Indiana Archives - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always https://citifmonline.com/tag/indiana/ Ghana News | Ghana Politics | Ghana Soccer | Ghana Showbiz Tue, 03 Oct 2017 09:44:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.8 https://citifmonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/cropped-CITI-973-FM-32x32.jpg Indiana Archives - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always https://citifmonline.com/tag/indiana/ 32 32 Couple conned Amazon out of $1.2 million worth of tech goods https://citifmonline.com/2017/10/couple-conned-amazon-out-of-1-2-million-worth-of-tech-goods/ Tue, 03 Oct 2017 09:44:17 +0000 http://citifmonline.com/?p=358669 Who doesn’t love free stuff? Erin Finan and wife Leah Finan were certainly partial to a freebie or two, the only problem being they were obtaining them via fraudulent means. The Indianapolis couple this week formally admitted to stealing $1.2 million worth of items from online retail giant Amazon in a crime that could land them with […]

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]]> Who doesn’t love free stuff? Erin Finan and wife Leah Finan were certainly partial to a freebie or two, the only problem being they were obtaining them via fraudulent means.

The Indianapolis couple this week formally admitted to stealing $1.2 million worth of items from online retail giant Amazon in a crime that could land them with lengthy spells in prison when they’re sentenced in November. Oh, and they have to pay back the money, too.

The Finans, both 37, were charged with the crime earlier this year after it was discovered they’d defrauded Amazon out of a huge range of goods that included GoPro cameras, Microsoft Xboxes, Samsung smartwatches, and Microsoft Surface tablets.

Court documents showed that the pair took possession of the delivered goods by falsely claiming they were damaged or not working. They would then request and sometimes receive a replacement at no charge, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Indiana explained in a release.

“Amazon’s customer service policy allows, under certain circumstances, customers to receive a replacement before they return a broken item,” the release said, suggesting the originally received item was never returned. For Amazon, it’s sometimes more cost-effective to replace items following such claims, rather than investigate them. The company has safeguards in place to flag up potential violators of the system, but the Finans reportedly got around this by creating “hundreds” of false identities.

And the story doesn’t end there.

Receiving more goods than they knew what to do with, the couple passed some of the stolen items to an alleged accomplice in New York named Danijel Glumac, who earlier this year was charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering.

“The Finans allegedly sold the stolen electronics out of their van to Glumac at a price substantially below their retail value,” the release said. “Glumac then marked them up and sold and shipped them to the New York entity, which in turn sold them to the public. Glumac also allegedly advised the Finans on how to evade detection by Amazon,” the Attorney’s Office said.

It reported that in total, Glumac allegedly made more than $1.2 million via sales of the goods, paying around $725,000 to the Finans.

The couple recently pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering in a U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, with sentencing hearings set for November 9.

Both charges carry a maximum jail time of 20 years. Under the terms of a plea agreement, the Finans will be ordered to pay Amazon the total value of the goods — $1,218,504 — making the “freebies” possibly the most expensive ever received.

–

Source: Digital Trends

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]]> The morning after the verdict on governance – suggesting alternatives https://citifmonline.com/2014/07/the-morning-after-the-verdict-on-governance-suggesting-alternatives/ Fri, 25 Jul 2014 10:36:21 +0000 http://4cd.e16.myftpupload.com/?p=34511 After yesterday’s outpouring of disaffection for the government by millions of Ghanaians, I said a prayer for President Mahama. I was quite elated when he stepped in later to stop the nonsense going on at Korle Bu Hospital where suspicious and crooked characters are running affairs. I know he feels like doing something new in […]

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]]> After yesterday’s outpouring of disaffection for the government by millions of Ghanaians, I said a prayer for President Mahama. I was quite elated when he stepped in later to stop the nonsense going on at Korle Bu Hospital where suspicious and crooked characters are running affairs. I know he feels like doing something new in his life and leaving a memorable legacy. He has our support.
My suggestions going forward: 
1. Keep your advisors to just five. Kick out all the ‘booklong’ grammar academics and aides without any serious understanding of economics from the Flagstaff house. Those with an understanding of economics, let them google the book “Common Sense Economics” so they get off the high horse of writing useless essays and talking ‘ebufusem’ about the state of things.

