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OSP disagrees with High Court decision
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has expressed dissent at a decision by the Financial Division of the Accra High Court on Thursday in rejecting its application for a freeze of the bank accounts of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
“While the OSP respects the Court’s decision, it disagrees with the decision of the Court,” a press release on Thursday, August 31 stressed.
The OSP gave three cardinal reasons for its decision.
“First, the OSP believes that the Court’s computation of the time limitation is, with respect, erroneous,” it said, citing how operatives of the Office searched three private residences of Madam Abena Dapaah over a two-week period.
“Second, the seizure by the OSP and the Special Prosecutor’s freezing order were effectuated on the very firm basis of reasonable suspicion that the amounts and bank balances were tainted property as Ms Dapaah prevaricated as to the source(s) of the amounts she reported stolen from her residence, the amounts discovered by the OSP in her residence, and the volume of transactions in her bank accounts and investments.
“Third, the freezing order was not based on public sentiments,” it insisted, “rather, it was based on court processes filed in a criminal matter before the Circuit Court, Accra involving Ms Dapaah as the complainant.”
The OSP explained that further freezing of the accounts was to aid investigations as required by law “not on the basis of the investigation, as indicated by the Court”.
“Therefore, it cannot be said that the OSP did not carry out proper investigations to warrant the freezing order.”
This comes after the High Court rejected the OSP’s application, ordering it to return all seized assets of the former minister of state within seven days.
According to the Court, the action by the OSP was borne out of speculation and reaction to public sentiments, thus undertaking poor investigations subsequently.
It said there was no justifiable basis for the seizure of the property as the OSP entered the act wrongly.
The Court also found the OSP as having no reasonable grounds to freeze the bank accounts of the former Bantama Member of Parliament (MP).
Credit: 3news.com
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
