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Boycott any invitation from ORAL team – Minority to former gov’t officials

The minority in Parliament has called on its members to boycott any invitation extended to them by the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee.

In a press briefing today, January 15, in Parliament, the Suame MP, John Darko, said its operations are unconstitutional and a violation of Ghana’s legal framework.

It was his view that ORAL’s activities overlap with and undermine the functions of established institutions like the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

“no serious country will entertain anything such as this,” he argued.

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He further stressed that “Our advice to outgone government officials is clear: boycott any invitation from this so-called ORAL team. We refuse to participate in or recognise its activities because constitutionally established institutions already exist to investigate any alleged misdeeds.”

Consequently, Mr.Darko criticised the Attorney General (AG) nominee, Dr Dominic Ayine for endorsing an entity that undermines the role of constitutionally established bodies.

They also alleged the Oral was going too far, with its operatives engaging in activities that disrupt the lives of private citizens.

“They are going about disturbing people, entering homes, seizing vehicles, and confiscating lands from individuals who have lawfully acquired them. This is nothing short of harassment, and it must stop,” Mr. Darko added.

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By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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AG’s Department advised Godfred Dame to drop charges against Dr. Johnson Asiama – Dominic Ayine reveals

The Attorney General, Dr.  Dominic Ayine has revealed that an internal memo prepared by the Prosecutions Division of the Attorney General’s (AG) Department before he assumed office recommended that criminal charges against the current Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama be dropped.

Dr. Ayine disclosed that even though the advice was offered to his predecessor, he refused to heed to the counsel and rather pursued the case in court.

“This was the advice from the Prosecutions Division of the Attorney General’s Department to the former Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, which recommended that the charges should be dropped”, Dr. Ayine said.

“Based on these revelations it was difficult for me to press ahead with the prosecution of the current Governor of the Bank of Ghana and that is why I dropped all the charges against him,” he said explaining reasons behind the decision to discontinue the case.

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Dr.  Dominic Ayine disclosed this at a news conference in Accra to update the public on reasons for filing nolle prosequi for a number of court cases involving high profile members of the of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

“In coming to this decision, I am fortified by the Rule 40(2)(a) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (L.I. 2423) which provides that, in a criminal case, a prosecutor shall refrain from prosecuting a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by the facts”

Background

Government in 2020, began the prosecution of Dr. Johnson Asiama, who was then the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, along other accused persons on fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, conspiracy to commit crime, and violations of the Bank of Ghana  Act.

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For Dr. Asiama, he was charged with contravention of the Bank of Ghana Act for granting a facility of 300 million cedis to Universal Merchant Bank and for causing financial loss to the state in the sum of 150million cedis.

Charge of financial loss

In reaction to this, Dr. Ayine said the state was not pursuing a charge of financial loss again since 300 million cedis have been recovered, leaving the 150 million cedis outstanding.

 I did not see the need to pursue the case. Evidence adduced so far fell significantly short of what was required to convict the accused. I therefore find it interesting that the state pressed ahead with prosecution, which I consider as a total waste of time”, he said.

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Dr. Ayine pointed out that charges against some other people have not been dropped.

“I have not yet dropped the charges against the remaining accused persons because I am currently in discussions with the receivers in order to understand the financial implications of any decision I may take in these cases,” he concluded.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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Dzifa Gomashie launches three-day consultative meeting of ECOWAS Member States on copyright under AfCFTA

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie (M.P), on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, launched the three-day Consultative Meeting of ECOWAS Member States for a Coordinated Response to Copyright Issues in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Since January 1, 2021, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has brought together 54 countries of the continent and seeks to bring all member States of the African Union (AU) by bringing together key institutions as the common market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Southern Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), the Arab Maghreb Union and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.

The objective of this meeting was to provide a coordinated response to the consideration of copyright issues in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while taking into account the national legislation of ECOWAS member countries.

In her opening remarks, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts emphasised that Ghana recognizes the immense potential of AfCFTA to stimulate economic growth, promote innovation, and foster cultural exchange across the African continent. Realizing these potential hinges on the establishment of a robust and harmonized intellectual property rights framework, with copyright at its core.

She urged the ECOWAS Member States to have a shared responsibility in ensuring that the National copyright laws align with international standards while reflecting the unique needs and circumstances of our region. 

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She was optimistic that, the consultation meeting would provide a valuable platform for member states to engage in open dialogue, exchange best practices, and identify areas of convergence in our respective legal frameworks.

The Minister further enumerated some key issues that attention should be paid to in the formulation of the legal framework or reference point when it comes to Intellectual property (IP).

i) The scope of copyright protection.

ii) Enforcement mechanisms

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iii) Collective management organization

iv) Exceptions and limitations

v) Cross-border cooperation

Concluding her remarks,  Abla Dzifa Gomashie encouraged Member States to seize the opportunity to work together towards a future where creativity is celebrated, innovation is rewarded, and the cultural wealth of our region is safeguarded for generations yet to come.

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