Category: General

The New Life Children's Home at Nungua in Accra has received financial support, food and toiletries from Madam Cheery Addei, the Co-Founder of LC Empire State International Limited, to assist in the upkeep of the children. Handing over the items to the Management of the Orphanage, Madam Addei said she was delighted to meet and support the children to learn to become professionals. 'These are our future generations, and we should all focus on putting smiles on their faces and helping them to grow and develop,' she said. She said they would share the little they had with the vulnerable, being the least God expected from humanity. She pledged to continue to support the Home and urged the Management not to hesitate to contact her anytime they needed her assistance. Nii Afote Botwe II, the Founder of the Orphanage, commended Madam Addei for the gesture and pledged to use the items for the intended purpose, especially to enhance the living standards of the children. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Mr Samuel Codjoe, the Counsel for Dr Stepen Opuni, a former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, told an Accra High Court that his client will not personally testify, and that, they will close their defence. He said as indicated earlier to the Court, if satisfied with the evidence of the witnesses, Dr Opuni would exercise his right not to testify personally. Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo, a Businessman and CEO of AgricultGhana Limited are facing 27 charges, 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. Mr Codjoe said his client was satisfied with the evidence presented by the witnesses in his defence before the Court and would not personally give evidence. Meanwhile, Mr Agongo will at the next adjourned date open his defence through some subpoena witnesses, including D r Francis Baah from the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG)-Bunso, Mr Paul Adjei Gyan, EOCO Head Office and Madam Fiona Gyamfi of the Ghana Standards Authority. Others are Madam Bernice Debra Ashong of COCOBOD, Mr Jerome Dogbatse, CRIG-Tafo, and Reverend Father Odei. The case has been adjourned to February 15, 2024. Source: Ghana News Agency

The investigating judge at the Bizerte Court of First Instance has issued a detention warrant for a former Minister of Industry as part of ongoing investigations into the situation at the Tunisian Iron and Steel Company "ElFOULADH" in Menzel Bourguiba, court spokesperson Seif Eddine Abidi said. The charges relate to the abuse of a public official's position to obtain undue benefits for oneself or others and to damage the administration. The prosecution has also authorised the detention of 10 people on the same charges, while 27 others will appear in court in the same case, Abidi told TAP. Over the past two decades, the company has experienced a significant decline due to many problems. The factory was the focus of an impromptu working visit by President Kais Saied, who examined the difficult financial situation facing the company and considered possible measures to revive it and restore its former influence and position in the national economy. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Accra: Ghana through the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) will host a three-day regional conference on combating the indiscriminate use of weapons and its humanitarian impact. The conference, scheduled for 13 to 15 February, in Accra, Ghana, would be held in partnership with the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. The Commission said hosting the conference demonstrated Ghana's commitment to promoting diplomacy, cooperation and decisive action in mitigating the impact of the proliferation. The Conference would be a platform for discussions on best practices and lessons learned within the framework of the Convention in addressing the devastating humanitarian impact of improvised weapons in West Africa and the Sahel Region. The Convention is the international community's comprehensive response to the humanitarian impact caused by anti-personnel mines which are indiscri minate weapons that remain dangerous for decades after conflicts have ended. The high-level Conference would also provide a unique opportunity to assess progress and contribute to the development of a new action plan for the period 2025-2029. It would be attended by representatives from States Parties to the Convention in West Africa and the Sahel Region, as well as leading UN agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and experts working in mine action. The event is made possible through a global project sponsored by the Council of the European Union (EU) to support the implementation of the Convention. This effort is underpinned by the European Union Council's Decision (2021/257), which supports dialogue and actions that could contribute to establishing sustainable national capacities to address previously unknown mined areas. The actions are also aimed at increasing regular dialogue with stakeholders and exploring opportunities for cooperation (international, regional, triangular, and south-south) to address related challenges. In 2019, the Convention took a significant step by adopting the Oslo Declaration on a Mine-Free World. While recognising achievements, the Declaration highlighted the increasing threat posed by anti-personnel mines, including the use of improvised ones by armed non-state actors, and their impact on human life and sustainable development. It, therefore, endorsed actions, including regular stakeholder engagements, like this year's three-day conference in Ghana, to help combat the indiscriminate use of weapons and its humanitarian impact. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Police have commenced investigations into the death of Mr Eric Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of Cossy Hill Hotel at Jirapa in the Upper West Region. The deceased was found dead on February 11, 2024, lying in a pool of blood in one of the rooms at the Hotel. A news brief from the Police said the Regional Crime Scene Management Team had visited the scene of the incident. It said one person had since been detained to assist the investigation. The brief said Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector-General of Police, had deployed a team of investigators and experts led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Faustina Agyeiwaa Kodua Andoh-Kwofie, Director-General, Criminal Investigation Department, to work with the Upper West Regional Police Command to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident. Source: Ghana News Agency