1a. Can you collapse a few more ministries into one? Lands and Forestry be merged with Environment and Science and Technology? Merge Food and Agriculture with Fisheries ministries? Merge Transport ministry with Roads and Highways? Ministries of Chieftaincy with Local Government Ministry? Finally merge Youth and Sport Ministry with Employment and Social Welfare Ministries? You will be saving loads of money and free fuel on V8s. All officials that would be retrenched from this exercise should be made agriculture extension officers and sent to every corner of this country to help till the land.

2. I also think you should ask Minister of Finance to prepare for an IMF bail out since the expected magic with cocoa and gold revenues may actually only end up paying our arrears. Even if gas flows from Atuabo sooner, the pricing dynamics would mean nothing may change substantially for energy.
3. Can you please ask the Central Bank Governor to stop mocking you with his comments about us ‘talking down the cedi’? The forex rules must change NOW!!
4. Can you ask for an audit of all government projects so we can help you identify those that are urgent and those we can do without?
5.Can you stop sharing freebies to those who already have? Many Chiefs hardly account for the lands they sell to investors and make loads of money. In fact many chiefs are behind the many land tenure problems in this country. You should never give them those expensive cars again. I am still praying for you, but prayer without deeds are empty, so please get busy.

6. Finally, in far away land, I am being asked by some donors, big donors, some you will be meeting next week about how you have used the oil money so far. Shall I tell them you have spread thin the money and misapplied a lot as well Or shall I tell them, we have made mistakes and we will behave well with our oil money going forward?. I am still praying…..Ten ‘Hail Marys’, a benediction and an offertory in a Catholic Church…I bless you in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, not Anita Desoso’s ghosts, here though. The Lord be with you whilst you change from your old ways.

Folks share this list of “Alternatives” with all agents of government and and everyone . Good morning on a #RedFriday.

Source: Franklin Cudjoe

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]]> Gov’t not prepared to transform economy – Franklin Cudjoe https://citifmonline.com/2014/07/govt-not-prepared-to-transform-economy-franklin-cudjoe/ Sat, 19 Jul 2014 15:13:27 +0000 http://4cd.e16.myftpupload.com/?p=33041 The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has described government’s decision to halve the $3 billion China Development Bank (CDB) loan as a signification of government’s unpreparedness to transform the economy. According to Mr. Cudjoe,” the fact that we have to change the fundamentals of making projections, going for loans, knowing the profitability and […]

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]]> The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has described government’s decision to halve the $3 billion China Development Bank (CDB) loan as a signification of government’s unpreparedness to transform the economy.

According to Mr. Cudjoe,” the fact that we have to change the fundamentals of making projections, going for loans, knowing the profitability and viability of the project is an attestation of the fact that we have never been ready to do serious business with the economy.”

The CDB agreed to provide Ghana with a loan of $3 billion for a package of infrastructural projects.

The loan was signed by CDB and Ghana on December 16, 2011.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Seth Terkper in his  presentation on the 2014 mid year review budget last Wednesday, however, announced the decision to halve the $3 billion loan to $1.5 billion

The announcement has generated public outrage as some believe the decision could  halt some of the infrastructural projects government intended to embark on with the full loan.

Speaking on Citi FM’s News Analysis Programme, The Big Issue, Mr. Cudjoe condemned government’s decision to sign onto the loan in the first place, describing it as “chicken change.”

Mr. Cudjoe believes Ghana’s “retrogressive” and “discordant” forex rules partly compelled government to halve the loan.

“Unfortunately we are in a serious bind. It was clear that if we had discordant and retrogressive forex rules, government’s projections from day one was going to be affected”

“Government had forgotten that all the projections that were being made were timeous and were related to the time value of money and so if you were already having an economy that was not so productive, you don’t kill it further by having these forex rules,” Mr. Cudjoe opined.

