From Della Russel Ocloo, Ashaiman
THE Ashaiman Circuit Court has adjourned a case in which a security man of Expresso Telecom Limited (formerly Kasapa), Emmanuel Avulekpor, had threatened a co-tenant, Alice Alormenu, at Adjei-Kojo, near Ashaiman in the Tema metropolis.
Avulekpor, according to the police prosecution, is standing trial for threat of death under section 75, Act 29/60 of the Criminal Code.
The prosecutor, Inspector Diana Sedame, told the court that Alice is a petty trader and resides in the same house with Avulekpor at Adjei-kojo, near Ashaiman.
Inspector Sedame said Alice gave Avulekpor GH¢20 16 years ago for the purchase of a piece of land to enable her put up a house in the area.
She said Alice thereafter out of trust released an undisclosed amount of money to Avulekpor to enable him commence construction works on the said plot and subsequently travelled to her village in the Volta Region to take care of her sick mother.
Unknown to Alice, Avulekpor constructed a single bedroom on the said plot and squandered the rest of the money.
The prosecutor said Alice upon her return approached Avulekpor for the necessary documents covering the plot of land and the building.
Avulekpor, according to the prosecution, took offence and wielding a machete chased Alice out after a series of verbal exchanges between the two.
Avulekpor, not satisfied with his previous action again in February, this year threatened to butcher Alice should she continue to pursue him for documents regarding the said property.
A report was made to the police who caused his arrest and subsequently arraigned him before court after an initial denial of the offence in his caution statement.
The court, presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah, granted him bail to the tune of GH¢10,000 with a surety.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
COURT PLACES INJUNCTION ON WASTE RECYCLING PLANT (BACK PAGE, DEC 24, 2010)
THE Adjabeng Magistrate’s Court has placed an injunction on the activities of a waste recycling company located in a residential area at Buade, a suburb of Nungua.
This followed an application to the court by the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) to prevent further pollution by the plant which it said had affected the health of residents in the area.
Residents in the Buade area have for the past weeks complained about the heavy pollution generated by the waste recycling plant sited in the midst of residential facilities in the community and its accompanying health hazards.
Reports have it that many people in the neighbourhood were seeking medical attention as a result of the soot which had made them to cough extensively.
The plant owned by a businessman, Mr Osei Darkwah, melts waste plastic materials which are used for the production of plastic cups and bowls.
A visit to the factory by the Daily Graphic revealed the installation of heavy industrial machinery which was used to process the waste materials.
The Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Mr Samuel Agblo, said the assembly convened a meeting with the owner during which he was asked to produce his documents but he could not.
He said based on that, the assembly ordered him to stop work but he ignored it and continued to operate.
The assembly had no option but to go to court to have an injunction placed on the activities of the plant, Mr Agblo told the Daily Graphic.
Despite the injunction, production works at the factory was still going on in earnest when the Daily Graphic accompanied by the assembly officials visited the premises last Wednesday, an indication that the owner had ignored the court order to stall production activities.
Mr Darkwah was, however, not available for his comments but a woman, who claimed to be his sister, told officials she would convey the message to him upon his arrival.
This followed an application to the court by the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) to prevent further pollution by the plant which it said had affected the health of residents in the area.
Residents in the Buade area have for the past weeks complained about the heavy pollution generated by the waste recycling plant sited in the midst of residential facilities in the community and its accompanying health hazards.
Reports have it that many people in the neighbourhood were seeking medical attention as a result of the soot which had made them to cough extensively.
The plant owned by a businessman, Mr Osei Darkwah, melts waste plastic materials which are used for the production of plastic cups and bowls.
A visit to the factory by the Daily Graphic revealed the installation of heavy industrial machinery which was used to process the waste materials.
The Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Mr Samuel Agblo, said the assembly convened a meeting with the owner during which he was asked to produce his documents but he could not.
He said based on that, the assembly ordered him to stop work but he ignored it and continued to operate.
The assembly had no option but to go to court to have an injunction placed on the activities of the plant, Mr Agblo told the Daily Graphic.
Despite the injunction, production works at the factory was still going on in earnest when the Daily Graphic accompanied by the assembly officials visited the premises last Wednesday, an indication that the owner had ignored the court order to stall production activities.
Mr Darkwah was, however, not available for his comments but a woman, who claimed to be his sister, told officials she would convey the message to him upon his arrival.
CHURCH HOLDS PHOTO EXHIBITION (PAGE 22, DEC 24, 2010)
THE Corpus Christi Catholic Church located at Sakumono, a suburb of Tema, has held a photo exhibition as part of activities lined up to commemorate its 20th anniversary.
The celebration is on the theme: “20 years in the body of Christ, forging ahead in unity.
Items ranging from cassocks, the cross, among other memorabilia, were displayed to give the younger generation an insight as well as their significance.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Parish Priest of the church, Reverend Father Joseph Henry Mensah, said the church which started with 15 persons at the Sakumono SSNIT Estates in 1989, had over the years, evolved into a foremost parish that had become the cynosure of many Catholics.
He said the church had also made significant contributions to the development of education in the country, by establishing the Holy Child Basic as well as the Corpus Christi Catholic Schools, which began from crПche to Senior High School.
Rev. Father Mensah stated that both schools were rated among the best in the Tema Metropolis, thus confirming the church’s commitments to complement the government’s efforts in the development of education.
Rev. Mensah paid glowing tribute to Rev. Fr Patrick Twi, Rev. Fr Seth Anwo-Doqu, Rev. Fr Andrew Campbell, Rev. Fr Peter Badoo,and Very Rev. Fr Frederick Agyemang, who he said, were instrumental in laying strong foundation for the church.
The church which started with a few members, could currently boast of over 3,000 membership, and also possessed a modern auditorium complex.
Rev. Mensah challenged Ghanaians to be tolerant of one another’s views, stressing that recent occurrences in the country clearly demonstrated that citizens were excessively endangering the socio-political will of the country, using the power of the media.
He also called on the media to be circumspect in their reportage.
The celebration is on the theme: “20 years in the body of Christ, forging ahead in unity.
Items ranging from cassocks, the cross, among other memorabilia, were displayed to give the younger generation an insight as well as their significance.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Parish Priest of the church, Reverend Father Joseph Henry Mensah, said the church which started with 15 persons at the Sakumono SSNIT Estates in 1989, had over the years, evolved into a foremost parish that had become the cynosure of many Catholics.
He said the church had also made significant contributions to the development of education in the country, by establishing the Holy Child Basic as well as the Corpus Christi Catholic Schools, which began from crПche to Senior High School.
Rev. Father Mensah stated that both schools were rated among the best in the Tema Metropolis, thus confirming the church’s commitments to complement the government’s efforts in the development of education.
Rev. Mensah paid glowing tribute to Rev. Fr Patrick Twi, Rev. Fr Seth Anwo-Doqu, Rev. Fr Andrew Campbell, Rev. Fr Peter Badoo,and Very Rev. Fr Frederick Agyemang, who he said, were instrumental in laying strong foundation for the church.
The church which started with a few members, could currently boast of over 3,000 membership, and also possessed a modern auditorium complex.
Rev. Mensah challenged Ghanaians to be tolerant of one another’s views, stressing that recent occurrences in the country clearly demonstrated that citizens were excessively endangering the socio-political will of the country, using the power of the media.
He also called on the media to be circumspect in their reportage.
AUTOPSY OF BURNT WOMAN READY, BUT.... (PAGE 3, DEC 24, 2010)
THE crowd that thronged the Tema Magistrate’s Court yesterday to hear the details of an autopsy report in the case of the burning of the 72-year-old woman left in disappointment when the presiding magistrate decided to adjourn hearings to January 10, 2011.
