed, just like President Bio did, that electoral wrongs if not corrected would not build democracy, and the failure not to build democracy would mean not practising the right politics of development. He confirmed that significant progress had been made under the item where they were building a new era of hope for Sierra Leone with entrenched political stability to foster economic stability.

‘I want to reiterate and reaffirm the commitment of the All Peoples Congress to this initiative to ensure that the fullness of time and the true spirit of the agreement for national unity are achieved. This is an agreement for salvaging the soul of Sierra Leone. We are one family, irrespective of where you come from,’ Dr Samura Kamara assured.

The ECOWAS-AU-UNOWAS Mission lead, former Vice President of The Gambia, Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, said the country had achieved a milestone in its democratic history, pointing out that nothing was difficult in life and that a
ll people needed was dialogue. She called on both the government and the APC party to ignore politics, regional issues, and tribes and use Sierra Leone as an agenda item for national development.

Source: Sierra Leone News Agency

Some Assembly Members of the Ada East District Assembly (AEDA) have petitioned the District Coordinating Director (DCD), Mr. Jerryson Ayih, to summon an emergency assembly meeting for the election of a presiding member.

The 23 Assembly Members who signed the petition requested that the DCD act in accordance with the assembly’s by-laws and the 1992 Constitution to summon an assembly meeting the outcome of which would facilitate the development of their respective electoral areas.

‘Our request is grounded in Part I Order 3 Paragraph 7(b), which empowers Assembly Members to request a meeting to discuss matters of public interest,’ the petition read in part.

After the district-level elections on December 19, 2023, a three-time attempt by the Assembly Members to elect a presiding member yielded no result.

Some of the Assembly Members who spoke with the Ghana News Agency noted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were allegedly influencing the elections over supremacy cl
aims, capitalising on their affiliations with the Assembly Members.

The Assembly Members in the petition, a copy of which is available to the GNA, stated that, ‘we, the undersigned Assembly Members of the 9th Ada East Assembly (AEDA), respectfully request that an Assembly Meeting be summoned immediately.

‘We appreciate your prompt attention to this request and look forward to your response.’

Mr. John Ayiku Kubi, the Assembly Member for Anyakpor-Adedetsekope Electoral Area, noted that over 30 out of the 39 assembly members had agreed to vote for a presiding member whenever assembly meetings are summoned, indicating their readiness to champion the development of their electoral areas rather than toeing a political lane, which is hindering the progress of the district.

Mr. Kubi expressed optimism that the DCD will summon the meeting as early as possible to address the challenges.

‘We really want the assembly meeting to be summoned so that we can be able to elect and swear in a Presiding Member, approve lang
uage(s) for business, adopt and modify the Model Standing Order, and other activities stipulated in our write-up, which include the formation of various sub-committees of the Executive Committee, the formation of the Executive Committee, and the formation of the Public Relations and Complaint Committee,’ he emphasised.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Amasaman Circuit Court has sentenced a 44-year-old medical emergency assistant to three years imprisonment in hard labour for fraud.

Francis Kweku Eshun admitted taking GHC15,000.00 from Mr William Sackey under the pretext of securing him a lawyer and surveyor to facilitate a court case at Amasaman.

He was, however, discharged on a fraudulent breach of trust charge as the Court presided over by Ms Enid Marful-Sau ruled that prosecution’s facts did not support the charge.

The Court directed the prosecution to make available disclosures to the convict on a third charge he pleaded not guilty to.

He was charged for allegedly stealing GHC30,000.00 from the complainant and he is to be brought back to the Court on July 18,2024.

Police Chief Inspector Salifu Nashiru told the Court that Mr Simon Sackey, the complainant, was a health worker living at Ablekuma while Eshun, the convict, a Medical Emergency Assistant, lived at Dansoman.

He said in 2019, one William Sackey who is a brother to the complainant and
brother-in-law to the convict, gave Power of Attorney to the convict to live in his uncompleted house at Kwame Anum, Ashalaja.

Chief Inspector Nashiru said he was tasked to complete projects, which included painting, installation of tiles, installation of electric poles and wiring, gardening amongst others and provided funds for the same but Eshun failed to use the money for the purpose for which it was sent.

The convict was also tasked to pursue a case of defrauding by false pretenses investigated at the Amasaman police station, the Court heard.

The prosecution said Eshun demanded and collected various sums of money to enable him secure the services of a lawyer, pay a surveyor amongst other demands to facilitate the court proceedings which later turned out to be untrue.

Chief Inspector Nashiru said GHC30,000.00 out GHC50,000.00 from the fraud case was refunded to Eshun at the Amasaman Police Station but he squandered the money and could not account for the same during investigations.

A report was made t
o the police which led to his arrest, Police told the Court.

He said during investigation, Eshun told the Police that the total amount he defrauded and stole from the complainant was GHC47,800.00 and not GHC80,000.00 as the complainant alleged.

