News
Commercial sex worker jailed for swindling mechanic
The commercial sex worker who swindled an Aflao-based mechanic after spending the night with him in a hotel in Accra, has been sentenced to six months in prison by an Accra Circuit Court.
The 22-year-old convict, Ms. Juliet FosuaAkos charged the victim, Mr Godwin Babate who had travelled from Aflao in the Volta Region to the national capital, Accra, to buy some spare parts at AbosseyOkai GH¢50.00 to spend the night with him at the Grand View Hotel, Kantamanto, on January 16, 2020, but ended up stealing all his foreign currency about CFA 2 million (GH¢23,500.00) and a mobile phone worth GH¢1,000.00.
Though she pleaded not guilty to the offence of stealing and was granted GH¢50,000.00 bail with two sureties who should be public servants and earning not less than GH¢1,500.00 a month, the Accra Circuit Court “One” presided by Madam Susana Eduful, however, found her guilty after a full trial and convicted her accordingly.
The prosecutor, Inspector Samuel Ahiabor pleaded with the court to release the GH¢200.00 cash, a silver chain, a gas cylinder and the mobile phone the police retrieved from the convict, to the victim.
MsFosua had earlier told the Railway Police who effected her arrest that she used part of the booty to buy the items and gave the breakdown as follows: That she bought the silver chain at GH¢460.00, a dress at GH¢100.00 and gave GH¢300.00 to her mother but failed to disclose where the rest of the money was.
According to the prosecutor, the victim is still roaming the streets of Accra homeless for the fear that those car owners who gave him the money to come to Accra and buy the spare parts to fix their vehicles, would not spare his life, if he returns to Aflao to give “a situationalreport”on the loss of their money.
The facts are that Mr. Godwin Babate came down to Accra on January 15, 2020 to buy some car parts and decided to engage a prostitute who he could spend the night with so he went to Okaishie in Accra and saw the convict.
Inspector Ahiabor said that in the course of bargaining, Juliet FosuaAkos charged the complainant (Mr. Babate) GH¢50.00 for the night and both of them went to a hotel to sleep.
He said that after the two persons had enjoyed themselves sexually, the victim dozed off so the convict saw it as an opportunity to steal CFA 2,005,000 (GH¢23,500.00) from a wardrobe and an Infinix mobile phone valued at GH¢1,000.00 and sneaked out of the hotel room.
The prosecutor said that when the mechanic woke up the following day at about 4:00am and detected the theft of his cash and mobile phone, he suspected no other person than the commercial sex worker who he enjoyed with at night.
According to Inspector Ahiabor the victim reported the matter to the hotel manager and he (hotel manager) accompanied him to the Railway Police Station to lodge an official complaint leading to the arrest of Ms. Juliet FosuaAkos in her hideout in Accra through the help of another person.
He said that the convict admitted the commission of the offence in her caution statement.
The police retrieved the item which included a silver chain, a gas cylinder, and amobile phone and an amount of GH¢200.00 cash from her.
By Castro Zangina- Tong
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