Counsel for the six accused persons, Mr William Lumor, was, however, not in court when the case was called, prompting the prosecution to call for the adjournment, since the findings could not be presented in the absence of the defence lawyer.
Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, with the help of four others, namely, Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, are alleged to have set fire to the 72-year-old woman in Tema on November 20, this year when she strayed into their compound at Site 7, a suburb of Community 1.
The deceased, Ama Ahemmah, a native of Ajumako Asassan, according to police prosecution, was allegedly drenched with kerosene mixed with some petrol and set ablaze after she was alleged to have confessed as being a witch when tortured by the accused.
Madam Ahemmah died 24 hours later when she was on admission at the Tema General Hospital where she had been sent for treatment by the police.
Counsel for the six accused persons, Mr William Lumor, was, however, not in court when the case was called, prompting the prosecution to call for the adjournment, since the findings could not be presented in the absence of the defence lawyer.
Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, with the help of four others, namely, Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, are alleged to have set fire to the 72-year-old woman in Tema on November 20, this year when she strayed into their compound at Site 7, a suburb of Community 1.
The deceased, Ama Ahemmah, a native of Ajumako Asassan, according to police prosecution, was allegedly drenched with kerosene mixed with some petrol and set ablaze after she was alleged to have confessed as being a witch when tortured by the accused.
Madam Ahemmah died 24 hours later when she was on admission at the Tema General Hospital where she had been sent for treatment by the police.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
BUTCHER DEFRAUDS HERDSMAN (MIRROR, PAGE 27, DEC 24, 2010)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Ashaiman
THE Ashaiman Circuit Court, presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah, has remanded into prison custody a 31-year-old butcher, Arafat Mohammed, for defrauding by false pretence.
Arafat, according to the prosecutor, Inspector Mary Assan, purchased two cattle at GH¢1,022 from one Sampson Adedome, his business partner but failed to pay.
Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector Assan said Arafat on November 3, 2010, at about 4:30p.m. went to Mr Adedome, a cattle herdsman, at Tulaku in Ashaiman and requested for the animals for a customer who needed them urgently with the promise to pay later.
She said Mr Adedome who knows Arafat as a rustler released two of the cattle to him.
The prosecutor said Arafat after receiving the animals went into hiding and all efforts to reach him proved unsuccessful prompting Mr Adedome to lodge a complaint with the Community 22 police on November 22. He was arrested and sent to police custody at Ashaiman.
Arafat admitted the offence in his caution statement and was subsequently arraigned before court.
Arafat, whose plea of not guilty was rejected by the court, told the presiding judge that he sold the cattle at a cheap cost to enable him settle debts he owed his creditors.
He said an amount of GH¢25 which was found on him at the time of his arrest was the remaining amount from the sale of the cattle.
THE Ashaiman Circuit Court, presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah, has remanded into prison custody a 31-year-old butcher, Arafat Mohammed, for defrauding by false pretence.
Arafat, according to the prosecutor, Inspector Mary Assan, purchased two cattle at GH¢1,022 from one Sampson Adedome, his business partner but failed to pay.
Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector Assan said Arafat on November 3, 2010, at about 4:30p.m. went to Mr Adedome, a cattle herdsman, at Tulaku in Ashaiman and requested for the animals for a customer who needed them urgently with the promise to pay later.
She said Mr Adedome who knows Arafat as a rustler released two of the cattle to him.
The prosecutor said Arafat after receiving the animals went into hiding and all efforts to reach him proved unsuccessful prompting Mr Adedome to lodge a complaint with the Community 22 police on November 22. He was arrested and sent to police custody at Ashaiman.
Arafat admitted the offence in his caution statement and was subsequently arraigned before court.
Arafat, whose plea of not guilty was rejected by the court, told the presiding judge that he sold the cattle at a cheap cost to enable him settle debts he owed his creditors.
He said an amount of GH¢25 which was found on him at the time of his arrest was the remaining amount from the sale of the cattle.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Setting ablaze of 72-yr-old woman...CASE ADJOURNED TO DEC 23 (PAGE 3, DEC 21, 2010)
THE Magistrate’s Court in Tema trying the case involving six people who are alleged to have tortured and set ablaze a 72-year-old woman, Ama Ahemmah, leading to her death has adjourned the case to December 23, 2010.
The decision of the court is to enable the prosecution to furnish it with the autopsy report.
The accused persons and their counsel were in court when the case was called.
Counsel for the accused persons, Mr William Lumor, expressed concern over the unco-operative attitude of the prosecution, which he said was unjustifiably delaying the case, saying it was a deliberate attempt designed to deny the fundamental human rights of the two principal suspects who were still being held in custody after their arrest.
Counsel also expressed reservations over media coverage of the case, saying media reports were not only prejudicial but also contemptuous and disparaging.
He prayed the court to restrain the press, particularly the Daily Graphic, from prejudging the case.
“I will not hesitate to cite the media, particularly the Daily Graphic, for contempt should they continue going into an arena of conflict regarding the case,” Mr Lumor told the court.
The magistrate, Mrs Johana Yankson, said since she did not read what was written in the media regarding the case, restraining media personnel from carrying out their duty might amount to interference in press freedom.
She, however, appealed to the press to ensure fair coverage of the trial.
The suspects — Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, with the help of four others: Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52 — are alleged to have tortured and extracted confessions of being a witch from Madam Ahemmah, a native of Ajumako Assan, when she strayed into their house at Community One, Site 7 on November 20, 2010.
According to the prosecution, after the torture, the old woman was allegedly drenched with kerosene laced with petrol and burnt alive.
Madam Ahemmah died 24 hours later at the Tema General Hospital.
The decision of the court is to enable the prosecution to furnish it with the autopsy report.
The accused persons and their counsel were in court when the case was called.
Counsel for the accused persons, Mr William Lumor, expressed concern over the unco-operative attitude of the prosecution, which he said was unjustifiably delaying the case, saying it was a deliberate attempt designed to deny the fundamental human rights of the two principal suspects who were still being held in custody after their arrest.
Counsel also expressed reservations over media coverage of the case, saying media reports were not only prejudicial but also contemptuous and disparaging.
He prayed the court to restrain the press, particularly the Daily Graphic, from prejudging the case.
“I will not hesitate to cite the media, particularly the Daily Graphic, for contempt should they continue going into an arena of conflict regarding the case,” Mr Lumor told the court.
The magistrate, Mrs Johana Yankson, said since she did not read what was written in the media regarding the case, restraining media personnel from carrying out their duty might amount to interference in press freedom.
She, however, appealed to the press to ensure fair coverage of the trial.
The suspects — Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, with the help of four others: Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52 — are alleged to have tortured and extracted confessions of being a witch from Madam Ahemmah, a native of Ajumako Assan, when she strayed into their house at Community One, Site 7 on November 20, 2010.
According to the prosecution, after the torture, the old woman was allegedly drenched with kerosene laced with petrol and burnt alive.
Madam Ahemmah died 24 hours later at the Tema General Hospital.
Monday, December 20, 2010
ACTIONAID MEETS PARTNERS/COLLABORATORS AT AMASAMAN (PAGE 22, DEC 18, 2010)
ACTIONAID, Ghana, has held a participatory review with its partners and collaborators at Amasaman as part of activities marking its 20th anniversary celebration in the country and nine years of working in the Greater Accra Region.
The review was to afford officials the opportunity to meet and share experiences on achievements and failures towards the delivery of improved programmes and services to the communities.
The programme on the theme: “20 years of fighting hunger together,” was also to examine the impact of the organisation’s activities on the livelihood of beneficiary communities, whereas showcasing the activities of Actionaid in the Greater Accra Region in particular and the country as a whole.