 

By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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]]> Mahama is doing well as ECOWAS chair – Franklin Cudjoe https://citifmonline.com/2014/05/mahama-is-doing-well-as-ecowas-chair-franklin-cudjoe/ Sat, 31 May 2014 11:00:10 +0000 http://4cd.e16.myftpupload.com/?p=21769 The President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has commended President John Mahama’s efforts at rallying support from his colleague West African heads of state to find effective solutions to the activities of terrorist groups. On Citi FM’s the Big Issue on Saturday, Mr. Cudjoe said: “I think President Mahama obviously is doing quite well…I think […]

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]]> The President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has commended President John Mahama’s efforts at rallying support from his colleague West African heads of state to find effective solutions to the activities of terrorist groups.

On Citi FM’s the Big Issue on Saturday, Mr. Cudjoe said: “I think President Mahama obviously is doing quite well…I think he is living up to his responsibilities.”

His commendation follows the summoning of ECOWAS heads of state for an emergency meeting in Accra on Friday to discuss Boko Haram threat in Nigeria, the security situation in Mali and other pressing matters affecting West African countries.

Eight West African heads of state attended the meeting at the behest of ECOWAS Chairman, President Mahama.

The IMANI boss described the meeting as “spot on”, adding that, reports from Nigeria suggests that Nigerians have faith in the leadership of President Mahama as the ECOWAS chair to find a lasting solution to terrorist activities in their country.

“I hear he is being hailed in Nigeria…The Nigerian first lady seems to be saying that he [Mahama] is the only person actually helping Goodluck Jonathan [Nigeria President],” he said.

He was however quick to add that if the sub-region was experiencing greater integration, “I don’t think we would be having discussions on terror cells or trying to use satellites to locate these people…we are just late.”

A financial analyst, Sydney Casely-Hayford also on Citi FM’s the Big Issue described the emergency ECOWAS meeting as “successful.”

He opined that African leaders have however allowed the terrorist activities to fester and grow out of proportion.

According to Casely-Hayford, although much attention is being paid to the fact that Boko Haram is a terrorist group, security chiefs should also focus on Boko Haram as an Islamist Militant group who are imposing their religious views on their victims.

He questioned why religious leaders do not rise up to slam such religious impositions when terrorist groups use religion as a basis to enhance or sanitize their religion.

The financial analyst urged mainstream religious organizations to condemn such religious extremists “so they can control the offshoots and the extreme terrorists…who create more havoc than anything else we can find.”

 

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana


 

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]]> ‘NPP’s excuse for boycott was a joke’ – Franklin Cudjoe https://citifmonline.com/2014/05/npps-boycott-excuse-was-a-joke-franklin-cudjoe/ Mon, 19 May 2014 05:45:05 +0000 http://4cd.e16.myftpupload.com/?p=19311 The President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe says the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) reason for boycotting the National Economic Forum “was a joke.” “That thing was a joke to say I won’t go,” he opined. He mentioned that the rank and file of the NPP for some time now have been complaining bitterly about the […]

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]]> The President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe says the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) reason for boycotting the National Economic Forum “was a joke.”

“That thing was a joke to say I won’t go,” he opined.

He mentioned that the rank and file of the NPP for some time now have been complaining bitterly about the state of the country’s economy and how it is being mismanaged by the government.

This, he said was an  indication that, the members of the NPP knew challenges facing the nation.

Therefore, “to go on to suggest that you were not given any background concept paper and at the same time you were saying that whatever they are going to discuss is already known,” is a difficult excuse to accept.

Prior to the National Economic Forum, the Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko announced that no party member will be allowed to attend the forum because the invitations arrived late.

He also stated that the invited members of the NPP were ill prepared due to the failure of government to give enough information on matters pencilled down to be discussed at the forum.

Mr. Afoko further stated that the forum was another talk shop being organized by government therefore; there was no need for NPP members to attend.

This announcement received a lot of public backlash as some opined it was an avenue for the NPP to make credible suggestions and recommendations on how the economy could be revived.

Some also stated that the NPP’s refusal to attend the forum was a clear indication they were not up to the task as an opposition party to proffer alternative solutions towards the effective governance of the country.

The only NPP stalwart who attended the forum was renowned economist, Kwame Pianim who described the NPP’s decision as a “mistake”.

Sharing his thoughts on the matter on Citi FM’s The Big Issue, Mr. Cudjoe, who was also a participant at the forum, noted that it is wrong for people to suggest that persons who honoured their invitation are one way or the other, linked to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He asked, “are you suggesting that the over 140 people who came there all belong to the NDC? Is that the suggestion? …it was not as if all those who went to Akosombo were carrying a party colour or probably erected a party flag on their cars.”

