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Tension at Akwatialine …as wood sellers resist eviction
Portions of the land has been fenced
Tension is mounting at Akwatialine Wood Market in the Ashanti Region as the Wood Sellers Association has threatened to resist every attempt to move them from the place by the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly.
The association has accused the assembly of making plans to evict its members from the parcel of land being used as the wood market.
About two weeks ago, one person was hospitalised in a clash between the police and the traders, while dozens were arrested.
The Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly stormed the area with the Anti-Robbery Unit of the Ghana Police Service to evict them to make way for the construction of stores by a private developer.
A visit to the area by The Spectator during the week saw 300 metres stretch of land fenced with aluminium sheets by the private developer.
According to the Secretary of the Association, Mohammed Umar, it had taken them by surprise to see the place fenced while traders still had their goods within.
He explained that following the clash between the traders and police, the Assembly called for a dialogue to resolve the matter.
He said that while the issue was being discussed, “we came to work today only to see the place fenced, but we will not give in to that”.
“The Assembly is asking us to vacate a place we have lived for over 50 years to pave way for the construction of new stores, and we are demanding that they give us a place to relocate our businesses.
”The assembly is yet to show us where to go, and all of a sudden they brought heavily armed policemen to beat and evict us forcefully… and now the place is fenced.
“Until the Assembly relocates us, we are not moving an inch,” he said, and called on authorities in the region to, as a matter of urgency, resolve the issue and find a place to relocate them.
Efforts to contact the Assembly for comments proved futile.
From Kingsley E.Hope, Kumasi
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has expressed deep sorrow following the sudden passing of Isaac Batsa, the constituency secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker issued a statement on Tuesday reacting to the news, which has shocked the local political community.
Mr.Awuku praised the late NDC secretary for his bipartisan approach to local governance.
He noted that despite their different political affiliations, Batsa consistently rose above party lines to serve the constituency with diligence.
The MP revealed that the news was particularly shocking given that he had last interacted with Batsa just three days prior on Saturday.
Concluding his statement, Sammy Awuku extended his heartfelt condolences to Batsa’s family, the constituency and regional executives, and the entire NDC fraternity, wishing the deceased peaceful eternal rest.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
