The President gave the assurance when he swore in Mr. Amidu today [ Friday] at the Flagstaff House, as the country’s first special prosecutor.

He said the office will be provided with the needed assistance to effectively deal with corruption and eliminate same.

“I want to assure him that not only will the Executive including the Attorney General respects scrupulously the independence of his office, but will also provide him with whatever assistance is required to enable him to discharge his high duties effectively in the interest of the Ghanaian people,” he said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”OCfYVdeR3aag5wU571bboceIiqjMCI6x”]The president reiterated that, the office of the Special Prosecutor will work line in with the citizens’ wishes to fighting corruption by discharging its duty without fear or favour.

“The establishment of this office is for a high purpose and must not under any circumstance be used as an avenue for persecution and acts of vengeance, the office will be required to do justice to all manner of persons,” he said.

He congratulated him on his appointment and wished him well for the task ahead.

“I congratulate him fully on his deserved appointment and wish him God’s guidance in the effort he will undoubtedly be making to try to instill integrity and accountability in the governance of our country,” he said.

“I have given Mr. President my word of honour that I will discharge the duties of the burdensome you have entrusted to my care with similar integrity and honour with your support. Mr. President, I want to assure you that the propaganda about witch-hunting will not daunt me from prosecuting all corruption crimes without reference to political considerations…I will treat crime as crime and nothing else,” Mr. Amidu assured after he was sworn in.

On the case at the Supreme Court challenging his eligibility for the position because of his age, the Special Prosecutor said he has not received any lawsuit to that effect, hence nothing bars him from accepting the job he described as “burdensome.”

“I wish the public to know that nobody has served me personally with any writ or statement of case or injunction challenging my nomination, approval and appointment so as to restrain me from accepting this appointment,” he added.

The setting up of the office of the Special Prosecutor was one of the key campaign promises made by President  Akufo-Addo ahead of his election victory in 2016, and it is aimed at tackling corruption effectively.

The Special Prosecutor’s office will be independent of the Executive, which observers believe will allow it to adequately deal with corruption-related issues which have plagued past governments.

The office of the Special Prosecutor has the mandate to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged corruption under the Public Procurement Act 203 Act 63 and other corruption-related offences implicating public officers, political office holders and their accomplices in the public sector.

The Prosecutor is also be mandated to trace and recover the proceeds of corruption.

The former Attorney General received unanimous approval from Parliament earlier this week, despite a pending suit at the Supreme Court over his eligibility for the position.

–

By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Speaking to the Associated Press, Paul Bekaert suggested Mr Puigdemont should instead be questioned in Belgium where he has been since Monday.

He has been summoned to court in Madrid on Thursday, alongside 13 deputies.

They face charges including sedition and misuse of public funds over last month’s banned independence referendum.

Spanish prosecutors could order their arrest if they fail to appear in court for questioning.

But Mr Bekaert told Dutch and Belgian media that his client would “wait and see” further reaction from the Spanish authorities before returning because of the “high” risk of detention.

He also suggested he would fight any extradition ordered by the Spanish national government.

Spain has been gripped by a constitutional crisis since a referendum, organised by Mr Puigdemont’s separatist government, was held on 1 October in defiance of a constitutional court ruling that had declared it illegal.

The Catalan government said that of the 43% of potential voters who took part, 90% were in favour of independence.

After the regional parliament declared independence, Spain’s took direct control and sacked the government, including Mr Puigdemont.

On Monday, Spain’s chief prosecutor said the Catalan leaders were accused of rebellion – which carries a maximum 30 year jail term – as well as sedition and misuse of funds.

The leaders are yet to be formally charged but are due to testify at the Audiencia National (National Court) on Thursday and Friday.

The court summons also gave them three days to pay a deposit of €6.2m ($7.2m) to cover potential liabilities.

Both Mr Puigdemont and his lawyer denied at a news conference on Tuesday that he had travelled to Belgium to seek asylum.

He said he was there “for safety purposes” and wanted to be able to speak freely.

Joaquim Forn and Dolors Bassa, the deposed Catalan interior and labour ministers who travelled with the former Catalan president to Belgium, returned to Barcelona on Tuesday night.

They were greeted by chants of “off to prison” by some crowds that had gathered at Barcelona international airport, according to media reports.

Mr Puigdemont previously said he would return to Spain if he and his colleagues received guarantees of a fair trial from the Spanish government.

–

Source: BBC

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On Friday, Madrid stripped Catalonia of its autonomy and removed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont from office.

The temporary move will see as many as 150 of the region’s ministers replaced. Some have vowed to continue to work.

Mr Puigdemont and other Catalan officials may face criminal charges, a move likely to lead to huge protests.

What happens next?