The participants from collaborating agencies such as the Ghana Education Service, beneficiary communities, traditional rulers, as well as officials from the Ga East, Ga West and Ga South assemblies attended the one-day forum.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Programme Manager of the Grater Accra Development Programmes, Mr Kwasi Ohemeng-Agyei, said poverty eradication had been the fore liner in the organisation’s campaign due to its severity in the region.
According to him, lack of skills among rural indigenes in the region was the cause of poverty in the area.
“It is for this reason that Actionaid as a partner in development, has over the years committed itself to training indigenes in various income generation activities as well as the provision of logistics and starting up capital,” Mr Ohemeng-Agyei stated.
The review was to afford officials the opportunity to meet and share experiences on achievements and failures towards the delivery of improved programmes and services to the communities.
The programme on the theme: “20 years of fighting hunger together,” was also to examine the impact of the organisation’s activities on the livelihood of beneficiary communities, whereas showcasing the activities of Actionaid in the Greater Accra Region in particular and the country as a whole.
The participants from collaborating agencies such as the Ghana Education Service, beneficiary communities, traditional rulers, as well as officials from the Ga East, Ga West and Ga South assemblies attended the one-day forum.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Programme Manager of the Grater Accra Development Programmes, Mr Kwasi Ohemeng-Agyei, said poverty eradication had been the fore liner in the organisation’s campaign due to its severity in the region.
According to him, lack of skills among rural indigenes in the region was the cause of poverty in the area.
“It is for this reason that Actionaid as a partner in development, has over the years committed itself to training indigenes in various income generation activities as well as the provision of logistics and starting up capital,” Mr Ohemeng-Agyei stated.
ACTORS MEET TO SHARE IDEAS (PAGE 20, DEC 18, 2010)
THE Ghana Actors Guild (GAG) in partnership with the Federation of International Actors (FIA) has held a two day seminar in Accra aimed at building the capacity of actors and performers in the film industry.
The seminar which was under the auspices of Equity UK, a Britain based Trade Union representing professional performers and other creative workers was sponsored by the European Union, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Cultural Initiatives Support Programme (CISP) with support from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
It was on the theme “The Role of the Performer in National Development”.
Various speakers at the forum decried the absence of legislations to regulate and protect the sector.
Copyright Administrator, Mr Bernard Bosomprah who delivered a paper on the Copyright Law and its benefits to the performer regretted the inability of artistes to sign legally binding contracts with producers as well as people who engaged their services.
Renowned Film Producer and Chief Executive officer of TV Africa, Kwaw Ansah, who chaired the function, noted that the desperation on the part of most artistes to be seen on television has contributed to various forms of abuse including unfair remuneration.
“A majority of the new breed of actors get carried away by the opportunity of being on the screens and thus accept jobs in various menial forms”, Mr Ansah stated.
He cautioned the Actors Guild to ensure professionalism while adhering to the ethics of the job.
The Assistant General Secretary of Equity UK, Mr Martin Brown called for collaboration between the guild and the producer association.
According to him, the entertainment industry is the largest income generating sector across the world, however, disunity among stakeholders always result in policy makers not paying the needed attention to the sector.
Earlier in his welcoming address, President of the GAG, Nii Odoi Mensah, lamented the low quality of films being churned out in the country.
He made an appeal to stakeholders to take up responsibility to reclaim the country’s position as a pacesetter in the film industry across the continent.
Participants at the seminar commended the organisers for putting up such seminar aimed to perfect their skills in the profession.
Actress Selassie Ibrahim told the Daily Graphic that lessons from the seminar would be beneficial to her work and called on the association to vigorously pursue in-service training for members.
The seminar which was under the auspices of Equity UK, a Britain based Trade Union representing professional performers and other creative workers was sponsored by the European Union, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Cultural Initiatives Support Programme (CISP) with support from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
It was on the theme “The Role of the Performer in National Development”.
Various speakers at the forum decried the absence of legislations to regulate and protect the sector.
Copyright Administrator, Mr Bernard Bosomprah who delivered a paper on the Copyright Law and its benefits to the performer regretted the inability of artistes to sign legally binding contracts with producers as well as people who engaged their services.
Renowned Film Producer and Chief Executive officer of TV Africa, Kwaw Ansah, who chaired the function, noted that the desperation on the part of most artistes to be seen on television has contributed to various forms of abuse including unfair remuneration.
“A majority of the new breed of actors get carried away by the opportunity of being on the screens and thus accept jobs in various menial forms”, Mr Ansah stated.
He cautioned the Actors Guild to ensure professionalism while adhering to the ethics of the job.
The Assistant General Secretary of Equity UK, Mr Martin Brown called for collaboration between the guild and the producer association.
According to him, the entertainment industry is the largest income generating sector across the world, however, disunity among stakeholders always result in policy makers not paying the needed attention to the sector.
Earlier in his welcoming address, President of the GAG, Nii Odoi Mensah, lamented the low quality of films being churned out in the country.
He made an appeal to stakeholders to take up responsibility to reclaim the country’s position as a pacesetter in the film industry across the continent.
Participants at the seminar commended the organisers for putting up such seminar aimed to perfect their skills in the profession.
Actress Selassie Ibrahim told the Daily Graphic that lessons from the seminar would be beneficial to her work and called on the association to vigorously pursue in-service training for members.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
LEBANESE ARRESTED WITH GHANAIAN PASSPORT (PAGE 22, DEC 15, 2010)
A LEBANESE national, Rabeih Zaidan, 32, who was arrested for illegal possession of a Ghanaian passport has been repatriated to his home country on the orders of an Accra District Magistrate’s Court.
The court gave the order after convicting Zaidan. He pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal possession of a Ghanaian passport.
The convict was apprehended by officials of the Document and Visa Fraud Unit of the Ghana Police Service on November 29, 2010, when he attempted to use the Ghanaian passport to transact business at a shopping mall.
A search on him revealed that he was also in possession of Liberian and Guinean passports bearing his photographs.
He was suspected to have used forged birth certificates, among other documents, to acquire the passports.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Director of Public Relations at the Ghana Immigration Service, Mr Francis Palmdeti, said the convict who claimed to have been born to Ghanaian parents indicated that he had been a resident in the country since 1992 after a brief stay in Nigeria.
Suspicious of his nationality, officials of a shopping mall where Zaidan had gone to transact the business, alerted the police who moved in swiftly to arrest him and later handed him over to the Ghana Immigration Service for further investigations.
Zaidan was thus put before court on December 9, 2010, for acquiring a Ghanaian passport illegally.
The court gave the order after convicting Zaidan. He pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal possession of a Ghanaian passport.
The convict was apprehended by officials of the Document and Visa Fraud Unit of the Ghana Police Service on November 29, 2010, when he attempted to use the Ghanaian passport to transact business at a shopping mall.
A search on him revealed that he was also in possession of Liberian and Guinean passports bearing his photographs.
He was suspected to have used forged birth certificates, among other documents, to acquire the passports.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Director of Public Relations at the Ghana Immigration Service, Mr Francis Palmdeti, said the convict who claimed to have been born to Ghanaian parents indicated that he had been a resident in the country since 1992 after a brief stay in Nigeria.
Suspicious of his nationality, officials of a shopping mall where Zaidan had gone to transact the business, alerted the police who moved in swiftly to arrest him and later handed him over to the Ghana Immigration Service for further investigations.
Zaidan was thus put before court on December 9, 2010, for acquiring a Ghanaian passport illegally.
