Author: Administrator

Some One Hundred and Seventy-Eight Ghanaians with resident’s permit in Europe who were stranded in Ghana as a result of the lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic have been evacuated by the Ghanaian Community in Germany in collaboration with the German Government and the Government of Ghana.

The evacuees made up of ten diplomats were on Monday airlifted in a chartered flight under the auspices of the German Consulate in Accra to the German city of Dusseldorf.

The exercise which is the second in the series of evacuation exercises to be embarked on the Ghanaian Community in Germany.

The Ghanaian Community in Germany is expected in next few weeks to airlift some One Thousand Ghanaians with resident’s permit in Europe as part of the decision of the Government of Ghana to ease the ban on travels by a special dispensation on the government to government level.

The evacuees will arrive at Dusseldorf city where they emplane to their various destinations in Europe namely Holland, Switzerland, Italy among others as the European Union(EU) has opened up its borders after the fight against Coronavirus.

Speaking to the media at the departure hall of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Mr Jones Owusu Yeboah, a representative of the Ghanaian Community in Germany in Accra said the community in its first exercise was able to evacuate One Hundred and Seventy-Nine stranded German nationals from Ghana under the same protocols.

According to him, upon the first exercise being successful that the community decided to extend the opportunity to Ghanaians with resident’s permits in Europe.

He said the when evacuees disembark in Dusseldorf, they will be made to self-quarantine for two weeks before being tested for COVID-19 as part of the safety protocols in their various countries of destination.

He said the community through a whatsapp group has identified about One Thousand stranded Ghanaians with resident’s permits and plans are underway to have them evacuated in accordance with the rules of engagement.

When asked why the large numbers in the plane, he explained that all beneficiaries have gone the safety measures but the challenge with the numbers in the plane was that if the ‘we were to ensure social distancing, the cost of travel would be unbearable for the beneficiaries who have much of the money in the lockdown.

‘At the moment every beneficiary is paying the amount of Seven Hundred and Fifty Euros as the cost of travel, he added.

This as an initiative to enable many of these Ghanaians who left their jobs to come on a visit in Accra to go back and continue with their jobs after spending more three months in the country he said.

He said in today’s exercise one woman was travelling with the husband was rejected by Consular officials because she was unfit to travel in an aeroplane.

He took the opportunity to thank the leadership of the Ghanaian Community in Germany, the Government of Ghana and Germany government for buying into the ideas of the community to have people with legal permit evacuated even though the borders of the country are still closed.

Source: Ghanaweb

The Chief and stool elders of Osu on Monday held a crunch meeting with stakeholders to find the way forward on the demolition of a structure at the weekend on a land situate at West Ridge in the Greater Accra Region.

When the Ghana News Agency visited the Osu Palace he was informed by Nii Odoi Kwao, one of the elders, that the Chief and elders were in a meeting on the way forward.

It has been reported that the parcel of land on which the structure was being built belongs to the Nigerian High Commission.

However, a statement issued by Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, the Paramount Chief of Osu, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, described the owner of the demolished structure as a “trespasser who has no documentation on the land.”

It said the piece of land in extent 0.046 hectares (approximately 1.14 acres) being GLPIN GA48906150010 Block 1 Section 019 situated at West Ridge belonged to the Osu Stool and that all intended users of the property must first seek the permission of the Stool.

The statement said sometime last year the Stool noted that the original building on the said parcel of land had been demolished and, in its place, a new structure was being erected.

“The stool was informed that the structure was being erected by a Nigerian business person who aided, by the high office of the Nigerian High Commission, was forcibly trying to take over the said parcel of land,” it said.

“The Stool was also informed that the structure is a planned entertainment complex to be used as an events centre for commercial purposes and not a block of flats as has been reported.”

The statement said the Stool had a high level of respect for foreign missions and had on several occasions verbally informed the unidentified person claiming ownership of the land through the resident security personnel to stop building the structure.

The Chief said a message was subsequently sent to the person to invite him for discussion on the ownership of the land.

“There has till date been no response or acknowledgement in response to the Stool’s invitation nor has the trespasser proceeded to submit any documentation of permission upon which it demolished the original structure on the land and proceeded to erect a new structure.”

The person had openly and with impunity disrespected the Osu Stool by that behaviour, the statement said.

It said authorities including officials from the Land Commission, the Cantonments Police and Police Headquarters had invited the person to produce documentation for the parcel of land and that the Osu Stool was in the known that till date no document had been presented.

“The intention of the trespasser is to forcibly take over the land under the cover of diplomatic mission without redress and without the permission of the Traditional Authority and its Council of Elders.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

The push by former Chief Executive of the Venture Capital Trust Fund (VCTF), Daniel Duku to escape possible jail term by refunding GH¢15million to the State has been rejected once again.

Justice Anthony Oppong said the court is not impressed with the plan to refund the money to the state by paying in bits.

Mr.Duku and two others accused of causing financial loss to the state have been engaging the Attorney General’s office to jointly refund GH¢20million.

The two other accused persons are Irene Anti-Mensah, who was his Executive Assistant at the VCTF, and Frank Aboagye Mensah, Anti-Mensah’s husband. The three accused persons wanted to plead guilty to a total of about 42 charges levelled against them and make amends by paying the money they allegedly took from the state, in line with Section 35 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459).

The court had earlier rejected the proposal saying it does not conform to the requirement of the law. He directed that they work on a new deal and submit to the court.

Justice Oppong had pointed out that on the face of the agreement, there was no indication that the accused persons fully understood what they had signed.

He said the agreement was basically a plea bargain and, therefore, the accused persons must be made aware of the charges which would be dropped against them, whether the prosecution, as a compromise, would drop other charges, the fact that they would not have a right to appeal, among other issues.

At the hearing of the case on Monday, Justice was Oppong was informed of a payment plan spanning three months that will see the three refund GH¢20milion.

Justice Oppong said this was totally unacceptable and the court would exercise its rights to reject the deal.

He directed that trial will proceed; fixing July 3 for the case management conference.

Source: Myjoyonline.com