Spain’s central government is set to take control of Catalan institutions with Spanish officials expected to be put in place in the region’s ministries on Monday.

Madrid has called for the Spanish constitutional court to revoke Catalonia’s unilateral vote for independence.

Mr Puigdemont and his vice-president Oriol Junqueras say they do not accept the moves by Madrid, adding that they can only be removed from office by the citizens of Catalonia.

If Mr Puigdemont and others refuse to step aside, they face possible arrest and prosecution on charges of rebellion – the maximum sentence for which is 30 years.

About 200,000 civil servants are due to arrive on Monday, but it is not clear how many will stay away or refuse to follow instructions.

The former Catalan Sustainability Minister, Josep Rull, said he was continuing with his “scheduled agenda” and posted an image on Twitter showing him at his desk.

“I’m at the office carrying out the responsibilities that the people [of Catalonia] entrusted to us,” he wrote.

However, Madrid has given Catalan ministers hours to pack up their belongings and leave their offices or Catalonia’s regional police force, known as Mossos, will “act”.

Mossos, whose chief was dismissed last week, are deployed in Sant Jaume square, near the government palace in the centre of Barcelona.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis has said he expects the officers to “act professionally”.

Spain’s chief prosecutor has also been preparing criminal charges against any officials considered to have acted against Spanish law in declaring independence following a referendum deemed illegal under the Spanish constitution.

Meanwhile, Madrid has called for fresh regional elections on 21 December.

Mr Puigdemont could run in new elections, according to Mr Dastis, but only if the sacked Catalan leader has not been jailed.

What about Catalonia’s autonomy?

On Monday, Mr Dastis said he hoped the forthcoming elections would help to “restore legal governance and rule of law in Catalonia”.

“We hope and believe that after these elections, Catalonia will again be the same society it was before: open and integrated,” he said during a press briefing in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido has written to all police officers in Catalonia asking for their loyalty as a “new era” begins in the region.

Senior police officers have told the BBC that they have already complied with an order to remove framed photographs of Mr Puigdemont from police stations across the region.

What is the local press saying?

• The centre-left and unionist Madrid-based El País says that Sunday’s huge pro-union protest in Barcelona “has shown in this difficult moment that Catalan society is much more plural than what the pro-independence block strives to show”
• The pro-union Barcelona-based El Periódico says the protest was the “start of the election campaign”. It adds that “the new regional elections should serve to move Catalonia out of its current impasse”
• The pro-independence Catalan language Ara suggests in an editorial that it would be an “error” for the pro-independence parties not to contest the 21 December elections
• The moderate Barcelona-based La Vanguardia focuses on the importance of “reconstruction” and how to overcome the divisions in Catalan society. “All sides will inevitably discover that there is no political problem that cannot be resolved by dialogue” it says

Rule from Madrid

Spain has been gripped by a constitutional crisis since a referendum, organised by Mr Puigdemont’s separatist government, was held earlier this month in defiance of a ruling by the constitutional court which had declared it illegal.

The Catalan government said that of the 43% of potential voters who took part, 90% were in favour of independence.

Friday saw the regional parliament declare independence.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy then announced the dissolution of the regional parliament and the removal of Mr Puigdemont as Catalan leader.

Mr Puigdemont has urged “democratic opposition” to direct rule from Madrid.

Before Madrid took over the Catalan government, the region had one of the greatest levels of self-government in Spain.

It has its own parliament, police force and public broadcaster, as well as a government and president, though those have now been dismissed.

Catalans had a range of powers in many policy areas from culture and environment to communications, transportation, commerce and public safety.

–

Source: BBC

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The measures early on Saturday came after the Catalan parliament voted to declare independence on Friday.

An official state bulletin dismissed Catalan leaders and handed control of Catalonia to Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria.

Earlier, Spain’s interior ministry took charge of Catalonia’s police after firing senior Catalan police officials.

On Friday, PM Mariano Rajoy announced the dissolution of the regional parliament and the removal of the Catalan leader, and called snap local elections.

Demonstrations for and against independence went on into the night.

More are expected on Saturday, with a rally “for the unity of Spain and the constitution” to be held in Madrid.

• Barca coach ducks Catalan questions
• Catalonia crisis: What next for Spain?
• EU risks “more cracks” appearing

The crisis began when Catalan leaders held an independence referendum, defying a ruling by the Constitutional Court which had declared it illegal.

The Catalan government said that of the 43% of potential voters who took part, 90% were in favour of independence. Others boycotted the vote after the court ruling.

What are the latest developments?

On Friday afternoon, the Catalan regional parliament voted to declare independence from Spain.

Soon after, the Spanish Senate granted Mr Rajoy’s government the power to impose direct rule on Catalonia.

It did so early on Saturday by publishing an official bulletin (in Spanish) that dismissed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and all government members.

