Mr. Tevie, alongside the former board chairman, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie; Alhaji Osman, a former Deputy National Security Coordinator; Nana Owusu, a former board member and the head of IDL, George Oppong, have been charged and arraigned for willfully causing financial loss to the State contrary to section 23(1) and section 179(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, Act 29.

[contextly_sidebar id=”2KYHKR1Oy2FgSRKE79TjdlWvxvIsP74E”]They have also been charged with 16 other offences.

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were granted bail to the tune of $1 million each with 3 sureties.

They are also to surrender their passports to the court Registrar.

The five are facing trial over some $4 million withdrawn from the NCA’s accounts, purportedly for the purchase of a surveillance equipment.

Reports indicate that an Israeli company, NSO Group Technology Limited was contracted to supply the surveillance equipment at the cost of $6 million, to enable National Security monitor conversations of persons believed to be engaged in terrorism.

IDL was also reportedly charging $2 million to facilitate the transaction, bringing the total sum to $8 million.

But the three, through the said contract, allegedly withdrew $4 million from the accounts of the NCA and have failed to account for it.

But only $1 million was paid into the accounts of the Israeli company.

IDL’s denial

Mr. Oppong, for one, has previously denied conniving with the said officials to loot state money, arguing that the contract was genuine.

He also said the equipment was lying unused in the garage of some former officials of the NCA

Mr. Oppong explained that, after being awarded the $8 million contract from the NCA, IDL also contracted NSO Group Technologies Limited – an Israeli company, for the supply and installation of the equipment in which the Israeli company was to receive about $6 million of the total sum.

He added that IDL received a $4 million (out of $8 million) as the first tranche of payment from NCA, adding that they also forwarded about $3 million of the amount to NSO to enable them supply the facility.

According to him, all the parties involved in the deal subsequently signed an undertaking with the Bank of Ghana following the huge sums of money involved.

–

By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Former NCA boss, 4 others charged with causing financial loss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on The Big Issue, he said it was “a wakeup call and I suspect if every institution is doing that, without any political motive, it’s the best way to go.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”656rLg7vrIcPJjCqHq1wb4ucv4VqNYbq”] 131 radio stations faced sanctions for various offenses including operating with expired licenses.

34 of them have already had their licenses revoked by the NCA for not renewing them even after several notices.

Owners of the radio stations sanctioned for operating with expired licenses, among others, will have to cough up about GHc1.18 billion.

During the inauguration of a nine-member governing council for the NCA in July, the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu, gave an indication that a day of reckoning was coming for most of these stations.

These sanctions were met with criticism from some sections of the public, including the opposition National Democratic Congress, but Mr. Cudjoe lauded the NCA for putting its foot down.

“What was the previous NCA doing that this new NCA wants to undo? It speaks volumes of the professionalism of the current NCA and its management,” he observed, given that some of the stations were found to have been operating illegally for over 15 years.

The IMANI President acknowledged the criticisms and calls for more leniency from the NCA, but insisted that the Authority could not be seen to be soft when it initially announced the sanctions.

He added that there was still room for some further arbitration between the offending parties and the NCA.

“The statement from the NCA cannot contain appeals for a settlement. It needs to be seen to be cracking the whip. I’m not sure the NCA is not open to arbitration and all those settlements. I am sure they will allow all these stations to come and have those conversations.”

Despite the concerns of a witchhunt of pro-opposition stations because of the partisan nature of some sections of the media space, Mr. Cudjoe added that,”the responsibility also lies on the owners of these media houses to yield to the rules.”

–

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

The post State agencies must follow in NCA’s footsteps – Franklin Cudjoe appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“As much as it’s a law the NCA must revisit it… Indeed the NCA says if an entity fails to compel with the regulations the NCA is required to notify them, and the law says not less than thirty days for example” he said on Eyewitness News.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1Ywp4Tv8caY7jyBKopjP25jpMqrZlMpP”]“Why would the NCA sit down over the years, and in their own statement they indicated that some of these affected media organizations had actually failed to renew or pay whatever it is for as many as 17 years. So you ask yourself, all these years what the NCA was doing?”

He said the statement did not adequately distinguish between “what the reasons are for those that have been shut down, or those whose licenses have been revoked, and those for whom these heavy prices have been imposed.”

Mr. Braimah added that, this action by the NCA is clear that some media institutions are inefficient, and that the NCA wants to stop the operations of these media stations.

“I must say that it’s a very troubling development, particularly as this statement came on 28th September, a day set aside to mark Universal Access to Information Day. Having said that, I think the development also exposes the inefficiencies of our institutions and the non-compliance by institutions in this case media organizations for that matter”

“If you look at the figures, some have to pay as much as 60-something million Ghana cedis, it’s just as saying that we want to shut you down because there is no way radio stations in this country can afford that much. And even look at the electronic communications act for example, it talks about fees that have to be imposed for individual licenses,and must be such that they have to be compensated with the economic value of the licenses for which the fees are being imposed.”

