Day: March 16, 2024

The Cape Coast High Court II has set Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to constitute a jury to sit on the murder case of a 25-year-old prospective nurse, Georgina Asor Botchwey at Mankessim in September 2022. The court, presided over by Justice John Mark Nuku Alifo, made the decision at the case management conference held in chambers on Thursday, at which all parties were present. Present at the conference were Principal State Attorney, Vincent Nyineku and Madam Monica Geraldo-Delima, the Assistant State Attorney for the prosecution, Mr Daniel Amosa holding brief for Michael Monney, for Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah, who is the first accused and Mr Roland Hamilton, for Michael Darko, the second accused. The two accused persons, Quansah, alias Nana Clark, 65-year-old trader and Darko, 48-year-old pastor, were also present. The court agreed that the pathologist who conducted the autopsy on the deceased would be in Court to present his report, while the prosecution was also expected to engage Akan language interpre ters. The case has been adjourned to Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Quansah and Darko are standing trial for allegedly murdering Asor in cold blood at Mankessim. They pleaded not guilty to the offences of conspiracy to commit murder and murder when they appeared before the Cape Coast High Court II on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. They also pleaded not guilty to three charges of unlawfully possessing explosives, firearms and ammunition. The court shot down an application by counsel to admit them to bail. The judge directed the prosecution to file all disclosures and witness statements and serve same on the lawyers of the accused within two weeks to ensure an expedited trial. The facts of the case are that the deceased, Georgina Asor Botchwey, a resident of Yeji in the Bono East Region and an applicant seeking admission at the Ankaful Psychiatric Nursing School in the Central Region, arrived in Cape Coast on Thursday, September 8, 2022, for an interview at the school. Upon arrival, Botchwey called Darko who was her senior sister's fiancé and informed him about her presence in the region and her mission there. Darko then offered to pick her up after her interview at the Nursing School and later arrived in a taxi as had been arranged and sent her to Pedu Junction in Cape Coast, where Quansah had parked his Benz Car with registration number GT 8686-C, and she joined them. Quansah then drove them to Akwaakrom near Mankessim, seized the deceased's iPhone and locked her in a room. The accused persons went to Asikafo Ambantem, a suburb of Mankessim, where they allegedly dug a hole in an uncompleted storey building belonging to Quansah and went back for the lady. On September 9, 2022, around mid-day, Quansah and Darko allegedly killed Georgina by hitting her head with a club and when she fell Darko held her neck till she died. The two allegedly took away some pubic hair of the deceased and left the uncompleted storey building around 0200hours the next day. A complaint was lodged with the police by the deceased's broth er, Alfred Duodu, a soldier, after frantic efforts made to reach his sister proved futile. The police later picked up an intelligence that it was Darko who picked Georgina at Ankaful. Armed with the information, the police searched for Darko, who was arrested on Friday, September 19, at Anomabo and he admitted to the crime. He subsequently led the police to where the deceased had been buried and the body was exhumed. Further police intelligence led to the arrest of Quansah from his hideout at Ekumfi Akwaakrom. The accused persons were first put before the Cape Coast District Court II, presided over by Madam Bernice Mensima Ackon, and were charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder. Source: Ghana News Agency

A 29-year-old woman was reportedly beaten to death with a gun by her 30-year-old boyfriend on Saturday. He then allegedly committed suicide by hanging. The Namibian Police Force Omusati Regional Commander, Commissioner Ismael Basson said the incident occurred around 05h00 at Onandjaba settlement in the Okalongo Constituency. The deceased was identified as Hilya Nekongo, a bartender at Onandjaba. According to Basson, the couple allegedly got into an argument and the suspect went and robbed the firearm from a security guard who was on duty, and proceeded to chase his girlfriend. 'It is alleged that the boyfriend hit the victim on the forehead with a shotgun butt, and the girlfriend died on the spot,' he said. He added that the suspect left the scene and was found hanging under a tree. Police investigations into the matter continue. Source: Namibia Press Agency

