The victim said the suspect beat her after his apparent displeasure with the coffee she had prepared for him and subsequently raped her.

[contextly_sidebar id=”A9YkLXDkpEvXHBzHeMK1Mpgcd9PJ0XAp”]Mrs. Appiah-Oppong said she was keenly following the case, amid indications there may have been some negligence on the part of some Airport police personnel.

The former Attorney General, however expressed some satisfaction with the course of the investigations so far, and said she will ensure justice is served.

The fact that the police jumped onto the case early bodes well for the investigation, she added.

“The police started their investigation last night and it is continuing so we will know what the results of the investigation are soon. So far they have done a good job, and I believe they are going to continue with that. I am definitely going to follow up on this to make sure that justice is served.”

“We are fortunate to have caught this one early so that the investigation can be done properly. Very often, by the time we become aware of a situation like this, time has elapsed, evidence is lost and it becomes very difficult to follow up on it. That is why we are very keen to follow up on this one to make sure that the proper investigation and proper prosecution is also done,” Mrs. Appiah-Oppong said.

Police probing possible ‘cover-up’

Meanwhile, some police personnel from the Airport Police command are facing questioning over what appears to be negligence in the alleged rape.

When the case was reported to the Airport Police, the officer on duty is reported to have accompanied the victim to the Airport Hills residence of the suspect, supervised the packing of her belongings, and only ensured her GHc 350 November salary was paid her without any arrest being effected.

The Airport Police Divisional Commander, Isaac Kwadwo Asante, however, refuted claims that a police officer from his outfit accompanied the victim to the residence of the suspect.

“We had the information on the platform, and we made an immediate follow-up. As I speak, I have invited the personnel at Airport [Police Station] and I am interrogating them.”

“From what we heard from the victim and their entries made at the Airport police station, the initial complaint was assault. The rape issue came here when it was referred to DOVVSU [Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit ] yesterday [Sunday] in the afternoon. So we made the follow-up and he has been arrested,” he narrated to Citi News.

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Former AG Marietta Brew to represent victim in Lebanese rape case appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ghanaians have been commending such harmony among officials of the two main rival political parties, NPP and the NDC, considering the tension that is often witnessed between them.

In one of such occurrences, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, hosted a send-off party for her predecessor, Hanna Tetteh, on Wednesday February 1.

The two are leaders of a team who have been tasked to make submissions on the ongoing hearing.

Background

Ghana went to the ITLOS in September 2014, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), seeking a declaration that it has not encroached on Cote d’Ivoire’s territorial waters.

It filed its suit based on Article 287 Annex VII of the 1982 UNCLOS.

Cote d’Ivoire in February 2015 filed for preliminary measures and urged the tribunal to suspend all activities on the disputed area until the definitive determination of the case, dubbed: “Dispute Concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Case 23” was filed by Ghana after 10 failed negotiations.

But the Special Chamber of the ITLOS on April 25, 2015 declined to suspend production activities in the disputed area.

The Chamber at the time explained that in its view, “the suspension of ongoing activities conducted by Ghana in respect of which drilling has already taken place would entail the risk of considerable financial loss to Ghana, and its concessionaires and could also pose a serious danger to the marine environment resulting, in particular, from the deterioration of equipment.”

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

The post Maritime dispute: Marietta, Gloria Akuffo represent Ghana at ITLOS appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

His assertion follows a move by the Attorney General’s office to discontinue an oral examination of the businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, over the controversial GHc 51 million judgment debt paid to him.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BcsgvkdXkV8rkuX2ItqijTaXgqz9LDs6″]Mr. Casely-Hayford suggested that, the AG’s office, led by the Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, is clearly forced to protect the government, a proof that the AGs office is not indipendent of government.

“This now tells you why our democracy doesn’t work. It doesn’t work because the AG who is supposed to be an independent prosecutor to ensure that all of these is sorted out, is now conflicted because the AG is now trying to protect its government,” he said on The Big Issue.

Appiah-Oppong’s job on the line if she follows Amidu

Mr. Casely-Hayford further opined that, Mrs. Appiah-Oppong’s job would be on the line like the former AG, Martin Amidu, if she doesn’t kowtow to the government’s demands.

Mr. Amidu was was sacked in 2011 for misconduct, a move Mr. Casely-Hayford described as one of the “biggest travesties of justice we ever did for the people of this country” as he contended that, the former AG was rather sacked because he decided to pursue Mr. Woyome in the judgment debt saga.

“Do you think that if the AG decided to pursue this case and follow it through, there would be no repercussions on her from government? How difficult would it be for her to be sacked tomorrow? How difficult was it for Amidu to be sacked.”

“For the first time in recent history, we had an Attorney General who was actually prepared to put his foot down and prosecute cases that he thought had to be done irrespective of whether you were government or whether you were private,” Mr. Casely-Hayford stated.

The recent turn of events have compelled Mr. Amidu to file an application at the Supreme Court, praying it to allow him to examine Mr. Woyome.

Mr. Amidu, has also alleged that Mrs. Appiah-Oppong, withdrew her application to examine Woyome because President John Mahama personally gave an order.

Mr. Amidu in a statement after filing the application  to examine Mr. Woyome, argued that the AG backtracked in order to protect some National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials, who benefited from the GHc51 million paid Mr. Woyome.

Background to Woyome saga

Alfred Woyome was paid GHc 51 million after he claimed to have helped raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the CAF 2008 Nations Cup.

However an Auditor General’s report released in 2010, said the amount was paid illegally to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier.

The Supreme Court in 2014 subsequently ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the GHc 51 million fraudulently taken from the state, after Mr. Amidu challenged the legality of the judgment debt paid the businessman and two other companies; Waterville and Isofoton.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Woyome’s case proof of our failing democracy – Casely-Hayford appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.