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5 elders fined GH₵12, 500 for interfering in chieftaincy affairs

The Sekondi High Court Two, on Wednesday imposed a total fine of GH₵12,500  on five elders for interfering  in chieftaincy affairs  of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, in the Effia-Kwesimintsim municipality of the Western Region.

The convicts,   Ebusua Kyeame  Ekow Tawiah, Maame Yaaba, Joseph Nyantakyi, John Arhin and Mena Nsia, who are not members of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, would in default, serve a three-month jail term.

Their counsel, Mr John Mercer, pleaded with presiding High Court judge, Justice Mrs Hannah Taylor, to temper justice with mercy since the elders had regretted their action.

The five,  were summoned before  the court in 2017 for  installing a new chief, disregarding the decision of the Judicial Committee of  the Western Regional House of Chiefs,  barring  the elders from any such actions, in the affairs of  the Effia stool, on Thursday, April 28, 1974.

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The Judicial Committee, included Awulae Kwesi Amakyi III, chairman, Nana Hima Dekyi XIII and Nana Kofi Adianka IV, members with A. P. Pepra, as counsel.

In 1974, a  judgement from  Western Regional House of Chiefs, specified that the five convicts were not members of  the Effia Royal Family, and, therefore, could not install a chief.

The Judicial Committee  ruled that the two separate stools of Effia and Mpintsin could not succeed each other in any way, any attempt by a member of Mpintsin branch to occupy the stool was improper, and vice versa.

The Judicial Committee specified  that the petitioner, Opanyin Kweku Walabai, whose descendants are the five elders, was  from the Mpintsin lineage, and  definitely not part of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family at Effia.

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It said Nana Brempong Yaw III and Nana Brempong Yaw 1V were of the Effia lineage of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family and have, therefore, been properly enstooled on the Effia Stool.

However, the five elders defied the House of Chiefs’ ruling and in October, 2017, tried to install John Arhin, a tutor of Ahantaman Senior High School,  as a chief, while Nana Brempong Yaw V, was still the occupant of the stool at Effia and of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Family.

FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKONDI

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High Court issues bench warrant for disputed Akwatia MP following contempt conviction

A Koforidua High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ernest Yaw Kumi, the presumed winner of the Akwatia parliamentary seat in the Eastern region, after convicting him of contempt of court.

The court issued the bench warrant for Kumi’s arrest after he failed to attend court.

The conviction comes after he disobeyed an interim injunction against him on January 7, prohibiting him from being sworn in and admitted as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Akwatia constituency due to an ongoing legal contest over his election.

Mr Kumi presented himself in Parliament to be sworn in on January 7, 2025.

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The Judge, Justice Senyo Amedahe held that the convict, throughout the hearing of the contempt case, failed to appear in court in person.

He also rejected a letter from the minority side of Parliament claiming the MP was busy with parliamentary duties, hence his continuous absence from court.

The judge rejected the letter, insisting he would be going against his own ruling should he accept the letter from the minority caucus.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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Asset declaration is good, but lifestyle audit is key among public officials – Domelevo to Mahama

Former Auditor General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has commended President John Mahama for declaring his assets but stressed the need for a lifestyle audit to effectively curb corruption among public officials.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, February 18, he acknowledged the President’s move as a “good gesture” but raised concerns about the process.

“It is good to see that the President has declared his assets,” he said.

According to him, “I was not too happy seeing the envelope being given to the Auditor General because that goes more or less to support what people have all along been saying—that you put your declaration in an envelope, seal it, and give it to the Auditor General, which is not the case anyway.”

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“This should have gone through the entire process so that they capture it because you are supposed to verify the signature and be sure that the form has been properly completed. That at least should have been done, but it was not done,”he said.

While appreciating President Mahama’s directive for his appointees and public office holders to declare their assets by March 31, Domelevo expressed reservations about the timeline.

“To be honest with you, I think March 31 is too far away because the Constitution provides that it should be declared before you take office,” he argued.

He added that “Some will argue that Act 550 allows six months, but Act 550 contradicts the Constitution. I have a letter in my possession, written by former Attorney General Gloria Akuffo, confirming that the provisions of subsection 4(1) of Act 550 contradict the Constitution. However, we have all been upholding and following that.”

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Daniel Domelevo was particularly pleased with Mahama’s commitment to hold non-compliant officials accountable.

“I’m also happy the President says those who don’t declare are going to be punished or asked to leave office. I think that will cut across everybody, and that will be good,” he stated.

However, the former Auditor General stated that asset declaration alone is insufficient in tackling corruption.

“This declaration is good. We must add to it what we call a lifestyle audit and the reversal of the burden of proof,” Mr Domelevo insisted.

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“If we don’t do these two things so that we can audit and find out ‘how did you get this money?’, people are going to hide their resources or their assets with their families and friends. Everybody who is suspected of being an ally of a political or public office holder must be subjected to a lifestyle audit,” he concluded.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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