Friday, December 10, 2010
POLICE, DRIVERS ARE PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 35, DEC 9, 2010)
THE Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly will construct a community hospital complex at Nungua next year.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Daniel Amartey-Mensah, disclosed this at the inauguration of the Teshie Community Clinic at Teshie.
The GH¢60,000 clinic, constructed by the Teshie Mannoyaa Kpee Association with support from the municipal assembly, has facilities such as an out patient’s department (OPD), delivery ward, dispensary and theatre.
The facility will, among other things, provide health care to residents at Teshie and serve as a referral centre for the Nungua, Tebibianor and Agbleza communities, both in the municipality.
Speaking at the ceremony, the MCE said the underpinning element of a country’s development depended on the importance it attached to health and health delivery issues.
“It is for this reason that the assembly has, as part of its 2011 programmes, budgeted to procure an ambulance for the Municipal Health Directorate,” Mr Mensah stated.
He commended the association for the laudable initiative in putting up the facility as a way of complementing the assembly and the central government’s developmental goals.
The Municipal Director of Health Service, Dr Leticia Wiafe, noted with regret, the slow rate at which the youth in the area were registering with the National Health Insurance (NHIS) and urged the youth to patronise the scheme.
The Member of Parliament for the Ledzokuku and Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Nortey Dua, urged the MCE to use his share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund to register the youth in the area with the NHIS.
The Chairman of the association, Nii Abeo Kyerekuanda IV, had earlier in his welcoming address said before the construction of the clinic, the residents often travelled to Labadi to access health care.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Daniel Amartey-Mensah, disclosed this at the inauguration of the Teshie Community Clinic at Teshie.
The GH¢60,000 clinic, constructed by the Teshie Mannoyaa Kpee Association with support from the municipal assembly, has facilities such as an out patient’s department (OPD), delivery ward, dispensary and theatre.
The facility will, among other things, provide health care to residents at Teshie and serve as a referral centre for the Nungua, Tebibianor and Agbleza communities, both in the municipality.
Speaking at the ceremony, the MCE said the underpinning element of a country’s development depended on the importance it attached to health and health delivery issues.
“It is for this reason that the assembly has, as part of its 2011 programmes, budgeted to procure an ambulance for the Municipal Health Directorate,” Mr Mensah stated.
He commended the association for the laudable initiative in putting up the facility as a way of complementing the assembly and the central government’s developmental goals.
The Municipal Director of Health Service, Dr Leticia Wiafe, noted with regret, the slow rate at which the youth in the area were registering with the National Health Insurance (NHIS) and urged the youth to patronise the scheme.
The Member of Parliament for the Ledzokuku and Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Nortey Dua, urged the MCE to use his share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund to register the youth in the area with the NHIS.
The Chairman of the association, Nii Abeo Kyerekuanda IV, had earlier in his welcoming address said before the construction of the clinic, the residents often travelled to Labadi to access health care.
AUTOPSY DELAYS BURNT WOMAN'S CASE (PAGE 3, DEC 7, 2010)
THE six people standing trial at the Tema Magistrate’s Court for an alleged act of human burning will have to await the post mortem results on the deceased.
The trial magistrate, Mrs Johana Yankson, granted the prosecution’s request for an adjournment of the case to December 20, 2010, as police investigators were yet to receive the autopsy report on the deceased, Ama Hemmah.
Two of the suspects, Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, are alleged to have tortured and set ablaze the 72-year-old woman, leading to her death, when she strayed into their compound at Community One Site 7 in Tema.
The deceased, according to the prosecutor in the case, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Addai, was doused with kerosene laced with petrol and subsequently set ablaze, with the assistance of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, all unemployed, who have been released on police enquiry bail.
Family members of the principal suspect, Ghunney, who thronged the court protested vehemently at its decision to grant the evangelist, Fletcher Sagoe, a police enquiry bail.
They described the action of the court as unjust since, according to them, Ghunney’s role in the whole incident had been informed by the evangelist who invited him to the compound where the incident occurred.
Their action led to a hold-up of proceedings at the court, giving the security personnel and police prosecutors on duty a hectic time controlling the crowd, most of whom had travelled all the way from Dahwenya in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region where Ghunney resides.
Madam Hemmah, a native of Ajumako Assasan in the Central Region, was allegedly detained and tortured for four hours by the suspects in an attempt to extract confessions of being a witch from her.
The trial magistrate, Mrs Johana Yankson, granted the prosecution’s request for an adjournment of the case to December 20, 2010, as police investigators were yet to receive the autopsy report on the deceased, Ama Hemmah.
Two of the suspects, Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, are alleged to have tortured and set ablaze the 72-year-old woman, leading to her death, when she strayed into their compound at Community One Site 7 in Tema.
The deceased, according to the prosecutor in the case, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Addai, was doused with kerosene laced with petrol and subsequently set ablaze, with the assistance of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, all unemployed, who have been released on police enquiry bail.
Family members of the principal suspect, Ghunney, who thronged the court protested vehemently at its decision to grant the evangelist, Fletcher Sagoe, a police enquiry bail.
They described the action of the court as unjust since, according to them, Ghunney’s role in the whole incident had been informed by the evangelist who invited him to the compound where the incident occurred.
Their action led to a hold-up of proceedings at the court, giving the security personnel and police prosecutors on duty a hectic time controlling the crowd, most of whom had travelled all the way from Dahwenya in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region where Ghunney resides.
Madam Hemmah, a native of Ajumako Assasan in the Central Region, was allegedly detained and tortured for four hours by the suspects in an attempt to extract confessions of being a witch from her.
Monday, December 6, 2010
'I WILL PURSUE CASE TILL JUSTICE IS DONE' (MIRROR, DEC 4, 2010, PAGE 34)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Tema
The 25-year-old single mother, Ms Deborah Adumuah, who recently rescued a 72-year-old woman, Ama Hemmah, after she was set ablaze at Tema Community One in an attempt to extract confessions of witchcraft from her, has vowed that she would pursue the case until justice is sought for the deceased.
Although the woman died later at the Tema General Hospital from severe burns 24 hours after she was rescued, Ms Adumuah continues to make follow ups at the Community One police station to see how far investigations have gone.
Ms Adumuah, who operates a mini container shop at Site 10, a suburb of Community One, told The Mirror that she felt traumatised by the incident and still cannot come to terms on why anybody would go to the extent of setting a fellow being ablaze on mere suspicion.
According to her, although she has heard numerous stories about witchcraft, witches and their activities, the inhuman treatment meted out to late Ama Hemmah was something that still beats her.
Describing the condition in which Madam Hemmah was rescued, she indicated that her entire skin peeled off as a result of the severe burns.
“I was in tears as she wailed uncontrollably at the Tema General Hospital when nurses attempted peeling of the remains of her burnt clothing on her body,” Ms Adumuah said.
While commending the Tema Community One police for swiftly responding to the distress call by arresting and putting the suspects before court, she is still imploring the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and stakeholder institutions working to protect the rights of women and children to ensure that justice is brought to the door steps of the deceased.
“I also believe provisions and sanctions in the Domestic Violence Act ought to be refined to ensure that stiffer punishments are given to perpetrators of violence of all sorts,” she added.
The 25-year-old single mother, Ms Deborah Adumuah, who recently rescued a 72-year-old woman, Ama Hemmah, after she was set ablaze at Tema Community One in an attempt to extract confessions of witchcraft from her, has vowed that she would pursue the case until justice is sought for the deceased.
Although the woman died later at the Tema General Hospital from severe burns 24 hours after she was rescued, Ms Adumuah continues to make follow ups at the Community One police station to see how far investigations have gone.
