Author: Web Desk

Accra: A 33-year-old currency trader accused of defrauding a trader of GHC309,000 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court. Habib Munkaila is accused of collecting GHC309,000 under the pretext of giving the trader $27,000 for her trade activities. Munkaila who was charged with defrauding by false pretences, pleaded not guilty. The Defence Counsel prayed for the court to admit Habib to bail as his client had been on police enquiry and ready to stand trial. The prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Maxwell Oppong, did not oppose the bail. The court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah admitted Munkaila to bail in the sum of GHC300,000 with three sureties, who are to be Ghanaian citizens. The accused person is to be reporting to the Police once every week. The matter has been adjourned to March 11, 2024. The facts as read out by prosecution at the court are that the complainant Margaret Asamoah is a businesswoman in Accra. The prosecution said the accused person was a self- styled currency trader residing at Awoshie in Accra. In May 2023, the prosecution said the accused person with intent to defraud the complainant, told her that he dealt in various currencies. The prosecution said the accused person convinced the complainant and started doing business with her. In the first week of August 2023, the accused person collected cash in the sum of GHC309,000 under the pretext of giving her $27,000. The prosecutor said the accused person, after collecting the money, started telling stories and several efforts made by the complainant to get her money back had been unsuccessful. A report was made to the Police and the accused person was picked up. The prosecution said during interrogation, the accused person said on August 10, 2023, he was sending $27,000 to the complainant but it went missing. The prosecutor said the accused person, therefore, pleaded for time so he could refund the money to the complainant. The prosecution said Munkaila refunded GHC113,000 to the poli ce and same had since been handed over to the complainant. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: The Volta Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will commence its compliance enforcement exercise from March 2024. The exercise is to ensure that all undertakings are in compliance with the provisions of the EPA's Act. They include the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994 (Act 490), the Environmental Assessment Regulations, 1999 (LI 1652), Fee and Charges (Miscellaneous Provision) Act, 2022 (Act 1080), the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, 2016 (Act 917), and the Hazardous Electronic and Other Wastes (Classification), Control and Management Regulations, 2016 (LI 2250) By the EPA's Act, an undertaking means any enterprise, activity, scheme of development, construction, project, structure, building, work, investment, plan, programme and any modification. It also includes extension, abandonment, demolition, rehabilitation or decommissioning of such undertaking, the implementation of which may have a significant impact on the environment. Mr Hope S mith Lomotey, Volta Regional Director of the EPA in a document signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency urged the public to ensure that any undertaking be it government or private owned is regularised. He said enforcement notices had been served on some facilities and the processes were still ongoing. Mr Lomotey said failure to comply with the notice or directive served by the Agency would lead to the closure of the facilities and prosecution. He urged the citizens to visit the EPA office to regularise undertakings be they government or privately owned that had commenced construction without an environmental permit, operating without an environmental permit, operating with an expired environmental permit, and operating in non-compliance with an environmental permit. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: The Government has announced plans to set up a FinTech Innovation Fund to support Start-ups in the FinTech industry to drive Ghana's digital revolution. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia announced this in Accra on Monday during the official media launch of the maiden 3i Africa Summit. The three-day summit, to be held in Accra, will come off from May 13-15, 2024, on the theme: 'Unleashing Africa's FinTech and Digital Economic Potential'. The event, being organised by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Development Bank Ghana (DBG), in partnership with Elevandi, a subsidiary of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, would attract governments, businesses, policymakers, academia, investors and thought leaders. Participants are expected to discuss and collaborate on unlocking Africa's full potential on fintech and the digital economy. Vice President Bawumia, who had championed the Government's national digitalisation agenda over the past seven years, said the path to Ghana's digital revolution was through fintech, hence the need to support them financially to thrive. He, therefore, encouraged all stakeholders in the industry to join forces in improving the legislative and regulatory environment to enhance the payments ecosystem and position Ghana on the path of sustained financial inclusion. The power of technology, Dr Bawumia noted, would improve productivity and connectivity to empower individuals through fintech startups, as well as small and medium scale businesses to increase innovation and efficiency in the operations of institutions. It was against this background, he said, that the Government, in the past seven years, had focused on pursuing a digital transformation agenda as part of its economic strategy at the individual and institutional levels. 'The objective is to ensure digital empowerment for a prosperous future in this accelerated digital era, where the use of modern and emerging technologies have become commonplace and a catalyst for growth, progress, and prosperity,' Dr Bawumia stated . 