News
NBSSI detects 5,200 fraud alerts on CAP
An earlier attempt by the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to begin disbursement of funds to eligible businesses under government’ Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) has hit a snag due to fraudulent activities.
Executive Director, Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, who made the disclosure, said at least 5,200 fraud alerts had been detected on the Board’s online portal dedicated to the programme since it came on stream.
“The online portal has detected 5,200 fraud alerts representing multiple applications with same mobile money or bank account details and we are working to address that to ensure that the right people get the funds,’ she said at a news conference in Accra last Friday.
According to the Executive Director, there have been instances where “people have registered with same mobile money account number for about 100 people which is unacceptable and we are working with KPMG to conduct strong data analysis to detect these fraudulent activities and get the accurate data to commence payment soon.”
The NBSSI had scheduled June 12 to commence disbursement of funds to businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The whole process will be done on technology without any human involvement. So even if you apply on paper we will go into the IT platform to decide if you met the criteria, based on assumptions designed for the technology,” Mrs Yankey-Ayeh had said in a recent media interview.
Mrs Yankey-Ayeh pointed out that investigations were ongoing into the matter and “we have directed some of these issues to the National Security and the Ghana Police Service to help us address them.”
Meanwhile, the Executive Director submitted that as at Thursday, June 18, 2020, more than 450,000 applicants had registered unto the programme with 75 per cent of the number, having successfully completed their applications.
“Applicants who registered via the USSD code represent 58.8 per cent, the remaining 41.2 per cent represents registrations done directly on the web portal.”
As regards gender disaggregation, the Executive Director pointed out that females constitute 66 per cent of applications who requested for 47 per cent of total funds available with the males, representing 34 per cent, requesting 52.6 per cent of total value of funds.
President Akufo-Addo on May 19 launched the CAP business support scheme to provide support to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Out of the GH¢1.2 billion earmarked for this programme, GH¢600 million will be disbursed as soft loans to MSMEs with up to a one-year moratorium and a two-year repayment period.
The rate of interest on government’s GH¢600 million facility is three per cent.
Additionally, selected participating banks will provide negotiated counterpart funding to the tune of GH¢400 million, making, in all, GH¢1 billion for disbursement under the scheme, expected to attract some 180,000 beneficiaries across the country.
Source: Ghanaian Times
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it has successfully conducted constituency executive elections in 245 out of its 276 constituencies across the country.
The party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, said the exercise recorded an 88.7 per cent success rate and was conducted peacefully in the constituencies where voting took place.
In an update posted on his Facebook page, he said elections in 23 constituencies were put on hold because of various disputes.
He added that four constituencies Ningo Prampram, Atwima Mponua, Obuasi West and Trobu could not hold their elections due to last minute challenges.
According to him, the party’s National Steering Committee will also review election activities in Afigya Sekyere East, Adansi Asokwa, Bantama and Asante Akyem Central.
Mr Frimpong said the National Secretariat is committed to resolving all outstanding issues to ensure the successful completion of the constituency executive elections.
He expressed appreciation to members of the party for their support and discipline throughout the exercise.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to all Patriots for their commitment, discipline, and support, which contributed to the successful conduct of these elections,” he stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested two Nigerian nationals in connection with the murder of a 36-year-old Nigerian man at Sanzirigu in Tamale.
The suspects, identified as Daniel Victor Eze and David Oko Ewa, were arrested on Saturday, July 11, shortly after the body of Nkemujika Uzorchuku Eze was found in his bedroom.
According to the Police, preliminary investigations showed that the deceased lived in a three-bedroom apartment with his wife, Peace Uzorchuku, the two suspects and another Nigerian national, Godwin Nwafor.
The Police said officers began investigations after receiving a report that the deceased had been found lying in a pool of blood in his room.
A team that visited the scene found that he had suffered a deep cut to the forehead and had a towel stuffed into his mouth. The room had also been ransacked.
The Police said a wooden pestle believed to have been used in the attack, together with other items, was recovered from the scene for forensic examination.
The body was taken to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, where a medical officer confirmed him dead before it was deposited at the hospital mortuary for preservation and an autopsy.
According to the Police, intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of the two suspects at Tatale on the same day while they were allegedly attempting to escape into the Republic of Togo.
They were later handed over to the Tamale District Criminal Investigations Department to assist with investigations.
The Police said the suspects allegedly admitted during interrogation that they had conspired to kill the deceased because he had been withholding money they claimed was obtained through internet fraud.
A search conducted after their arrest led to the recovery of several items suspected to have been stolen from the deceased’s room, including mobile phones, laptop computers, a tablet, jewellery, clothing, wristwatches, personal documents and other valuables. The Police said the items have been kept as exhibits to support the investigations.
The suspects remain in Police custody and are expected to appear before court on Monday, July 13, to facilitate the ongoing investigations.
The Northern Regional Police Command said it remains committed to bringing everyone involved in the crime to justice and urged the public to provide credible information to help fight crime.
By: Jacob Aggrey