Ms Adumuah, who operates a mini container shop at Site 10, a suburb of Community One, told The Mirror that she felt traumatised by the incident and still cannot come to terms on why anybody would go to the extent of setting a fellow being ablaze on mere suspicion.
According to her, although she has heard numerous stories about witchcraft, witches and their activities, the inhuman treatment meted out to late Ama Hemmah was something that still beats her.
Describing the condition in which Madam Hemmah was rescued, she indicated that her entire skin peeled off as a result of the severe burns.
“I was in tears as she wailed uncontrollably at the Tema General Hospital when nurses attempted peeling of the remains of her burnt clothing on her body,” Ms Adumuah said.
While commending the Tema Community One police for swiftly responding to the distress call by arresting and putting the suspects before court, she is still imploring the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and stakeholder institutions working to protect the rights of women and children to ensure that justice is brought to the door steps of the deceased.
“I also believe provisions and sanctions in the Domestic Violence Act ought to be refined to ensure that stiffer punishments are given to perpetrators of violence of all sorts,” she added.
FOUR REMANDED FOR RIOTING (MIRROR, DEC 4, 2010, PAGE 27)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Ada-Foah
THE Ada District Magistrate Court, presided over by Justice Michael Johnson Abbey, has remanded four persons into prison custody for an alleged act of rioting and wrongful possession of arms without license.
Andrews Boryor, 32, unemployed; Percy Bruce, 28; Chemugu Moro, 27, trader and Ahmed Ibrahim, a tailor, are to reappear on December 6, 2010.
Prosecuting the case, Chief Inspector George Kyei told the court that Boryor and his accomplices, on November 23, this year, set up a roadblock at Torflokpo, a suburb of Ada, along the major stretch leading to the Songor Salt Mine.
According to him, the group was engaged in illegal salt mining and construction of dikes, popularly known as “atsiakpo” while such activities have been banned by the Ada Traditional Council and a management committee has been put in place to administer the smooth running of salt mining and its related activities in the community.
He said members of the committee who were on a tour of the site were met with resistance and hostility from the group recruited by Boryor.
The group, he said, wielding arms and machetes, among other dangerous implements, and keeping guard along the stretch, hounded the team out of the area, hurling stones and other missiles at them.
Inspector Kyei said a police reinforcement team which was called to the scene also had its fair share of the hostility but managed to arrest Boryor, who incidentally was said to be on the police wanted list.
The prosecutor prayed the court to remand Boryor and his accomplices to enable the police conduct further investigation into the incident.
THE Ada District Magistrate Court, presided over by Justice Michael Johnson Abbey, has remanded four persons into prison custody for an alleged act of rioting and wrongful possession of arms without license.
Andrews Boryor, 32, unemployed; Percy Bruce, 28; Chemugu Moro, 27, trader and Ahmed Ibrahim, a tailor, are to reappear on December 6, 2010.
Prosecuting the case, Chief Inspector George Kyei told the court that Boryor and his accomplices, on November 23, this year, set up a roadblock at Torflokpo, a suburb of Ada, along the major stretch leading to the Songor Salt Mine.
According to him, the group was engaged in illegal salt mining and construction of dikes, popularly known as “atsiakpo” while such activities have been banned by the Ada Traditional Council and a management committee has been put in place to administer the smooth running of salt mining and its related activities in the community.
He said members of the committee who were on a tour of the site were met with resistance and hostility from the group recruited by Boryor.
The group, he said, wielding arms and machetes, among other dangerous implements, and keeping guard along the stretch, hounded the team out of the area, hurling stones and other missiles at them.
Inspector Kyei said a police reinforcement team which was called to the scene also had its fair share of the hostility but managed to arrest Boryor, who incidentally was said to be on the police wanted list.
The prosecutor prayed the court to remand Boryor and his accomplices to enable the police conduct further investigation into the incident.
TWO ARRESTED FOR STEALING OVERHEAD CABLES (MIRROR, DEC 4, 2010, PAGE 27)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Tema
THE Tema Police command has arrested two persons for allegedly stealing overhead telephone cables valued at GH¢1million belonging to Vodafone Ghana Limited.
Nsor Adukor, 36 and Daniel Martey, 24, were arrested at Ashaiman Lebanon Zone 3 at about 10 a.m. by residents when they attempted carting away their booty.
The Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Olivia Turkson, briefing The Mirror, said Adukor, an employee of Vodafone, gave out his uniform to the accomplice while he, armed with his identity card, often visited various communities and managed to cart away huge quantities of the cables.
She said residents who have been suspicious of their activities mounted surveillance in their operational area on November 10, this year and spotted the two removing the cables after cutting them with sharp objects.
They were arrested and handed over to the police who charged them with conspiracy to steal and stealing after they appeared before the Ashaiman Circuit Court, presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah.
They were remanded to appear at a later date to answer the substantive case of stealing brought against them..
Inspector Turkson commended residents of the community for their alertness leading to the arrest of the two and assured the general public of the command’s readiness to respond to crime control in the region.
She charged the general public to volunteer vital information on criminals and suspicious activities on MTN short code 18555 and 0303 202936/7 to enable the police weed out such miscreants in the society.
THE Tema Police command has arrested two persons for allegedly stealing overhead telephone cables valued at GH¢1million belonging to Vodafone Ghana Limited.
Nsor Adukor, 36 and Daniel Martey, 24, were arrested at Ashaiman Lebanon Zone 3 at about 10 a.m. by residents when they attempted carting away their booty.
The Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Olivia Turkson, briefing The Mirror, said Adukor, an employee of Vodafone, gave out his uniform to the accomplice while he, armed with his identity card, often visited various communities and managed to cart away huge quantities of the cables.
She said residents who have been suspicious of their activities mounted surveillance in their operational area on November 10, this year and spotted the two removing the cables after cutting them with sharp objects.
They were arrested and handed over to the police who charged them with conspiracy to steal and stealing after they appeared before the Ashaiman Circuit Court, presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah.
They were remanded to appear at a later date to answer the substantive case of stealing brought against them..
Inspector Turkson commended residents of the community for their alertness leading to the arrest of the two and assured the general public of the command’s readiness to respond to crime control in the region.
She charged the general public to volunteer vital information on criminals and suspicious activities on MTN short code 18555 and 0303 202936/7 to enable the police weed out such miscreants in the society.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
GRADMA'S CASE ADJOURNED (PAGE 3, DEC 3, 2010)
THE Magistrate’s Court in Tema trying the case involving six people who were alleged to have tortured and set ablaze a 72-year-old woman, Ama Ahemmah, leading to her death has adjourned the case to December 6.
The decision of the court is to await advice on the docket which has been forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Department to enable committal proceedings to begin.
Two of the suspects, Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, were alleged to have drenched Ama with Kerosene laced with petrol before setting her ablaze with the help of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist, Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, all unemployed, who have been released on a police enquiry bail.
The magistrate, Mrs Johana Yankson, was, however, absent from court because of ill-health.
The prosecutor in the case, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Addai, told the Daily Graphic that the suspects would be made to appear before the Tema High Court on a charge of murder immediately investigations into the case were completed.
The suspects were alleged to have tortured and extracted confessions of being a witch from the Ama Ahemmah, when she strayed into their house at Community One Site 7.
The decision of the court is to await advice on the docket which has been forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Department to enable committal proceedings to begin.
Two of the suspects, Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Emelia Opoku, a 37-year-old teacher, were alleged to have drenched Ama with Kerosene laced with petrol before setting her ablaze with the help of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist, Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, all unemployed, who have been released on a police enquiry bail.
The magistrate, Mrs Johana Yankson, was, however, absent from court because of ill-health.