“This was a very bad move for the executives to have captured and bottled the feelings of their constituency. It was a very, very wrong one” adding that, he is certain not every member of the party supported the national executives’ position.

The IMANI boss observed that the new NPP executives started off on a wrong note with the boycott decision which prevented the likes of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia from attending the forum.

“I have been told reliably that Dr. Bawumia was invited but he has to yield to this fatwa that was rather put across…I don’t understand the economic analysis of Mr. Paul Afoko. I don’t even understand if he understands the issues that plague us now,” he said.

Sydney Casely-Hayford
Sydney Casely-Hayford

But in a sharp rebuttal, a financial analyst, Sydney Casely Hayford said the NPP’s presence at the forum would have brought on a partisan twist which was not needed.

“If the NPP had been there, it would have become a partisan issue because each of them would like to take claim for some of the issues that were put out.”

He said he is certain the NPP envisaged that if they had contributed to solving the economic crisis, credit would have gone to the ruling NDC.

“If it succeeds and turns the economy around, you will go into 2016 and go and tell the public, yes, we fixed it without giving recognisance to the opposition persons who were there,” he explained.

 

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana


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]]> Publish Senchi forum cost – Franklin Cudjoe https://citifmonline.com/2014/05/publish-senchi-forum-cost-franklin-cudjoe/ Sat, 17 May 2014 13:06:29 +0000 http://4cd.e16.myftpupload.com/?p=19211 A participant at the just ended National Economic Forum held at Senchi in the Eastern Region, Franklin Cudjoe, is advising government to publish the total cost of the forum to end inaccurate speculations. He denied media reports that there was exorbitant spending at the forum. According to Mr. Cudjoe, who is President of policy think […]

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]]> A participant at the just ended National Economic Forum held at Senchi in the Eastern Region, Franklin Cudjoe, is advising government to publish the total cost of the forum to end inaccurate speculations.

He denied media reports that there was exorbitant spending at the forum.

According to Mr. Cudjoe, who is President of policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, his checks show that $200 was spent on each participant rather than the speculated $3,000.

There has been a raging debate about the cost of the National Economic Forum held last week to deliberate on ways and means to get the country’s economy back on track.

The participants included former Governors of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), former Finance Ministers, government officials, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), political parties excluding the New Patriotic Party (NPP), heads of institutions and some policy think-tanks.

Some have argued that government could have chosen a less costly venue for the forum considering the current economic challenges.

But speaking on Citi FM’s news and current affairs programme, The Big Issue, the IMANI Ghana boss said government must as a matter of urgency, come out with cost of the forum.

He noted that 81 participants were resident at Senchi “and the top line budget was about $200 per person including, food. And the food was great.”

Mr. Cudjoe revealed he has traveled to 47 countries and counting, “but this Senchi is excellent and I would have charged $400 per person instead of the $200 including food.”

He questioned why spokespersons of the government have as at now, not made public, the detailed information of the cost of the forum despite the widely speculated cost in the media.

The information, he said, if disclosed to the public will put to rest “some of the negative comments.”

Dr. Jemima Agyare
Dr. Jemima Agyare

A governance analyst, Dr. Jemima Agyare was however of the opinion that government could have chosen a different venue for the forum.

“In our current economic climate…I think that perhaps, the venue could have been a bit more sensitive as to the economic plight of the average Ghanaian.”

She mentioned that Ghanaians are now eagerly waiting to see the benefit of the deliberations at Senchi; bearing in mind that, the tax payers money was used in funding the forum.

 

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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]]> NCA’s GHC 3.5m survey is a cooked up scheme – IMANI https://citifmonline.com/2014/05/ncas-ghc-3-5m-survey-is-a-cooked-up-scheme-imani/ Wed, 07 May 2014 09:41:59 +0000 http://4cd.e16.myftpupload.com/?p=16965 The President of IMANI-Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, has challenged the National Communication Authority (NCA) to make public, the full details of every amount spent in producing a mobile cellular consumer satisfaction survey. “First of all we [IMANI-Ghana] have undertaken a nationwide research before. We have done research in relation to the pharmaceuticals and I can tell […]

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]]> The President of IMANI-Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, has challenged the National Communication Authority (NCA) to make public, the full details of every amount spent in producing a mobile cellular consumer satisfaction survey.

