He explains that even though the deposits ordered by the traditional leader triggered a suspicion of money laundering, the inability of a subsequent investigation to conclude same defeats the arguments.

[contextly_sidebar id=”lVzFOEW71fmviCF0uLWNjpRINZOpZS2S”]A UK-based A UK-based the Telegraph’s publication last week, said one Mark Arthur had alleged the Asantehene tasked him to deposit 350 thousand pounds into an account; under circumstances analysts have described as money laundering.

Mr. Mark Arthur, who has lost his job at the Ghana International Bank, is contesting his dismissal at a Tribunal in the UK.

The Tribunal has since deferred judgement to the next four weeks.

But reacting to the issue, Nana Otuo Acheampong maintained that, the allegations against the traditional leader could not have been the case.

“The documents I have in my possession doesn’t testify to that; what it says is that, [Mark Arthur] got the money and enquired from the King the source, and he was told and went straight ahead to deposit it in the account. But then what he failed was to decide whether that was according to the Know Your Customer (KYC) rules or out of the ordinary or it was normal; but because the system was triggered, it showed that it was out of sink and that is why it was flagged up,” he explained.

Nana Otuo also the Executive Director of the Osei Tutu II Centre for Executive Education and Research, further argued that the laws would have been triggered long in the matter had there been any grounds of truth in the case against the King.

“Under the UK anti-money laundering law, once the system has flagged a transaction, a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) would have to be filed and this was done. But subsequently nothing was found… If it was a money laundering issue, when they filed the SAR, something would have happened but up till date, nothing has happened.”

Asantehene money laundering claims baseless – Ghana Intl. Bank

Meanwhile, the Ghana International Bank has clarified that an ongoing tribunal hearing that has captured the public’s attention, is not about whether the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II engaged in money laundering or not.

There is not even any suggestion of money laundering allegations against the Asantehene, the Ghana International Bank said.

A statement from the UK-based bank asserted that, the ongoing litigation between the bank and a former Executive Director, Mark Arthur, concerned breaches of the Bank’s internal policies and UK laws.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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He made the comment at the Manhyia Palace on Saturday, when he paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as part of his three-day tour of the Ashanti Region.

“It will not be under my watch that people will take the law into their own hands, neither will it be under my watch that the laws of our land will not be enforced. That will never happen. The law will work without fear or favour,” the President declared.

Vigilante group raids Regional Coordinating Council

President Akufo-Addo’s remarks come after a pro-NPP vigilante group, Delta Force, stormed the premises of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, demanding the removal of the Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei.

The group subsequently apologised to the President for the attack and pledged its support to the Regional Security Coordinator.

President Akufo-Addo subsequently summoned the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, to answer questions on the circumstances that led to the raid. and he further assured the Asantehene that government was working to quell similar incidents.

During the courtesy call, the President further assured the Asantehene that government was working to limit the occurrence of similar incidents.

“I know this matter is a source of great worry for you, Otumfuo. Let not your heart be troubled. The incident has occurred, and I assure you that measures have been put in place to forestall the re-occurrence of this issue in Asanteman, and for that matter, in any part of the country,” he added.

Gratitude for vote of confidence

President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that his visit to the Ashanti Region was to thank the Asantehene and Asanteman for the massive show of confidence reposed in him and the New Patriotic Party in the 2016 elections

“The votes I got in Ashanti was unprecedented. I, therefore came to show appreciation, and to tell Asanteman of the policy initiatives we are putting in place to ensure that we bring relief to the people of this country, and thereby return the country onto the path of progress and prosperity,” he added.

The President is later expected to hold meetings with the leadership of transport unions in the region, visit the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, visit the Kumasi Central Market and have an encounter with the media.

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Photos: Lauretta Timah

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

The post Laws will work without fear or favour – Nana Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He is among the many dignitaries who were expected at the burial rites of the late Asantehemaa.

Clad in Red – a traditional mourning attire at the ceremony at Manhyia in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, Rawlings will greet and commiserate with the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who is also the biological son of the late Asantehemaa.

Other dignitaries including Ex-President John Mahama, former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, Members of Ghana’s new Parliament, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson have all paid their last respect to the Asantehemaa.

As part of the burial rites, the late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II has been lying in state since Monday, January 19.

She will be buried between midnight of Thursday, January 19 and the dawn of Friday, January 20, 2017 at Breman in the Ashanti Region.

The late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II died at the age of 111 in November 2016.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

Photo credit: Lauretta Timah

The post Rawlings joins Asanteman to mourn late Asantehemaa [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“It [power situation] is bad, it is bad…everything I hear points to the fact that it’s not getting any better,” Mr. Hammond said on Eyewitness News.

A senior energy specialist at the World Bank Ghana Office, Sunil Matrani in an earlier interview with Citi News pointed out that with low rain levels and delays in the completion of planned power projects, Ghana’s power situation is set to worsen.

In July 2013, the World Bank released a report on the country’s energy and petroleum sectors.

They subsequently advised government to improve upon the technical and efficiency of utility providers with particular attention on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

On Eyewitness News on Wednesday, Mr Hammond stated that despite the Presidents’ numerous assurances to Ghanaians that the power crisis will soon be resolved, “things are not going to get any better; they are going to get worse.”

The Adansi Asokwa Legislator made reference to the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) statement that it is unsure when the power situation will be resolved and so the current erratic power supply will go on for a while.

Mr. Hammond agreed that the failure of Nigeria to supply Ghana with adequate gas is a huge contributing factor to the energy crisis.

“One would have thought that if we had the full complement of it [gas from Nigeria], it will go a long way to solving some of the problems so I concede that we are not getting that lot,” he said.

The former deputy Minister was however quick to add that the excuse of low supply of gas from Nigeria is “neither here nor there.”

He explained saying, “at a point in time when the Kufuor administration was experiencing negotiations for the construction and the completion of the West African Gas pipeline, we did not have one drop of gas from Nigeria, yet, we produced enough electricity in the country.”

The Minority Spokesperson on Energy indicated he has no sympathies for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and charged them to deal with the situation because “we [Kufuor government] did it when we didn’t have it [gas from Nigeria].”

Regarding the delayed completion of power projects like the Aboadze thermal plant, Mr. Hammond said the thermal plant “is bedeviled with fundamental difficulties and sooner or later, we are going to go to the Supreme Court on this matter.”

He disclosed that the project although is of paramount importance to Ghana, it has no Parliamentary approval and “the Supreme Court says that for it to pass the test of validity, that contract agreement has to go to Parliament.”

Mr. Hammond asked, “what is NDC government afraid of, what are they running away from” in their failure to present the contract to Parliament.

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan

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