News
Police mount search for man 40, over GH3 million fraud
A 40-Year-old man, Alhaji Fareed Amin Yakubu, who allegedly took GH3 million from a businesswoman under the pretext of investing it in an oil business and paying back is being sort after by the police.
This is because the accused has jumped bail.
The accused stopped attending court proceedings after he was granted bail by the Circuit in Accra, presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah on October 13, 2023.
Consequently, Alhaji Yakubu, charged with defrauding by false pretence and two counts of issuing fake cheque is being tried in absentia.
Prosecuting, Superintendent of police, Mr Augustus Yirenkyi told the court that the complainant, Madam Darling Tuffour, resides at Tessa Avenue, East Legon, while the accused lives in Ashongman.
He said Alhaji Fareed approached Madam Tuffuor in the early part of 2021, claiming that he needed money to clear a consignment of oil from the port.
The court heard that Alhaji Fareed requested and was given GHS 3 million by the complainant in two tranches.
Supt. Yirenkyi said the accused claimed he would pay back shortly.
He said the complainant, being convinced that this was a young man trying to establish himself as a legitimate business man, accepted post dated cheques from Alhaji Fareed.
However, when the period came for repayment, both cheques were declined by the respective banks.
The prosecutor told the court that the complainant was asked by Alhaji Fareed to re-present the cheques later.
On those dates, the cheques bounced again.
He then went into hiding, evading the Complainant.
As last resort, the matter was reported to the Police. After a long search, publications and declaring the Accused “wanted”, he was finally apprehended and put before the Circuit Court in August 2023. The Court, in its magnanimity, granted him bail on October 10, 2023.
Similar to how he had evaded arrest for long periods of time, the accused had since refused to show up in court and once again gone into hiding.
The case against him in the Circuit Court is being tried in his absence while the hunt for him continues.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