The announcement came hours after the Madrid government removed Josep Lluís Trapero Álvarez as chief of Catalonia’s autonomous Mossos police force.

Mr Trapero was already under investigation for sedition, accused of failing to help Spain’s Guardia Civil police tackle thousands of pro-independence protesters in Barcelona during the run-up to the referendum.

“[Mr Puigdemont] had the opportunity to return to legality and to call elections,” Mr Rajoy said.

“It is what the majority of the Catalonian people asked for – but he didn’t want to do it. So the government of Spain is taking the necessary measures to return to legality.”

Regional elections are scheduled for 21 December.

Mr Puigdemont urged supporters to “maintain the momentum” in a peaceful manner. Spanish prosecutors say they will file charges of “rebellion” against him next week.

Separatists say the independence move means they no longer fall under Spanish jurisdiction.

But the Spanish Constitutional Court is likely to declare it illegal, while the EU, the US, the UK, Germany and France all expressed support for Spanish unity.

What powers did Catalonia have?

Prior to Madrid taking over the Catalan government, the region had one of the greatest levels of self-government in Spain.

It has its own parliament, police force and public broadcaster, as well as a government and president, though those have now been dismissed.

Catalans had a range of powers in many policy areas from culture and environment to communications, transportation, commerce and public safety.

Foreign affairs, the armed forces and fiscal policy were always the sole responsibility of the Spanish government.

• What powers has Catalonia now lost?
• The case for and against independence

What’s the reaction been?

Thousands celebrated the declaration of independence on the streets of Barcelona, Catalonia’s regional capital.

The same crowds that cheered each Yes vote from Catalan MPs reportedly booed Mr Rajoy as he made his announcement.

There were pro-unity demonstrations too, with protesters in Barcelona waving Spanish flags and denouncing Catalan independence. A large pro-unity rally is expected in Madrid on Saturday.

In other reaction:

• Barcelona’s mayor Ada Colau condemned the move by Madrid, but also criticised Catalan pro-independence parties for “advancing at a kamikaze pace…after their mistaken reading of the results of the Catalan elections”
• EU President Donald Tusk said Madrid’s government “remains our only interlocutor” in Spain, but called for restraint
• The UK government said it did not recognise the declaration of independence by Catalonia.

How did we get here?

After the 1 October referendum, Mr Puigdemont signed a declaration of independence but delayed implementation to allow talks with the Spanish government.

He ignored warnings by the Madrid government to cancel the move, prompting Mr Rajoy to first announce his plans to remove Catalan leaders and impose direct rule.

• Does Catalonia want to leave Spain?
• Reality Check: Police violence in Catalonia

Catalonia is one of Spain’s richest, most distinctive regions, with a high degree of autonomy.

Many Catalans feel they pay more to Madrid than they get back, and there are historical grievances, too, in particular Catalonia’s treatment under the dictatorship of General Franco. But Catalans have been divided on the question of independence.

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The parade was graced by the three former Presidents of the country – Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufour and John Mahama as well as heads of states and dignitaries from neighbouring countries.

The Diamond Jubilee was themed: “Mobilizing for Ghana’s future.”

President Akufo-Addo in his address at the Black Star Square implored Ghanaians to mobilize for a better future that will give every citizen equal opportunity to realize their potential.

“Let us mobilize for the happy and prosperous Ghana of tomorrow, in which all of us, including our youth, our women and the vulnerable in our society, will have equal opportunities to realise their potential, and build lives of dignity. Then, our independence will be meaningful. Then, we will have a Ghana beyond aid,” Nana Addo said.

While expressing hope that Ghanaians will “continue to make ourselves worthy inheritors of this land”, the President was also optimistic that “we [Ghanaians] can achieve the dreams of our forebears.”

The President for the better of his speech gave brief history of the country’s independence struggle, acknowledging the men and women whose contributions have brought the country to this point.

–

Photos by: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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“We have run out of excuses and it is time to set Ghana to rights and get our country to where it should . Sixty years after those heady days, too many of our people continue to wallow in unacceptable poverty. After sixty years, we have run out of excuses and it is time to set Ghana to rights and get our country to where it should be,” the President said at the 6th March Independence Parade on Monday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”PpaWr4Z4u9ic7OWfV0DJsh3UNmC7gCFZ”]Ghana today [Monday], March 6, 2017, turned 60 years since it attained independence on March 6, 1957, after 113 years a colonial rule.

Previously known as the Gold Coast, Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan African country to become independent on the back of Ghana’s first President and his Pan-African ethos, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The President recalled that, at “independence, the popular slogan was to seek first the political kingdom and all other things would be added.”

“We assumed and, indeed, we expected that rapid economic development would follow the political freedom that we achieved.”

