News
Redemption at last! …as taxi driver freed after wrongfully serving 12 years in prison
A taxi driver who was jailed 45 years by the Tema Circuit Court on November 25, 2014, on trumped up charges has finally gained his freedom after spending 12 years in the Maximum Security Prison at Nsawam in the Eastern Region.
The convict, Kwame Ameyome, who was 28 years at the time of his sentence was asked by a businessman to take him from Accra to Prampram at GH¢20.00 but upon arrival at his destination, the passenger (businessman) rather turned round and accused the cabbie of attempting to rob him of his 39,000 dollars.
But for the intervention of the Public Defence Division of the Legal Aid Commission, which took up the matter before a three-member Court of Appeal – panel of judges led by Mr Justice Victor Ofoe at Ho last Friday, the taxi driver would have still been languishing in prison.
The freedom of Mr Ameyome was through the instrumentality of Mr Nelson Mawutor Kporha of the Legal Aid Commission in the Volta Region who was his defence counsel.
The facts as presented were that a businessman by name Ben Mensah, hired Kwame Ameyome to take him in his taxi from Nungua to Prampram and agreed to pay the taxi driver (Ameyome) GH¢20.00
Instead of paying the cabbie the agreed fare, the businessman, allegedly drew a dagger and chopped the cabbie’s ear off and also inflicted deep cuts on his face.
Ameyome who was bleeding profusely staggered back into his vehicle and managed to drive to the Tema General Hospital where he spent two weeks on admission before he was discharged.
His ordeal did not end there as the assailant smartly reported to the police that the cabbie attempted to rob him of his foreign currency i.e. USD 39,000.
Based on that false complaint, Ameyome was sentenced to 45 years imprisonment by the Tema Circuit Court, presided by Madam Lorenda Owusu (as she then was), on November 25, 2014.
At the hearing, Ameyome who had already spent six years behind bars on remand and who did not understand the seriousness of the offence for which he was charged, pleaded guilty with explanation, expecting a lenient sentence from the court, because he had no legal representation.
In his explanation, Ameyome told the court that he only stretched his hand towards the businessman’s wallet which was on his lap to take out the GH¢20 he was supposed to pay him, when it became clear that the businessman was not willing to pay the money.
His sentence was later reduced to 20 years on appeal at a Koforidua High Court, presided by Mr Justice Kenneth A. Kwabi on March 2, 2016.
Finally it took the intervention of the Public Defence Division of the Legal Aid Commission for Ameyome to walk free from the Nsawam Maximum Security Prison.
A three-member Court of Appeal panel sitting at Ho, chaired by Mr Justice Victor Ofoe last week Friday upheld the submission by Defence/Appellant’s counsel, Mr Nelson Mawutor Kporha who argued that the cabbie did not have a weapon and that it was rather the complainant who pulled a dagger to inflict injuries on the appellant before it turned into a fight between them.
It emerged that the cabbie was provoked by the complainant’s refusal to pay him the fare and that the complainant’s claim that he had USD39, 000 in his wallet was doubtful as that was mentioned only for the first time in court, although that was not contained in the facts.
The Court of Appeal panel said that Ameyome had suffered a miscarriage of justice which had adversely affected him.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho
Music producer M.O.G Beatz has confirmed that the copyright infringement issue between him and musician Charles Nii Armah Mensah has been fully resolved.
In a statement released on Thursday, 11 December 2025, he described the resolution as an important step toward protecting creative work and promoting fairness in the music industry.
He noted that the matter had been settled peacefully and expressed optimism about stronger respect for artistic rights going forward.
M.O.G Beatz thanked his legal team for their support during the process.
He expressed gratitude to Mr. Seidu and Mr. Kojo Spio for their guidance and encouragement, adding that many others stood by him and helped underline the importance of safeguarding the rights of creators.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Global Africa Summit: Jane Reindorf urges policy makers to remove barriers discouraging investment
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Investment Network, Jane Reindorf, has urged policy makers to remove barriers that discourage investment in Ghana.
She made the appeal during the two-day Global Africa Summit held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra from December 11-12.
The Global Africa Summit is an initiative of the Africa Investment Network designed to unite Africa and its global diaspora under a shared vision of economic collaboration and sustainable development.
The summit provides a platform for governments, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss opportunities that can accelerate growth across the continent.
Held in major cities across the world, the summit focuses on promoting trade, investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
It also highlights the critical role of diaspora capital and partnerships in unlocking Africa’s potential in sectors such as technology, renewable energy, agriculture, finance, tourism, and the creative economy.
Reindorf speaking to journalists at the summit, explained that the forum was created to explore opportunities for trade and investment in Ghana across different sectors.
She noted that although the country was showing visible development, a more supportive environment would help attract and retain investors, especially those from the diaspora.
She observed that people in the diaspora come to Ghana through different experiences and journeys, and a friendly business climate would help sustain their interest.
She stressed that investors mainly look for places where their capital can grow and make meaningful impact.
In her view, cultural attitudes, politics, and personal biases sometimes block opportunities in Ghana even though investors focus more on the strength of business prospects than on political issues.
She pointed out that a diaspora investor with about 200 million dollars could easily choose Kenya or South Africa if Ghana failed to create a favourable environment.
For her, government must work to keep investment coming into Ghana instead of losing it to other countries.
Reindorf shared that the next day of the summit would include reflections on the event and discussions on investment opportunities in Africa’s “sixth region,” the diaspora.
She explained that these conversations would look at how remittances can be turned into productive investments rather than being used only for family support.
She added that entrepreneurs would present bankable projects to both in-person and virtual investors as part of efforts to link ideas with funding.
She described this as the moment “the magic happens,” and expressed appreciation for the support of the network’s investment partner, John Morris.
Reindorf highlighted that African Americans, Brazilians, and Caribbean communities form a strong base of potential investors.
She said the Africa Investment Network hopes to engage these groups and direct their interest toward Ghana by building the right platform.
She noted that during her first visit to Ghana, she assessed the market and saw clear potential to attract investment through stocks, bonds, projects, and direct ventures.
She explained that this was the type of platform the organisation aims to strengthen to support Ghana’s investment drive.
By: Jacob Aggrey