The prosecutor in the case, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Addai, told the Daily Graphic that the suspects would be made to appear before the Tema High Court on a charge of murder immediately investigations into the case were completed.
The suspects were alleged to have tortured and extracted confessions of being a witch from the Ama Ahemmah, when she strayed into their house at Community One Site 7.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
TEMA GETS LAND COURT (PAGE 23, DEC 2, 2010)
A land court has been opened in Tema to improve access to justice and ensure speedy, efficient and cost-effective resolution of land cases.
The court is located on the premises of the Tema Development Corporation. It will enable the Judicial Service to expeditiously dispose of land cases to ensure economic growth of the Tema Metropolis.
Justice Vida Akoto Bamfo of the Supreme Court, who represented the Chief Justice, Mrs Theodora Wood, inaugurated the court and said statistics showed that land cases accounted for more than 80 per cent of all new civil cases filed in courts in Ghana.
She said they included investment-related land cases, stools or skins and family lands.
Justice Akoto Bamfo noted that the system of land administration is fraught with many challenges adding that “being a most valuable natural resource , issues related to land had always assumed great importance since it is crucial to human existence”.
She said the right to shelter, education, health and work had all been enshrined in the 1992 Constitution and, therefore, its enjoyment was beyond question .
Justice Akoto Bamfo stated that land cases continued to increase resulting in delays in justice delivery .
She commended the TDC for providing accommodation for the court and its registry .
Justice Akoto Bamfo was of the view that with the inauguration of the court ,delays which had unfortunately been accepted as a norm in adjudication of land cases would be minimised.
She appealed to presiding judges ,lawyers ,court staff and litigants to contribute their quota towards ensuring that cases were disposed of with minimum delay .
Justice Akoto Bamfo also tasked them to take good care of the facility, keep the surroundings clean and desist from practices which would bring the administration of justice into disrepute .
The Managing Director of the Tema Development Corporation, Mr Joe Abbey, was grateful to the Chief Justice, Mrs Theodora Wood for embarking on series of projects and programmes to improve the justice delivery system in Ghana.
He said at present, TDC had about 80 cases pending before the law courts out of which about 60 of them were purely issues that were related to land allocation.
r Abbey noted that litigation related to land is a perennial feature and had been a major setback to development .
He stated that litigation on land cases were frustrating and tiresome for the parties involved .
Mr Abbey also disclosed that TDC in carrying out its mandate of planning ,developing and managing the Tema township had found itself in land disputes ,many of which were still being pursued in various courts .
He said it was the TDC 's decision to use the courts to solve some of the cases of unauthorised developments within the township.
The court is located on the premises of the Tema Development Corporation. It will enable the Judicial Service to expeditiously dispose of land cases to ensure economic growth of the Tema Metropolis.
Justice Vida Akoto Bamfo of the Supreme Court, who represented the Chief Justice, Mrs Theodora Wood, inaugurated the court and said statistics showed that land cases accounted for more than 80 per cent of all new civil cases filed in courts in Ghana.
She said they included investment-related land cases, stools or skins and family lands.
Justice Akoto Bamfo noted that the system of land administration is fraught with many challenges adding that “being a most valuable natural resource , issues related to land had always assumed great importance since it is crucial to human existence”.
She said the right to shelter, education, health and work had all been enshrined in the 1992 Constitution and, therefore, its enjoyment was beyond question .
Justice Akoto Bamfo stated that land cases continued to increase resulting in delays in justice delivery .
She commended the TDC for providing accommodation for the court and its registry .
Justice Akoto Bamfo was of the view that with the inauguration of the court ,delays which had unfortunately been accepted as a norm in adjudication of land cases would be minimised.
She appealed to presiding judges ,lawyers ,court staff and litigants to contribute their quota towards ensuring that cases were disposed of with minimum delay .
Justice Akoto Bamfo also tasked them to take good care of the facility, keep the surroundings clean and desist from practices which would bring the administration of justice into disrepute .
The Managing Director of the Tema Development Corporation, Mr Joe Abbey, was grateful to the Chief Justice, Mrs Theodora Wood for embarking on series of projects and programmes to improve the justice delivery system in Ghana.
He said at present, TDC had about 80 cases pending before the law courts out of which about 60 of them were purely issues that were related to land allocation.
r Abbey noted that litigation related to land is a perennial feature and had been a major setback to development .
He stated that litigation on land cases were frustrating and tiresome for the parties involved .
Mr Abbey also disclosed that TDC in carrying out its mandate of planning ,developing and managing the Tema township had found itself in land disputes ,many of which were still being pursued in various courts .
He said it was the TDC 's decision to use the courts to solve some of the cases of unauthorised developments within the township.
MY MUM IS NOT A WITCH (1B, NOV 29, 2010)
MR Stephen Kwame Ofosu Yeboah, a 48-year-old son of the woman who was burnt alive at Tema Community One last week, has discounted claims that the deceased was a witch.
The deceased, who left behind two other children, including Madam Ama Foa, 53, a trader, and 40-year-old Kwesi Ayiah, a dock worker, died from severe burns at the Tema General Hospital 24 hours after being sent there.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Yeboah said he was informed by his cousin, Mr Kofi Saman, with whom the deceased lived in the village, that she had left the village on the dawn of the day of the incident for Tema in her attempt to visit him (Yeboah) at Ashaiman.
Madam Ama Hemmah, now deceased, according to family members, had made her travel arrangements known the previous day when the entire family was about to retire to bed.
According to Mr Yeboah, his cousin said he had tried to convince her to rescind her decision, as her son had relocated from Nungua to Ashaiman and she might not be able to trace him at his new place of abode.
Mr Yeboah said family members at the village had woken up the following day to find the deceased’s bedroom empty, and after failing to locate her in the village, the said cousin alerted him.
“I then went to Kaneshie and waited at the Ajumako Station in an attempt to meet her and bring her home, but I was unsuccessful,” Mr Yeboah stated.
He denied allegations of witchcraft levelled against his mother by her killers.
“Our mother was never a witch and had never suffered any mental disorder throughout her entire life, apart from exhibiting signs of forgetfulness and other symptoms of old age,” he stated.
Meanwhile, some residents of Site 7 (Community One) where the incident occurred have appealed to state prosecutors to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime faced the full rigours of the law.
They said that would serve as a deterrent to people who were quick to mete out mob justice on crime suspects.
Madam Ama Hemmah, a native of Ajumako Assasan in the Central Region, was allegedly detained and tortured for four hours by six people in an attempt to extract confessions of being a witch from her.
The suspects, Samuel Ghunney, 50, a photographer, and Emelia Opoku, 37, a trader, with the help of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, a teacher; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, were said to have drenched the deceased in kerosene before setting her ablaze.
The suspects, however, denied the offence when they appeared before the Tema Magistrate Court.
In a related development, a resident of Community One has told the Daily Graphic that she had seen Madam Hemmah begging for alms in the neighbourhood on the day of the incident.
According to Madam Jayne Quartey, aged 76, Madam Hemmah approached her in front of her house, where she sells bread, and told her (Madam Quartey) that she (Madam Hemmah) had come to town to visit her children but lost her way after falling asleep in a Tema-bound vehicle and that she had later got down at the Community One main station.
She said Madam Hemmah, who had in her hand a black leather handbag, had sought her assistance for food, water, as well as an amount of money, to enable her to go back to her village.
According to Madam Quartey, she had offered only a piece of bread to Madam Hemmah, as there was no money on her to assist the old woman.
“If I knew that such a fate would befall her, I would not have allowed her to leave my premises,” Madam Quartey stated.