He was however quick to add that “sadly, the economic dividend that was meant to accompany our freedom has still not materialized.”

The President said the challenge before us is to therefore to “build our economy and generate a prosperous, progressive and dignified life for the mass of our people. Hard work, enterprise, creativity and a consistent fight against corruption in public life would bring the transformation we seek”

He was optimistic that Ghana can achieve its dream of building the economy if we “move and act as a united people. “

“We must take pride in our diversity by all means, but the Ghanaian must always rise above the ethnic or sectional interest. We have a bright future and we must mobilize all our resources and all our strengths, here and in the Ghanaian Diaspora, to get to that promised land faster.”

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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He made the appeal at the 6^th March Independence Parade at the Black Star Square in Accra.

“Let us mobilize for the happy and prosperous Ghana of tomorrow, in which all of us, including our youth, our women and the vulnerable in our society, will have equal opportunities to realise their potential, and build lives of dignity. Then, our independence will be meaningful. Then, we will have a Ghana beyond aid,” Nana Addo said.

While expressing hope that Ghanaians will “continue to make ourselves worthy inheritors of this land”, the President was also optimistic that “we [Ghanaians] can achieve the dreams of our forebears.”

The President for the better of his speech, gave  brief history of the country’s independence struggle, acknowledging the men and women whose contribution have brought the country to this point.

We’re endangering survival of lands 

The President also expressed concern about the high levels of environmental degradation, saying Ghanaians are “the endangering the very survival of the beautiful and blessed land that our forebears bequeathed to us.”

“The dense forests, that were home to varied trees, plants and fauna, have largely disappeared. Today, we import timber for our use, and the description of our land as a tropical forest no longer fits the reality

Nana Addo reminded Ghanaians about the “right to exploit the bounties of the earth and extract the minerals and even redirect the path of the rivers” but was quick to add that “we do not have the right to denude the land of the plants and fauna nor poison the rivers and lakes.”

“There is nothing we can do better to pay homage to those who fought to free us from bondage than to dedicate this 60th independence anniversary to protecting our environment and regenerating the lands and water bodies,” he added.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The prolific attacker was controversially handed the World Cup Golden Ball earlier this month ahead of Bayern Munich duo Thomas Muller (Germany) and Arjen Robben (Netherlands) and is now in the frame to bag yet another prestigious individual award.

The 10-man shortlist for the prize is dominated by Bayern Munich players, with Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer accompanying the aforementioned Muller and Robben.

Real Madrid have two representatives on the list in Portugal attacker Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Angel Di Maria, while Colombia star James Rodriguez is the only candidate from Ligue 1.

Luis Suarez and Diego Costa, who both switched clubs this summer, complete the shortlist.

Sergio Ramos, Thibaut Courtois, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo and Yaya Toure all narrowly missed out and occupy places 11 to 15.

A jury of journalists from each of Uefa’s member associations has provided the initial list by voting for their five best players. Only the 10 best-ranked players advance to the second vote, which in turn defines the three finalists. That same jury will then cast their live votes during a special ceremony at the Champions League group stage draw. In total, 35 players received votes in the initial poll.

–

Source: Goal.com

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Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso missed last season’s victorious showpiece in Lisbon after picking up a third caution of the campaign in the semi-final against Bayern Munich.

The Spaniard joined an exclusive club of players who missed the final after picking up a booking in the last-four with Roy Keane and Paul Scholes suffering a similar fate in 1999.

The situation came to a head when Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles of Chelsea and David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and Luis Gustavo of Bayern all missed the 2012 final and now the European governing body has announced that all yellow cards will be wiped off after the quarter finals.

“Following a recommendation by the UEFA Club Competitions Committee – in order to implement in UEFA club competitions a rule which is already in force in the UEFA European Football Championship – the Emergency Panel decided that, as of this season, all yellow cards from the beginning of the group stage will expire on completion of the quarter-finals,” read a statement.

“Bookings will therefore not be carried forward to the semi-finals.”

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Source: Sky Sports

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Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Be’er Sheva will have to propose alternative home venues “until further notice” to Uefa, European football’s governing body.

Uefa has also ruled that Russian and Ukrainian teams cannot be drawn against each other in European competition.

This is as a result of the political situation between the two countries.

This decision means Russian side FC Zenit and Dnipro of Ukraine will not be paired together at the Champions League third qualifying round draw on 18 July.

However, Uefa’s Emergency Panel say that European club competition matches can be played in Ukrainian cities.

A Uefa statement added: “Based on an updated assessment of the security situation in Ukraine, the UEFA Emergency Panel has decided to allow UEFA club competition matches to be played in Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa, in addition to Kyiv and Lviv.

“This concerns FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and FC Chornomorets Odesa, entering the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League respectively.”

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Source: BBC Sport

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