News
Armed robbers attack traders at Paga border
Six armed robbers on Tuesday attacked and robbed some black market exchange traders of their monies at Paga border in the Kassena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region.
The incident started at about 9 am, near Dakola at the Burkina Faso side of the border where some of the black market exchange traders transact their businesses.
The Ghanaian Times gathered that the six robbers who were armed with guns came to the robbery scene with three motorbikes, and robbed the traders who had just begun their businesses in the main market in the morning.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times, some eyewitnesses said some of the robbers blocked both sides of the ECOWAS road amidst sporadic gun shots, whilst others also moved to stalls, threatening the traders with the guns to give up their monies to them or face the consequences.
Some of the traders who managed to escape to the border site of Ghana informed personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority stationed at the Paga border town of Ghana who proceeded to the robbery scene and exchanged gun fire, forcing the armed robbers to retreat.
The border security personnel, however, called for reinforcement from the police and the military, chased the robbers and finally arrested two of them at Pindaa, whilst the rest escaped into the bush.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Kassena-Nankana, Mr Gerard Ataogye, who confirmed the story to the Ghanaian Times said, he was informed by personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service about the incident.
He said the two arrested robbers are foreigners from neigbouring Burkina Faso and have since been handed over to the law enforcement agencies in Burkina Faso.
Mr Ataogye said the security agencies in Ghana were in talks with their counterparts in Burkina Faso to see how they could apprehend the rest of the perpetrators who escaped to deal with them
The DCE lauded the efforts of the Ghanaian security agencies for their timely intervention and entreated the residents of the area, particularly traders, to immediately report to the security agencies any suspicious criminal.
Meanwhile, some of the residents who spoke to the Ghanaian Times said it was not the first time such an incident had happened and called on the security agencies to be extra vigilant.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, PAGA
Management and staff of Owass FM have announced the passing of media personality, comedian and politician Seth Kwame Dzokoto following a medical emergency during a live morning show discussion at the station earlier today.
According to the station, Dzokoto was participating in a panel discussion on its morning show “Oman Nkoso” when he suddenly took ill and collapsed.
A statement from the station said its team immediately rushed him to the hospital for medical attention, but he was pronounced dead by the attending medical doctor upon arrival.
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident, which occurred in the course of our regular programming. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who have been affected by his passing,” the statement said.
Management acknowledged that information about the incident is already circulating in the public domain, but appealed to the public and colleague media houses to respect the privacy of the bereaved family and refrain from circulating unverified information or speculation regarding the circumstances of his death.
Owass FM extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of Seth Kwame Dzokoto.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The State through the Attorney General (AG) has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the suspension of the trial in the case of The Republic v Hanan Aludiba and Faiza Seidu.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal suspended the trial in the case. But the prosecution says it has filed an appeal against the suspension order.
According to the update, the law does not allow a criminal trial to be suspended simply because an accused person has complained about some of the charges on the charge sheet, particularly when those complaints were dismissed as meritless.
It argues that if the Court of Appeal’s decision is allowed to stand, no prosecution will ever be possible, since all it would take for a trial to be suspended is an accused person complaining about anything on the charge sheet.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