After investigations, he was charged with the offences and put before court. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Ghana Chapter is to host its second national fraud conference to improve awareness on the need to effectively collaborate and build resilient systems to fight fraud and corruption.

The Conference, scheduled for 11 to 13 September, in Accra, will engage distinguished speakers, array of experts, thought leaders and practitioners from various sectors, both local and international, who will share their experiences and insights on creating robust systems and practices that uphold integrity.

Speaking at a Media Launch of the event in Accra, Dr Rebecca Lomo, President of ACFE Ghana, noted that the Conference aimed to foster a culture of integrity and resilience against the treacherous threats of fraud and corruption that continued to challenge Ghana’s institutions and the whole Nation.

She said resilient systems would protect Ghana against fraud, adding that ‘the people who should execute and manage the systems should have high integrity, and integrity means hon
esty, it means be committed to ensure that the right things are done.’

The event, which is to be held at the Accra International Conference Centre, will also feature insightful keynote addresses, interactive workshops, and panel discussions designed to equip participants with cutting-edge strategies, tools and how to engage the assistance of artificial Intelligence to prevent, detect and combat fraud.

Emerging financial crime trends and its impact on the economy, the challenges of Cyber Security and Data Integrity, use of artificial intelligence (AI), its impact on business processes, ethical issues of use of AI and addressing its challenges, Fraud Risks Management and investigation, Whistle blower’s protection, Re-imagined internal Auditing in the digital age, Navigating Uncertainty: Business Continuity role in advancing ESG Goals.

The Conference is on the theme: ‘Elevating Integrity: Building a Fraud and Corruption Resilient Future.’

Dr Lomo anticipated that the event would provide a unique platform for
networking and the exchange of ideas among professionals dedicated to the fight against fraud and corruption, saying, these interactions will strengthen Ghana’s collective efforts and foster new partnerships that are crucial for driving systemic change.

Commissioner of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, Executive Director of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) also underscored the need for law enforcement agencies to collaborate effectively in addressing fraud related issues.

She said fraud and corruption were pervasive issues, which posed significant threats to stability and integrity of organizations, adding that they further undermined economic stability, erode public trust and sustainable development.

‘As we gather here today, we are reminded that fraud is a constantly evolving threat, it requires our collective efforts to stay ahead of the fraudsters and protect the integrity of our institutions.’

Mr John Awuah, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Association of Bankers, said in the f
ight against fraud it was extremely important to address ethical issues.

He mentioned that a report released by the Bank of Ghana indicated that of all the fraud related issues that occurred within the banking system about 50 per cent of these cases had to do with internal staff who were tagged as accomplices.

Mr Awuah said the fight against fraud and corruption must be a national priority and Ghana needed to invest in systems and controls that would aid in the prevention of fraud.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Convention People’s Party has described as ‘shameful’ the death of a woman in her late 60’s who was dumped in a bush at Gomoa Ojobi by the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital.

Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) Mrs. Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong-Kumankumah expressed her displeasure when she visited the scene where the woman was dumped and subsequently died four days after in the open.

The Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital was reported to have dumped the woman who was knocked down by a speeding vehicle and was admitted at that Hospital because her relatives failed to show up.

‘It is a big shame to us all and on our national conscience for someone to die in that manner and no excuse can justify that action,’ she noted.

She said it was pathetic that such an incident could happen in a Country touted as a religious nation, stressing that the incident was a reality of the country’s failed institutions.

She also blamed neighbours around who saw the abandoned woman in the open for day
s without attending to her, resulting in her demise.

Madam Kumankumah stated that it was a reminder that measures must be instituted for the country’s institutions to work and uphold the sense of integrity and ethics towards their job.

In her view, swearing by the Bible and Quran over the period had gone through a renaissance, and it was time public officials swore by lesser gods with water to make a commitment to the land and the people.

Madam Kumankumah had earlier visited the palace of Odikro of Gomoa Ojobi, Nana Atta Kakra where the Chief described the incident as ‘very pathetic.’

According to the Chief who is also the Kyedomhene of Gomoa Assin Traditional Area, the woman was not a known person in the community, and he only got to know that the matter had been reported to the police and the social welfare after he got wind of it and sent a delegation to the police station.

‘We are very disappointed in the action by the health facility because every Ghanaian national deserves to be treated with dignit
y and institutions must be able to assist in times of need, and so if the doctor could allow the patient to be dumped without informing traditional leaders, the assembly member or the police, then it is very sad and the doctor must apologise.’

Some community members revealed that the woman appeared demented and was severally spotted loitering in the community prior to the accident.

They added that the Ojobi Police District Command was informed after she was abandoned but failed to heed to their call until her demise.

Sources at the Winneba Trauma Hospital indicated that the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital demanded GHC9,000 when contacted for the patient to be transported to their facility.

Source: Ghana News Agency