News
‘Fix The Country’ member seen tearing down posters at National Cathedral site arrested
A member of the Fix the Country movement, under the auspices of Democracy Hub, has been arrested at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Ralph St. Williams, also known as Fellow Ghanaians, was arrested while en route to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region ahead of the group’s protest on Saturday.
The convener of the movement, Oliver Baker-Vormawor, made this known in a tweet on X on Thursday, September 19.
Mr Baker-Vormawor believes the arrest is linked to Fellow Ghanaians’ participation in the “Enough is Enough” demonstration organised by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the Electoral Commission.
“It appears that Ralph’s arrest stems from his peaceful participation in Tuesday’s ‘Enough is Enough’ demonstration, where he highlighted government mismanagement by opening the National Cathedral pit, a site that has already cost Ghana 58 million cedis, for symbolic swimming,” portions of the tweet read.
A viral video of the suspect shows him tearing down some posters at the Cathedral project site and expressing his anger over the misuse of public funds.
But the convener of the movement also alleged that the arrest was aimed at preventing Ralph St. Williams from participating in the upcoming ‘Say No to Galamsey’ protest, and to “intimidate activists fighting for transparency and environmental justice.”
Mr Baker-Vormawor condemned the arrest and demanded the immediate release of their member.
He also called for an official apology from the authorities for what he described as a blatant attempt to silence critical voices.
Meanwhile, he said that the group will be submitting a formal petition to the Inspector General of Police to address the situation.
Source:Myjoyonline.com
News
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.
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
News
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.”
“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.”
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.
“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