The deceased, who left behind two other children, including Madam Ama Foa, 53, a trader, and 40-year-old Kwesi Ayiah, a dock worker, died from severe burns at the Tema General Hospital 24 hours after being sent there.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Yeboah said he was informed by his cousin, Mr Kofi Saman, with whom the deceased lived in the village, that she had left the village on the dawn of the day of the incident for Tema in her attempt to visit him (Yeboah) at Ashaiman.
Madam Ama Hemmah, now deceased, according to family members, had made her travel arrangements known the previous day when the entire family was about to retire to bed.
According to Mr Yeboah, his cousin said he had tried to convince her to rescind her decision, as her son had relocated from Nungua to Ashaiman and she might not be able to trace him at his new place of abode.
Mr Yeboah said family members at the village had woken up the following day to find the deceased’s bedroom empty, and after failing to locate her in the village, the said cousin alerted him.
“I then went to Kaneshie and waited at the Ajumako Station in an attempt to meet her and bring her home, but I was unsuccessful,” Mr Yeboah stated.
He denied allegations of witchcraft levelled against his mother by her killers.
“Our mother was never a witch and had never suffered any mental disorder throughout her entire life, apart from exhibiting signs of forgetfulness and other symptoms of old age,” he stated.
Meanwhile, some residents of Site 7 (Community One) where the incident occurred have appealed to state prosecutors to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime faced the full rigours of the law.
They said that would serve as a deterrent to people who were quick to mete out mob justice on crime suspects.
Madam Ama Hemmah, a native of Ajumako Assasan in the Central Region, was allegedly detained and tortured for four hours by six people in an attempt to extract confessions of being a witch from her.
The suspects, Samuel Ghunney, 50, a photographer, and Emelia Opoku, 37, a trader, with the help of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, a teacher; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, were said to have drenched the deceased in kerosene before setting her ablaze.
The suspects, however, denied the offence when they appeared before the Tema Magistrate Court.
In a related development, a resident of Community One has told the Daily Graphic that she had seen Madam Hemmah begging for alms in the neighbourhood on the day of the incident.
According to Madam Jayne Quartey, aged 76, Madam Hemmah approached her in front of her house, where she sells bread, and told her (Madam Quartey) that she (Madam Hemmah) had come to town to visit her children but lost her way after falling asleep in a Tema-bound vehicle and that she had later got down at the Community One main station.
She said Madam Hemmah, who had in her hand a black leather handbag, had sought her assistance for food, water, as well as an amount of money, to enable her to go back to her village.
According to Madam Quartey, she had offered only a piece of bread to Madam Hemmah, as there was no money on her to assist the old woman.
“If I knew that such a fate would befall her, I would not have allowed her to leave my premises,” Madam Quartey stated.
LEDZOKUKU-KROWOR ASSEMBLY TO BUILD OFFICE BLOCK PAGE 18, NOV 26, 2010)
THE Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly has the cut sod for the construction of a three-storey permanent office block to house the assembly.
The two-phase project is estimated to cost GH¢4.5 million and the first phase is expected to be completed within 18months.
The project is being financed from the assembly’s internally generated funds (IGF) with additional funding from its share of the district assembly’s common fund.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Daniel Amartey-Mensah, said the assembly currently operated in rented premises and paid a monthly rent of GH¢9, 000, an amount he said could be used for various social interventions for residents in the municipality.
He said the unavailability of office accommodation had led to the assembly’s decentralised offices operating at different locations within the municipality.
That, he said, was impacting negatively on delivery due to mounting huge fiscal load on the assembly owing to increase demand for rent payments by owners of the structures they occupied.
Mr Mensah explained that the LEKMA in its quest to integrate development in the municipality was committed to phasing out the shift system of education which was a common feature in the municipality.
He noted that LEKMA had been allocated GH¢1.3 million by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development following an impressive performance in the ministry’s 2009 assessment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDCs), thus placing the assembly second to Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) nationwide.
The money he said was being used judiciously for the provision of manpower training, procurement of furniture for deprived schools in the community, an ambulance for the Teshie General Hospital, construction of school blocks amongst others.
The Deputy Local Government Minister, Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, said his outfit after conducting an institutional audit of the sixty new MMDCEs that were created in 2008 was putting out a cabinet memorandum to seek funding for their support.
The two-phase project is estimated to cost GH¢4.5 million and the first phase is expected to be completed within 18months.
The project is being financed from the assembly’s internally generated funds (IGF) with additional funding from its share of the district assembly’s common fund.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Daniel Amartey-Mensah, said the assembly currently operated in rented premises and paid a monthly rent of GH¢9, 000, an amount he said could be used for various social interventions for residents in the municipality.
He said the unavailability of office accommodation had led to the assembly’s decentralised offices operating at different locations within the municipality.
That, he said, was impacting negatively on delivery due to mounting huge fiscal load on the assembly owing to increase demand for rent payments by owners of the structures they occupied.
Mr Mensah explained that the LEKMA in its quest to integrate development in the municipality was committed to phasing out the shift system of education which was a common feature in the municipality.
He noted that LEKMA had been allocated GH¢1.3 million by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development following an impressive performance in the ministry’s 2009 assessment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDCs), thus placing the assembly second to Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) nationwide.
The money he said was being used judiciously for the provision of manpower training, procurement of furniture for deprived schools in the community, an ambulance for the Teshie General Hospital, construction of school blocks amongst others.
The Deputy Local Government Minister, Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, said his outfit after conducting an institutional audit of the sixty new MMDCEs that were created in 2008 was putting out a cabinet memorandum to seek funding for their support.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
MY MUM IS NOT A WITCH, DAILY GRAPHIC, FRONT B (MON 29 NOV 2010)
Mr Stephen Kwame Ofosu Yeboah, a 48-year-old son of the woman who was burnt alive at Tema Community One last week, has discounted claims that the deceased was a witch.
The deceased, who left behind two other children, including Madam Ama Foa, 53, a trader, and 40-year-old Kwesi Ayiah, a dock worker, died from severe burns at the Tema General Hospital 24 hours after being sent there.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Yeboah said he was informed by his cousin, Mr Kofi Saman, with whom the deceased lived in the village, that she had left the village on the dawn of the day of the incident for Tema in her attempt to visit him (Yeboah) at Ashaiman.
Madam Ama Ahima, now deceased, according to family members, had made her travel arrangements known the previous day when the entire family was about to retire to bed.
According to Mr Yeboah, his cousin said he had tried to convince her to rescind her decision, as her son had relocated from Nungua to Ashaiman and she might not be able to trace him at his new place of abode.
Mr Yeboah said family members at the village had woken up the following day to find the deceased’s bedroom empty, and after failing to locate her in the village, the said cousin alerted him.
“I then went to Kaneshie and waited at the Ajumako Station in an attempt to meet her and bring her home, but I was unsuccessful,” Mr Yeboah stated.
He denied allegations of witchcraft levelled against his mother by her killers.
“Our mother was never a witch and had never suffered any mental disorder throughout her entire life, apart from exhibiting signs of forgetfulness and other symptoms of old age,” he stated.
Meanwhile, some residents of Site 7 (Community One) where the incident occurred have appealed to state prosecutors to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime faced the full rigours of the law.
They said that would serve as a deterrent to people who were quick to mete out mob justice on crime suspects.
Madam Ama Hemmah, a native of Ajumako Assasan in the Central Region, was allegedly detained and tortured for four hours by six people in an attempt to extract confessions of being a witch from her.
The suspects, Samuel Ghunney, 50, a photographer, and Emelia Opoku, 37, a trader, with the help of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, a teacher; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, were said to have drenched the deceased in kerosene before setting her ablaze.
The suspects, however, denied the offence when they appeared before the Tema Magistrate Court.