Stations also at fault

Mr. Braimah further questioned the institutions involved for not playing their part as the licenses stated and suggested ways to resolve the issue.

“Why would you go for a license and fail to comply with the license conditions until such a time that these crippling sanctions are being imposed… There needs to be some dialogue, some consensus building to see how the matter can be resolved amicably.”

The NCA sanctioned some FM stations by revoking the licenses of 34 stations for operating illegally following the expiration of their licenses.

Owners of the radio stations sanctioned for operating with expired licenses as well as other offenses would have to cough up about GHc1.18 billion.

–

By: Ann-Shirly Ziwu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NCA’s ‘unclear’ sanctions a troubling development – MFWA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Association’s President, Roland Affail Monney, intimated that the NCA was essentially hounding some of the affected companies out of business.

34 of the sanctioned stations had their licenses revoked because their authorizations had expired and were operating illegally.

Other affected stations have been fined and given 30 days to settle their indebtedness. Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio picked up the heftiest fines with GHc 61,330,000 and GHc 60,350,000 respectively.

In all, the fines build up about GHc1.18 billion for stations cutting across all regions of the country.

The sanctions have been criticized as being too harsh by the Minority in Parliament, claiming that they amount to an attempt to monetize freedom of expression.

Mr. Monney, who was speaking a day after he was re-elected at the GJA elections on The Big Issue, said dealing with the NCA’s sanctions was “one major assignment our new administration is going to tackle with urgent promptitude.”

“… we have a responsibility to rally to the defense of our members and even non-members when they find themselves in such unfortunate situations.”

In this regard, the GJA is speaking with lawyers and a legal team “to put out a proposal and defense to help address this issue so we have agreed that by Monday, we’ll make our voice heard on this matter.”

“We are against any attempt to hound any media house or any media practitioner out of operations through the imposition of fines or any other means. It is something we frown upon and something we shall resist,” the GJA President asserted.

“I believe this is something we can dialogue with the NCA in order to ensure that those media houses that are affected will have the freedom to operate once again,” he added.

–

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

The post GJA will resist NCA’s action against radio stations – Affail Monney appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This will be after it completes a thorough audit it is conducting into the operations of companies within the sector.

[contextly_sidebar id=”vFYA2LQZlIljHiRgzJfiUpqPeowN7kq9″]The Head of Consumer and Corporate Affairs of the NCA, Nana Dufie Badu, who confirmed this to Citi News said the NCA is poised to streamline the operations of all companies within the industry.

She said the NCA’s recent actions against radio stations that have violated their terms of authorization was not an act of political witch-hunting.

“The NCA had to face the Public Accounts Committee for something of this sort to answer as to why it had allowed some companies it regulates to close down, and not to pay the required regulatory fees. This is an effort that the NCA is making to streamline the operations of all service providers within the communication industry. This is not aimed at any of the FM broadcasting stations,” she said.

She added that, “A similar audit is also going on for TV services and ISPs among others… If there are companies that are not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the authorization, they will be sanctioned.”

A total of 131 radio stations, including Accra based-Radio Gold, Atlantis Radio and Radio XYZ were sanctioned by the National Communications Authority (NCA) on Friday for various violations of the terms of their authorization.

The offenses included operating without a license, and operating with expired license among others.

The sanctions meted out to them ranged from fines to the total revocation of licenses. Radio XYZ was fined GHc 4,090,000, while Atinka FM was fined GHc 14,800,000.

Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio were fined GHc 61,330,000 and GHc 60,350,000 respectively.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NCA to descend on TV stations, internet providers soon appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The sanctions meted out by the NCA ranged from fines to the total revocation of licenses.

[contextly_sidebar id=”U7ErvOEd9dFxn0YWzQ9LP13nC4Iu5eGC”]During the inauguration of a nine-member governing council for the NCA in July, the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu sounded a warning in this regard.

34 of the sanctioned stations had their licences revoked because their authorizations had expired and were operating illegally.

Aside the stations having their licenses revoked, other affected stations have also been given 30 days to settle their indebtedness or submit the relevant documentation as indicated in the letters sent them by the NCA.

Of the notable stations, Radio XYZ has been fined GHc 4,090,000, Atinka FM fined GHc 14,800,000 whiles Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio picked up the heftiest fines with GHc 61,330,000 and GHc 60,350,000 respectively.

A further 13 FM Authorisation Holders have been issued with reprieves as pertains to their authorisations.