'It is no news that the Government, under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has paid special attention to digitalisation. This has been actively supported by various government institutions and regulators as part of the broader Ghana Digitalization Agenda to advance digital transformation.' 'It is no coincidence that this upcoming Summit has been dubbed 3i Africa Summit - thus Innovation, Investment, and Impact.' 'This has been the backdrop of our digitalisation journey to harness the full potential of technology.' The Vice President highlighted some of the challenges the country faced in advancing its digitalisation agenda and believed that by leveraging technological innovations, it would leapfrog the development process, overcome legacy problems, and improve both the economic and public sectors. 'For instance, to address the issue of no unique identification for citizens and residents, the Government issued the national biometric ID cards, popularly known as the 'Ghan aCard' to provide a unique and centralised identification system for all Ghanaians,' Dr Bawumia noted. 'The acceptance of the 'Ghana Card' as the sole identification document for financial transactions in Ghana would in the long run help in the reduction of Non-Performing Loans and mobile money fraud.' The Government, he said, also leveraged the GPS Technology to implement a digital address system, which resulted in the unique address for all properties in Ghana. 'Also, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority provided street names and house numbers for every street in Ghana for easy identification and navigation,' he recalled. 'Furthermore, to promote financial inclusion and reduce the dominance of cash for payments, the mobile money payments interoperability system was instituted, thanks to the Bank of Ghana and GhIPSS for championing this cause.' 'This has led to the seamless transfer of money across different mobile networks and from mobile money wallets to banks, and vice versa.' The BoG , he said, piloted both online and offline use cases of the e-Cedi in 2022, and in December 2023, invited applicants to participate in its first-ever e-Cedi Hackathon, designed to foster innovation, drive technological advancement, and develop solutions that would redefine the Ghanaian financial landscape. Government also embarked on an aggressive digitalisation of the processes of service delivery across various public institutions to improve public services. The Vice President mentioned the digitalised processes at the passport office to enable online applications and significantly reduce the average turnaround time, the introduction of the paperless port system that largely reduced bureaucracy at the port, and the digitisation of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority operations. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Fast-rising music star Kofi Mante has described Bisa Kdei as a towering figure in Highlife music and deserves commendations for his contributions and unwavering dedication to preserving Ghana's rich music culture. Kofi Mante's comments come after he featured Bisa Kdei on his newly released 'Bad Boy' single, which is available across various music platforms. According to Kofi Mante, the collaboration with Bisa Kdei represents a milestone in his musical journey, signalling his ascent to the upper echelons of the Ghanaian music scene. 'It is a dream come true and a milestone in my musical journey, signalling greater things to come. This is a testament to my talent and dedication, as well as a recognition of my potential to make a lasting impact in the industry.' In 'Bad Boy,' single Kofi Mante pays homage to the legacy of highlife music, infusing the track with elements of the genre's signature sound. With its infectious rhythms and soulful melodies, the song captures the essence of Ghanaian music, tr ansporting listeners to a world where tradition and modernity coexist in perfect harmony through music. At the heart of the song comes Bisa Kdei, whose soul-stirring vocals breathe life into the music, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. As he reflects on the experience, Mante is quick to praise Kdei as the 'face of Ghanaian music,' acknowledging his role in keeping the spirit of highlife alive for new audiences around the world. In the heart of Suhum, where traditional rhythms intertwine with contemporary beats, Kofi Mante found inspiration in the sounds of his homeland. As 'Bad Boy' continues to captivate audiences far and wide, it serves as a reminder of the timeless appeal of highlife music and the enduring legacy of artistes like Bisa Kdei. Hailing from Suhum, a town known for its rich cultural heritage, Kofi Mante has always been driven by his love for music. As he continues to promote 'Bad Boy' and expand his musical horizons, Kofi Mante remains committed to pushing boundaries and brea king new ground. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Mr Paul Agyei Gyang, a Senior Staff at the Operational Unit of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), says he is not aware of any Dr Yaw Adu Ampomah Committee set to investigate the lithovit issues. He told the Accra High Court hearing the trial involving Dr Stephen Opuni, a former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited, that he was hearing about the Committee for the first time. 'I do not know whether EOCO Management was informed about the Committee set up by the COCOBOD Management,' he said.  Dr Adu Ampomah, who was the Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control was the Chairman of the Committee and was the contact person at the Board per the investigations conducted by EOCO. Mr Gyang, who is the subpoenaed witness for Mr Agongo, gave his evidence in chief led by Counsel for the accused person, Mr Benson Nutsukpui. Dr Opuni and Mr Seidu Agongo, a Businessman, are facing 27charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act. They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GHS300,000.00 self-recognisance bail each. Aked, which year EOCO handed over the investigative docket to the Ghana Police, the witness said he could not really remember the exact month, 'but it was somewhere 2018 or 2017 there about'. Source: Ghana News Agency