News
Pastor, 2 others refused bail
A pastor and two others, who allegedly attempted to bury a five-month-old baby alive at a refuse dump at Abofrem near Bibiani in the Western North Region, have been remanded into lawful custody by the Bibiani District Court.
The accused are Richmond Frimpong, also known as Prophet, 36, a pastor; Beatrice Agyapongmaa, 23, a hairdresser and mother of the baby; and Emmanuel Appiah.
An accomplice, Donkor, a 53-year-old farmer, is at large.
Frimpong and Agyapongmaa have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, to wit attempted murder. Frimpong faces an additional charge of attempted murder.
Appiah and Donkor have been charged with abetment of crime, to wit attempted murder.
The court, presided over by Mr Lord Delvin Essandoh, did not take their pleas and refused a bail application by counsel for the accused persons.
Chief Inspector B.O. Agyemang, leading the prosecution, told the court that the baby, currently in the custody of Agyapongmaa’s grandmother, remained at risk and prayed the court to place the child in a care home.
The court, in the interest of justice and the welfare of the child, ordered the Social Welfare Office to conduct a social enquiry and submit a report within five days.
The case has been adjourned to May 5, 2026.
Prosecution said the complainant, Winfred Agbah, a 29-year-old security guard and Unit Committee Member at Abofrem, received information on April 10, at about 22:00 hours that some persons were attempting to secretly bury a child at a refuse dump.
He proceeded to the scene and allegedly found Frimpong, Appiah and Donkor preparing to bury the baby, who was wrapped in cloth and being held by Appiah.
When questioned, the three allegedly claimed the child was dead. However, after inspecting the baby, the complainant realised the child was alive.
Prosecution said Frimpong allegedly tried to persuade the complainant to allow them to proceed, but he refused and took the suspects to the Chief of Abofrem.
Investigations revealed that Agyapongmaa is the biological mother of the baby, whose neck had reportedly been unstable since birth. In search of a remedy, she was directed to Frimpong.
Prosecution said Frimpong told Agyapongmaa that the child had been described as “Nsuoba” and required spiritual intervention.
He allegedly asked her to provide items including eggs, schnapps, powder, incense, a fowl and a cannonball stone for rituals.
After the rituals, Frimpong allegedly assured her the baby would die soon and asked her to return to Kumasi.
On April 9, 2026, Agyapongmaa reportedly returned to inform him that the baby was still alive. Prosecution said they then agreed that euthanasia (mercy killing) was the best option.
Frimpong allegedly asked her to leave the child in his room to complete the process and later declared the baby dead.
Appiah, who had visited Frimpong, allegedly assisted in confirming the supposed death.
The prosecution said Frimpong, Appiah and Donkor later took the baby to the refuse dump, where Donkor dug a grave and they attempted to bury the child before the complainant intervened and rescued the baby.
The matter was reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit at Bibiani, leading to the arrest of the accused persons.
Prosecution said the suspects admitted the offence in their caution statements and that police were preparing a duplicate docket for the Attorney-General’s Department for advice. –GNA
News
Oxfam in Ghana donates medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth about GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the municipality.
The presentation, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, at the premises of the clinic in Kasoa, formed part of the sustainability and legacy activities under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project.
The donated items included delivery beds, maternity beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitors, newborn weighing scales, suction machines, delivery kits, essential medicines, medical theatre wear and other critical supplies to support quality healthcare delivery.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative being implemented by Oxfam in Ghana in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls, young women and young men living in vulnerable and marginalised conditions.
Addressing nurses and management of the hospital, the Country Director for Oxfam in Ghana, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the project, which began in 2021 and will run until early 2028, is being implemented in seven countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the two African countries benefiting from the project.
Mr. Adam noted that the project has already trained about 102 health workers in areas including youth-friendly services, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, gender-based violence response, respectful maternity care and inclusive healthcare delivery.
He said Oxfam and its partners conducted assessments at beneficiary facilities and identified equipment needs to help improve healthcare delivery.
According to him, the donation would create safe spaces where young women and girls could seek healthcare services without fear or stigma and would improve health outcomes in the community.
Mr. Adam thanked the Government of Canada, the Ghana Health Service, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG), World Health Ghana and other partners for supporting the implementation of the project.
He urged the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the equipment is properly used and maintained to serve the community for many years.
A speech by the Municipal Health Director for Awutu Senya East, Dr. Stanley Kweku Yaidoo, which was read on his behalf by the Municipal Accountant, Rev. Dr. Askari Thomas, described the donation as timely and important.
He said quality healthcare delivery depends on manpower, financial resources and equipment, adding that healthcare workers cannot effectively deliver services without the necessary tools.
Dr. Yaidoo thanked Oxfam and its partners for selecting Kasoa as one of the beneficiary facilities and assured them that the equipment would be put to good use.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Kasoa Polyclinic, Dr. Papa Kojo Arthur, expressed appreciation to Oxfam for its continuous support over the years through training and capacity building.
He said the equipment would greatly support the effective management of patients, particularly in maternal and child healthcare.
According to him, the donation would help reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the municipality.
The donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly health facilities in eight implementing districts across five regions of Ghana to continue providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services beyond the lifespan of the project.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) has announced that an electronic copy of Ghana’s revised National Cultural Policy is now available online for free access by the public and stakeholders in the creative sector.
In a statement issued on June 22, the ministry said the revised policy was officially launched on June 9, 2026, at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
According to the ministry, the decision to upload the document on its official website is aimed at ensuring widespread dissemination, increasing public awareness and promoting the effective implementation of the policy.
The ministry encouraged sector practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public to visit its website and read the document.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in the spirit of the Black Star Experience, remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative approach to building the better Ghana we want,” the statement said.
It added that it looks forward to the active participation of stakeholders in implementing the policy for the benefit of the country.
The ministry urged the public to take advantage of the free access to the policy document and familiarise themselves with its contents.
By: Jacob Aggrey