In a press release, the NCA said: “Twenty‐one (21) FM broadcasting stations have had their authorisations revoked completely since their authorisations had expired over several years and were operating illegally. They had also failed to apply for renewal 3 months before expiry of existing Authorisation and as stipulated in their Authorisation. The FM broadcasting stations in question also did not respond to a notice the NCA sent to them to regularise their operations earlier this year.”

“Thirteen (13) FM broadcasting stations will also have their authorizations revoked completely since their authorizations had expired and were operating illegally. They had also failed to apply for renewal 3 months before the expiry of existing Authorisation and as stipulated in their Authorisation. This section of FM broadcasting stations responded to the notice but had requested for extension of time to regularise their operations, which the NCA found unacceptable and declined,” the statement added.

This state of affairs came up before the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament where the NCA was invited to explain its actions before the committee earlier on in 2017.

The PAC indicated its displeasure with the way the NCA was regulating the broadcasting space.

The various infractions fell foul of Section 13 of the Electronics Communications Act (2009), Act 775. The summary of the findings can be found here

–

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

The post NCA fines Radio Gold, Atlantis GHc120m, others lose license appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking at a durbar of the members of the recently-sworn in Board and staff at the NCA’s headquarters, Mr Sakyi Addo said in their efforts to address the challenges of the industry, they must effectively cater for the needs of the Government, the Operators and the consumers.

He entreated them to adhere to the corporate governance structures, respect the hierarchy and reporting lines and also exhibit exemplary behavior to make the regulatory body a credible world class institution.

Mr. Sakyi-Addo assured the staff of better working conditions and the necessary resources in order for them to deliver their mandate.

Mr. Joe Anokye, the acting Director General of NCA, welcomed the Board and commended the staff for the support given him during his six months stay in office.

The NCA Board which is chaired by Kwaku Sakyi-Addo was constituted by President Akufo-Addo in accordance with article 70 of the Constitution of Ghana.

The other Members of the Board are; Mr. Joseph Anokye, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, Mr. Bernard Forson, Mr. Philip Asare Kwame Ayesu, Mrs. Susan Barbara Adjorkor Boye Kumapley and Mr. Paul Adom –Otchere.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Let’s make NCA a world class regulator – Sakyi Addo to staff appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Medeama have been drawn with AC Leopards of Congo in the Caf Confederations Cup playoffs.

The draw took place in Cairo on Tuesday saw the eight clubs that progressed from the 1/8 stage of the competitions drawn with the eight that were knocked out of the 1/8 stage of the CAF Champions League.

Medeama will be happy that the first leg is away in Brazaville on the weekend of April 18-20.

Leopards will be no slouches, having won the Confederations Cup in 2012. They find themselves at this point after losing to Sudan’s Al Hilal on away goals, while Medeama beat Zesco United of Zambia 2-1 on aggregate.

Full draw

Al-Ahly (Egypt) vs Difaa Hassani Jadida (Morocco)
AS Real (Mali) vs Djoliba (Mali)
AC Leopards (Congo) vs Medeama (Ghana)
Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) vs ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
Coton Sport (Cameroon) vs Petro Atletico (Angola)
Horoya (Guinea) vs Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Sewe Sport (Cote d’Ivoire) vs Bayelsa (Nigeria)
Nkana (Zambia) vs Club Athletique Bizertin (Tunisia)

First leg: 18, 19, 20 April 2014
Second leg: 25, 26, 27 April 2014

By: Gary Al-Smith/Citifmonline.com

Follow @garyalsmith

The post Caf Confed Cup: Medeama get tough AC Leopards draw appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Show details

This week, the show is recorded in Johannesburg.

Gary Al-Smith explores a preview of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs ahead of the Soweto Derby on Saturday. We hear from the Ghana FA and get the latest insight on the sad story of the 21-year-old ref who died in their lower divisions.

Kenyan journalist Jeff Kinyanjui complains about the continuous poor performances in African club events by their teams, veteran journalists Mark Gleeson, Thomas Kwenaite, Jeff Katala and Sizwe Mabena speak on the seeming love affair between Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah and his former boss Milovan Rajevac ahead of the World Cup.

Also Nigeria’s first German-born international Leon Balogun gives his his first interview for African radio. Plus British journalist Dominic Fifield of the Guardian has inside knowledge of the Samuel Eto’o v Jose Mourinho “age cheating” issue.

—

Presented by Gary Al-Smith and produced by Nathan Quao/Gary Al-Smith for Citi FM & Supersport.com.

Soundtrack details
Song Title: Someway Bi
Artist Name: M.anifest
Produced by: Yung Fly
Singitdamnit Music/Cumbancha Music Publishing (BMI) 2013

More detail: Twitter.com/FCAfrica or Facebook.com/FCAfricaRadio

Follow @FcAfrica

The post FC Africa ep 2: Leon Balogun interview, Soweto Derby & ref death in Ghana appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.