News
Pastor in court over visa fraud
Cris Karl Ofori, a pastor, was on Friday appeared before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a businessman of GH¢310,000.
Pastor Ofori was said to have collected the amount from the complainant (businessman) under the pretext of assisting him to secure visas for him and his family.
Charged with defrauding by false presences, Ofori pleaded not guilty.
The court admitted Ofori to bail in the sum of GH¢350,000 with three sureties.
Two of the sureties are to be public servants earning not less than GH¢5,000.
The remaining surety was to be justified with title deed.
The case has been adjourned to April 25, 2025.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Kwadwo Aboagye, told the court that the complainant, Amadu Seidu, was a resident of Sampa in the Bono Region.
The accused is a branch pastor of a charismatic church in Tema.
In 2023, prosecution said the complainant expressed his intention to travel to Canada with his family to resettle there.
The complainant discussed this with one Nana Abena Sika, who introduced the accused as someone who could assist him (complainant) with the visa acquisition processes.
In October 2024, the accused informed the complainant to make a commitment of GH¢80,000, which the complainant promptly did and added three passport booklets (his own, that of his wife and daughter) to start the documentation process.
Prosecution said the accused succeeded in collecting various sums of money totaling GH¢310,000 from the complainant.
Later the accused called the complainant that he was not successful with the Canadian visa acquisition but rather obtained visas for the United Kingdom (UK).
Based on that, the accused invited the complainant and family to Accra for the trip to the UK.
Prosecution said the accused went into hiding and for three days when the family got to Accra, he was nowhere to be found.
The court heard that the complainant’s family returned to Sampa where a report was made to the police at James Town and the accused was arrested from his hideout.
Pastor Ofori, in his caution statement, admitted the offence, prosecution said.
—GNA
INCREASING spate of road accidents, high rate of teenage pregnancies are worrying health issues confronting health workers in the Amansie South district of the Ashanti region. Road accident cases accounted for about 80 per cent of emergency cases in 2025, while a total of 728 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the district during the same period.
Mr Ofosu Kwabi Nasas, the District Director of Health Services, who announced these worrying trends in the district, said five deaths were recorded in these road accidents.
• Bishop Owusu Akyeaw
He was speaking at the 2025 annual performance review meeting of the health directorate at Manso-Adubia.
Mr Nasas expressed concern over the high rate of motor accidents in the district, attributing part of the problem to the poor state of road networks.
He said the dilapidated roads did not only contribute to accidents but also delayed timely access to healthcare services.
He therefore, appealed to the government to prioritise road rehabilitation within the district to help reduce accidents and improve emergency response.
Mr Nasas said the district recorded 728 cases of teenage pregnancies in 2025, describing the situation as alarming and a significant public health concern.
He urged parents and guardians to intensify supervision and guidance of their children to help curb the growing trend.
He emphasised that, stronger parental involvement, community education, and collaboration among stakeholders would be essential in addressing the issue and safeguarding the future of young girls in the district.
The Health Director further lamented the challenges facing healthcare workers in the district, particularly the high cost of accommodation because of the area’s active mining activities.
He explained that, high rent had made it difficult for many health professionals to secure affordable housing, forcing some to request for transfers to other districts.
He appealed to the government and relevant authorities to consider providing housing support for health workers to retain skilled personnel and ensure effective healthcare delivery.
In addition to housing challenges, Mr Nasas noted that, the district was currently facing a shortage of healthcare personnel.
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News
Ladies in Parliamentary Service, Women Caucus interact with Street Academy children to commemorate IWD
THE Ladies in Parliamentary Service (LIPS) in collaboration with the women’s caucus of parliament have paid a visit to the Street Academy in Accra to interact with the children and assess the needs of the institution.
The visit formed part of LIPS activities to commemorate the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) with the children of the academy.
It also formed part of efforts to advance the objectives for this year’s theme which is “give to gain.”
The visit also afforded the lawmakers the opportunity to understand the challenges facing the academy, as they toured the various departments within the academy.
They shared lunch packs to the children and also interacted with them.
Speaking during the visit, the Board Chair of the Academy, Ms Lydia Sackey Addo, said the interaction gave the children and management the opportunity to share their experiences and challenges with the visiting delegation.
Ms Sackey Addo noted that the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North Ms Ewurabena (Right) with other members of the women caucus of parliament interacting with the children
academy played a critical role in nurturing children who might otherwise be excluded from formal education and society.
She added that the visit would help draw attention to the importance of supporting such institutions to ensure vulnerable children were given the opportunity to learn and develop their talents.
The Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Ataa Lartey, also expressed appreciation to the Women’s Caucus for the visit, describing it as a source of motivation for both staff and students.
He explained that the academy worked to develop the talents of children who had previously lived on the streets and helped reintegrate them into society through education and skills training.
Ataa Lartey said although the academy had made progress over the years, it continued to face several challenges, particularly with feeding.
“Our major challenge is feeding the children. Some of them come from very difficult backgrounds and when they are hungry, it becomes difficult for them to concentrate in class,” he said.
“When a child is fed, they are able to concentrate and understand what is being taught in the classroom,” he added.
Ataa Lartey appealed to individuals, organisations and government institutions to support the academy, particularly in providing food and teaching and learning materials for the children.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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