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GH¢5.8m fine on ECG board members was sanctioned by our legal dept – PURC
A Commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Ishmael Edjekumhene, has disclosed that the decision to impose a fine of Five Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 5,868,000.00) on members of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) board was given by PURC’s legal department.
The legality of the fine’s imposition was questioned following its announcement in a letter issued by the PURC on Monday, April 15.
PURC took action due to ECG’s violation of Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413, which requires prior notification to consumers before any power interruption.
Speaking on the legality of the imposition on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM on Tuesday, April 16, Mr. Edjekumhene told the host, Bernard Avle, that “we acted on the advice of the legal department, and there are legal precedents to this.”
Mr. Edjekumhene explained that the fine targeted the board members because the Commission feared it would be converted to tariffs for consumers to pay if it was imposed on ECG as an entity.
He added that this is not the first time it has fined the ECG for ineffectiveness.
“We were advised by the legal department that we can charge it on the board because we didn’t want it to come through or be paid through a tariff,” he said.
According to him, “We quoted relevant provisions of the Act upon which we were imposing the fine and this is not the first fine we have imposed on ECG. We imposed a fine on them when the issue of buying prepaid arose.”
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