In a related development, a resident of Community One has told the Daily Graphic that she had seen Madam Hemmah begging for alms in the neighbourhood on the day of the incident.
According to Madam Jayne Quartey, aged 76, Madam Ahima approached her in front of her house, where she sells bread, and told her (Madam Quartey) that she (Madam Ahima) had come to town to visit her children but lost her way after falling asleep in a Tema-bound vehicle and that she had later got down at the Community One main station.
She said Madam Ahima who had in her hand a black leather handbag, had sought her assistance for food, water, as well as an amount of money, to enable her to go back to her village.
According to Madam Quartey, she had offered only a piece of bread to Madam Ahima, as there was no money on her to assist the old woman.
“If I knew that such a fate would befall her, I would not have allowed her to leave my premises,” Madam Quartey stated.
The deceased, who left behind two other children, including Madam Ama Foa, 53, a trader, and 40-year-old Kwesi Ayiah, a dock worker, died from severe burns at the Tema General Hospital 24 hours after being sent there.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Yeboah said he was informed by his cousin, Mr Kofi Saman, with whom the deceased lived in the village, that she had left the village on the dawn of the day of the incident for Tema in her attempt to visit him (Yeboah) at Ashaiman.
Madam Ama Ahima, now deceased, according to family members, had made her travel arrangements known the previous day when the entire family was about to retire to bed.
According to Mr Yeboah, his cousin said he had tried to convince her to rescind her decision, as her son had relocated from Nungua to Ashaiman and she might not be able to trace him at his new place of abode.
Mr Yeboah said family members at the village had woken up the following day to find the deceased’s bedroom empty, and after failing to locate her in the village, the said cousin alerted him.
“I then went to Kaneshie and waited at the Ajumako Station in an attempt to meet her and bring her home, but I was unsuccessful,” Mr Yeboah stated.
He denied allegations of witchcraft levelled against his mother by her killers.
“Our mother was never a witch and had never suffered any mental disorder throughout her entire life, apart from exhibiting signs of forgetfulness and other symptoms of old age,” he stated.
Meanwhile, some residents of Site 7 (Community One) where the incident occurred have appealed to state prosecutors to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime faced the full rigours of the law.
They said that would serve as a deterrent to people who were quick to mete out mob justice on crime suspects.
Madam Ama Hemmah, a native of Ajumako Assasan in the Central Region, was allegedly detained and tortured for four hours by six people in an attempt to extract confessions of being a witch from her.
The suspects, Samuel Ghunney, 50, a photographer, and Emelia Opoku, 37, a trader, with the help of Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, an evangelist; Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, a teacher; Hannah Sagoe and Mary Sagoe, 52, were said to have drenched the deceased in kerosene before setting her ablaze.
The suspects, however, denied the offence when they appeared before the Tema Magistrate Court.
In a related development, a resident of Community One has told the Daily Graphic that she had seen Madam Hemmah begging for alms in the neighbourhood on the day of the incident.
According to Madam Jayne Quartey, aged 76, Madam Ahima approached her in front of her house, where she sells bread, and told her (Madam Quartey) that she (Madam Ahima) had come to town to visit her children but lost her way after falling asleep in a Tema-bound vehicle and that she had later got down at the Community One main station.
She said Madam Ahima who had in her hand a black leather handbag, had sought her assistance for food, water, as well as an amount of money, to enable her to go back to her village.
According to Madam Quartey, she had offered only a piece of bread to Madam Ahima, as there was no money on her to assist the old woman.
“If I knew that such a fate would befall her, I would not have allowed her to leave my premises,” Madam Quartey stated.
GRANDMA SET ABLAZE TO EXORCISE WITCHRAFT, FRI NOV 26, 2010 (DAILY GRAPHIC, LEAD STORY)
A 72-year-old grandmother suffered one of the most barbaric of deaths when she was burnt alive by a mob at Tema Site 15 after being accused of being a witch.
A student-nurse, who appeared on the scene, attempted to rescue the old woman from her ordeal but she died of her burns within 24 hours of arrival at the Tema General Hospital.
Five people who allegedly tortured and extracted the confessions of witchcraft from Ama Hemmah before drenching her in petrol and setting her ablaze have been arrested by the Tema Police.
But the suspects, including an evangelist, denied the crime and claimed that they were rather praying to exorcise the evil spirit from the deceased, Ama, when the anointing oil they had applied to her body caught fire.
Two of the suspects are Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Pastor Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, the evangelist.
The rest are Emelia Opoku, 37, Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, and Mary Sagoe, 52, all unemployed.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the incident, the Tema Regional Police Commander, Mr Augustine Gyening, Assistant Commissioner of Police, said about 10 a.m. on November 20, 2010, Samuel Fletcher Sagoe visited his sister (Emelia) at Site 15, a suburb of Tema Community 1, and saw Madam Hemmah sitting in Emelia’s bedroom at a time Emelia had sent her children to school.
Mr Gyening said Samuel then raised an alarm attracting the attention of the principal suspect, Samuel Ghunney, and some people in the neighbourhood.
According to him, the suspects claimed that Mad. Hemmah was a known witch in the area and subjected her to severe torture, compelling her to confess being a witch.
He said after extracting the confession from Mad. Hemmah, Ghunney asked Emelia Opoku for a gallon of kerosene and, with the help of his accomplices, poured it all over her and set her ablaze.
Mr Gyening said a student-nurse, Deborah Pearl Adumoah, who chanced upon the barbaric act, rescued Mad. Hemmah and sent her to the Community One Police Station from where she was transferred to the Tema General Hospital, but she died the following day.
In their caution statement, the suspects denied the offence and explained that they poured anointing oil on the old woman and it caught fire when they offered prayers to exorcise the demon from her.
The docket has since been sent to the Attorney General’s Department for advice while the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
A student-nurse, who appeared on the scene, attempted to rescue the old woman from her ordeal but she died of her burns within 24 hours of arrival at the Tema General Hospital.
Five people who allegedly tortured and extracted the confessions of witchcraft from Ama Hemmah before drenching her in petrol and setting her ablaze have been arrested by the Tema Police.
But the suspects, including an evangelist, denied the crime and claimed that they were rather praying to exorcise the evil spirit from the deceased, Ama, when the anointing oil they had applied to her body caught fire.
Two of the suspects are Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, and Pastor Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, the evangelist.
The rest are Emelia Opoku, 37, Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, and Mary Sagoe, 52, all unemployed.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the incident, the Tema Regional Police Commander, Mr Augustine Gyening, Assistant Commissioner of Police, said about 10 a.m. on November 20, 2010, Samuel Fletcher Sagoe visited his sister (Emelia) at Site 15, a suburb of Tema Community 1, and saw Madam Hemmah sitting in Emelia’s bedroom at a time Emelia had sent her children to school.
Mr Gyening said Samuel then raised an alarm attracting the attention of the principal suspect, Samuel Ghunney, and some people in the neighbourhood.
According to him, the suspects claimed that Mad. Hemmah was a known witch in the area and subjected her to severe torture, compelling her to confess being a witch.
He said after extracting the confession from Mad. Hemmah, Ghunney asked Emelia Opoku for a gallon of kerosene and, with the help of his accomplices, poured it all over her and set her ablaze.
Mr Gyening said a student-nurse, Deborah Pearl Adumoah, who chanced upon the barbaric act, rescued Mad. Hemmah and sent her to the Community One Police Station from where she was transferred to the Tema General Hospital, but she died the following day.
In their caution statement, the suspects denied the offence and explained that they poured anointing oil on the old woman and it caught fire when they offered prayers to exorcise the demon from her.
The docket has since been sent to the Attorney General’s Department for advice while the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
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