“First of all we [IMANI-Ghana] have undertaken a nationwide research before. We have done research in relation to the pharmaceuticals and I can tell you that we spent about GHC 30,000 just last year. I am putting it to the NCA to publish every detail of this arrangement,” Mr. Cudjoe said.

The survey sought to determine the perception of mobile phone users with regards to the services they receive from telecommunication service providers.

According to the NCA, the survey was commissioned in September 2012 and the survey report was finalized in September 2013 after data collation, analysis and verification.

The Authority used approximately GHC 3,553,192.16 million in producing the survey report but IMANI Ghana is insisting the amount was over bloated.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Cudjoe said: “Credibility of the exercise itself is questionable,” adding that, the whole survey represents a cooking up of a scheme

“This is just not right, we are suffering as a country right now and we can’t just sit for people to cook up schemes,” he stated.

In a rebuttal, the Head of Consumer and Cooperate Affairs, Nana Defie Badu maintained the amount used represented the entire process of the survey.

Giving the details on why such a huge amount of money was used to carry out the survey, she explained that it was a “nationwide consumer satisfaction survey that covered all the 10 regions of Ghana including all the district areas of Ghana. The sample size was over 13,000 and this had to do with the fact that we wanted to have a fair representation of mobile phone subscribers so we wanted to ensure that we get consumer perception from the rural areas and the urban areas.”

“Obviously, if we wanted to use just a small section of consumers, we would have done a smaller survey but because this is a baseline survey and to determine what the national consumer perception,snapshot or view is, we had to do a survey of this nature,” she added

 

By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

 

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]]> NCA survey cost GHC 3.5m; IMANI raises red flags https://citifmonline.com/2014/05/nca-survey-cost-ghc-3-5m-imani-raises-red-flags/ Tue, 06 May 2014 18:00:45 +0000 http://4cd.e16.myftpupload.com/?p=16881 The National Communications Authority (NCA) has confirmed to Citi Business News, it used GHC 3,553,192.16 million in producing the mobile cellular consumer satisfaction survey report. This is despite earlier media reports that it used $3 million in undertaking the survey. Policy think tank IMANI Ghana has accused the NCA of bloating the budget used for […]

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]]> The National Communications Authority (NCA) has confirmed to Citi Business News, it used GHC 3,553,192.16 million in producing the mobile cellular consumer satisfaction survey report.

This is despite earlier media reports that it used $3 million in undertaking the survey.

Policy think tank IMANI Ghana has accused the NCA of bloating the budget used for the preparation of the survey.

The GHC 3 .5 million survey sort to determine the perception of mobile phone users with regards to the services they receive from their telecom service providers.

According to the NCA, the survey was commissioned in September 2012 and the survey report finalized in September 2013 after data collation, analysis and verification.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe said the purported survey could have been conducted with a budget less than $30,000.

An April 6, 2014 Facebook post on his page said: “The National Communications Authority (NCA) is reported to have spent US $3m on a Cellular Mobile Consumer Satisfaction Survey it claims it conducted between 2012 and September 2013. HOW MUCH DID YOU SPEND ON YOUR DISSERTATION? I put it to the NCAA that IMANI and first degree holders could have spent $30,000 to undertake the exercise.”

He explained saying, “that is the figure reported from my sources within the telecoms’ industry it’s a very interesting scenario we haven’t heard the full facts of the NCA but I will use 10,000 dollars using their methods …Please the country is in turmoil and the last thing we need is for scams to be cooked.”

Citi Business News checks on the internet about the background of the company contracted by the NCA to conduct the research, Policy Focus was fruitless, as there was no information about the presence of the company, at least in Ghana.

According to the Citi Business News sources, a board member of the national communications authority was given the contract and supervised the preparation of the report.

IMANI Ghana is demanding full disclosure from the NCA to clear all doubts.

 

By: Rabiu Alhassan/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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