The Adventist Heritage Cooperative Fund (AHCoF) has extended its services to the Abrepo and Suame areas by opening a new branch at the Northern Ghana Union Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) at Abrepo Akoko Specs in Kumasi. The extension of the micro credit and financial support services aims at helping the people in the area, especially members of the church, to easily access credit facilities to support and expand their businesses. Mrs Elizabeth Kusi-Nsiah, the Chief Executive Officer of AHCoF, said the fund, an investment and micro credit scheme of the S.D.A church, also supported church projects, tithes, evangelism, media projects, schools and hospitals. The inauguration of the new office was in response to the growing population, opportunities, as well as the convenience of business and customers in Abrepo, Suame and the nearby environs. Mrs Kusi - Nsiah said as at December 31, 2023, the total assets of the fund stood at GH ?104,140,344.20. Total contributions of members also stoo d at GH ?78,952, 093.10. The fund had supported various projects to the tune of GH?69,383,431.00, while its net worth stood at GH?23,727,204.83. The new office would bring services closer to the door steps of customers in that area , she said, and assured stakeholders and customers of the credibility of the fund and safety of their investments. Pastor Dr, Kwame Annor Boahene, the Board Chairman of AHCof, said the new office was in fulfilment of the fund's mandate to maintaining growth and expansion to serve members better. Dr. Samuel Koranteng Pipim, of the fund's Chaplaincy, said the office was part of efforts to sell the brand of the Adventist Heritage Cooperative Fund Limited. It would also encourage society to quickly identify and experience the Adventist heritage brand and create the desire to choose its products over other competitors. In a related development, the fund donated seats to the Out Patients Department (OPD) of the Kwadaso SDA Hospital. It also presented GH?20,000.00 to the Hospital t o offset the bills of patients who were unable to do so. Dr Randoulf Baah Adu, the Medical Director of the Hospital, called on other organisations to emulate the gesture and assured that the donations would be used for their intended purposes. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Namibian Police Force in the Oshikoto Region have arrested a 43-year-old man after he allegedly raped his 10-year-old daughter. According to the region's crime investigations coordinator Deputy Commissioner Titus Ekandjo on Saturday, the incident happened on Thursday at Uuholamo village in the Okankolo Constituency. The suspect is the biological father of the victim and they reside in the same house at Uuholamo. 'It is alleged that the suspect found the daughter in the sleeping room during the afternoon after school and the suspect grabbed her, put her down on the bed, undressed her, and had sexual intercourse with her under coercive circumstances,' Ekandjo said. He added that the man afterwards went to a cuca shop. 'The victim reported the matter to teachers at her school on Friday when she went to school. She also said that it was not the first time that her father raped her, he allegedly started doing that to her since 2020,' Ekandjo said. He said the school principal reported the matter to the police. The suspect will appear before the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court on Monday while the police investigation continues. Source: Namibia Press Agency

The operations of the Bui Generating Station (BGS) has opened up the Banda District of the Bono Region to investors, thereby stimulating rapid socio-economic growth and development, Mr Emmanuel Akone, the Banda District Chief Executive has said. He commended the Bui Power Authority, the managers of the BGS for highlighting the economic prospects and attracting more investors into the district. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the inauguration of a cashew factory at Bui in the District, Mr Akone said a gold mining company had completed prospecting and would soon commence actual mining in the area. The BPA collaborated with the Cashew-U Company Limited of China to construct the factory, which will add value to raw cashew products for export, under the government's One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) initiative. Mr Akone noted that the construction of the Bui Reservoir and a landing site had improved the fishing business, and thereby enhancing the socio-economic livelihoods o f the fisher folks and women fishmongers. He said economic activities in the area kept flourishing, saying buying and selling had improved, with more women engaged in viable economic activities to better their lives. On completion, Mr Akone explained the on-going construction of a Sugar Factory at Fawoman in the area would create employment opportunities for the youth in the area. As part of the BPA's corporate social responsibility, Mr Akone said infrastructure development had also improved in the district, with the locals easily accessing quality healthcare, and education, saying the road networks in the area were also better now. Earlier, Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer of the BPA explained the Authority's collaboration with the Cashew-U Company Limited entailed the development of a 500-acre cashew plantation and the establishment of a processing plant on a 20-acre land, with the aim of producing 12,000 metric tons of cashew nuts annually. Additionally, plans are underway to upgrad e the facility for cashew nut oil processing in the near future, he stated, saying the factory signified the Authority's pursuit of industrialization and economic growth within the Bui enclave. The location of the factory, nestled within the 184,000 hectares of land secured for the Bui Project, showed the Authority's commitment to maximizing local resources for economic development. Mr observed the 'Bui enclave has long been known for its significant role in cashew farming, with nearly every household actively involved in this agricultural activity'. During a visit to some of the Bui Dam Resettlement Camps, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) noticed communal facilities such as schools, community centres, boreholes as well as playing grounds, clinic, and health centre at the resettlement townships near Bongase and in Jama. Access roads and drainage systems had also been completed in the resettlement areas. Technology has also advanced in the townships as digital satellite dishes that enable residents to access v arious television channels were seen erected on the roof of a number of households. Additionally, the establishments of a Community Health-based Planning Services (CHPS) compound each at the two resettlement townships had made it easier for the people to access healthcare and improve their health status. The construction of the Bui Dam created a reservoir, which is now the source of the economic boom in the environs of the dam. In an interview, some of the residents around the dam expressed appreciation to the BPA for improving their lives and called on the authorities to do more and create more jobs for the young people in the area. They said they also needed more assistance to engage in commercial farming and cashew plantation to improve their socio-economic livelihoods. The Bui hydroelectric project was designed primarily for hydro-power generation. It, however, includes the development of an irrigation scheme for agricultural development and presents an opportunity for enhanced eco-system and fisheri es. It also comprises a resettlement and community support programme. The project, which was expected to cost about 622 million dollars, was funded with a concessional loan of 263.5 million dollars from China, a buyers credit of 298.5 million dollars from the EXIM Bank of China together with governments contribution of 60 million dollars. It however experienced a funding shortfall of 168 million dollars, arising primarily from the unanticipated effects of the 2008 global financial upheavals as well as unforeseen essential works. Source: Ghana News Agency