February 26

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02 CONTENT DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 DAILY QUOTE The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself — Mark Caine ANNIVERSARIES 06 March, Independence Day 30 March, Good Friday 02 April, Easter Monday Published by: EIB Network / Heritage Communications Ltd. Managing Editor: William Asiedu: 0208156974 Editor: Kofi Enchill: 0265653335 ISSN: 0855-52307 VOL 7 Location: Meridian House (Starr FM) Ring Road. Box AD 676, Adabraka, Accra,Ghana. Telephone: +233-0302- 236051, 020-8156974 026-5653335 Adverts/Mktg: Paul Ampong-Mensah 024-4360782 Fax: +233-0302-237156 Email: news@dailyheritagegh.com.gh heritagenewspaper@yahoo.co.uk www.dailyheritage.com.gh WORLD Children 'forced to watch rape' in South Sudan POLITICS Decriminalise Libel – MFWA urges Prez Weah BUSINESS PG.04 MTN Ghana recognised as outstanding customer by ECG SPORTS PG.11 GAHA releases 2018 league fixtures PG.10 PG.15 Chief Imam’s office petitions Minister BY BENJAMIN TANDOH THE OFFICE of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has petitioned the Ministry of Interior to protest against the approach they are using to fight Fulani herdsmen in the country. According to them, using radical means to end the frequent clashes between the herdsmen and members of some communities in the country was not the best way. They, thus, urged the government to come up with a more peaceful approach. The spiritual leader of the Muslim community further called on the Fulani Society, especially the herdsmen, to obey the laws of the community in which they find themselves. This, the Chief Imam explained, will help reduce the frequent clashes between the herdsmen and locals of the community. Speaking to the press on behalf of the Chief Imam when a delegation from the Fulani Community in Nigeria paid a courtesy call on the Chief Imam, Alhaji Ridwan Abass, Chief of Fadama reiterated the need for Ghanaians to live in harmony and maintain the peace and order in the country. •Over attacks on Fulani herdsmen • Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu (seated L) and the delegates from Nigeria Alhaji Abass expressed displeasure over the frequent clashes between the two groups, and pleaded with the Fulanis to desist from any violent act, even if they are provoked. He advised them, to go through the right process to express their challenges and worry, saying, “The police are there to protect all of us, so I urge them to report their cases to the police rather than retaliating.” He disclosed that the meeting with the delegates was to find the best solution to end the clashes, as well as to call on the spiritual head of the Muslim region in the country to intervene. “They heard this message that there is a very serious chaos happening in Ghana where soldiers are killing Fulanis and their cattle in the bush and that is why they sent the delegation here. “The Fulanis shouldn’t overreact which will make them break the laws of the country, but they should know how to go about it when they have a problem,” he said. Also speaking at the gathering, Alhaji Muhammadu Kirowa, National President, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Nigeria, expressed concern about the “killing of cattle in the country.” He said the Fulani community is known for peace, hence the need for his people to leave in peace with the people in the community. “We condemn these atrocities and are obliged to stand by you in solidarity in your desire to seek worldwide attention towards bringing an end to this barbaric show of power on defenseless Fulanis in the Ghana,” he said. Alhaji Kirowa further mentioned that they were ready to sit with the leaders and law makers to dialogue on the best way forward. “I have come here to sit with them and tell them to sit with the traditional leaders of the communities and the leaders of the government to explain our work to them and see how best we can bring peace,” he told the press.
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe. GYEEDA ROT: —Anatole France Jailed Assibit to appeal sentence BY MUNTALLA INUSAH muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh THE FORMER National Coordinator of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency ‘GYEEDA’, Mr Abuga Pele and businessman, Philip Akpeena Assibit have been sentenced to share 18 years jail term for defrauding the State. Mr Assibit, who was the Project Coordinator of Goodwill International Group and Management Development and Productivity Institute, was sentenced to 12 years for defrauding the State by false pretense and three years for six counts of dishonestly causing financial loss to public property. Both are to run concurrently, so he will serve the highest which is 12 years. Mr Pele, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Chiana-Paga in the Upper East Region who was charged with two counts of abetment to wit defrauding by false pretense was handed six years for abatement and four years for five counts of willfully causing financial loss to the State. Both are to run concurrently, so he will serve the highest which is six years. Court’s considerations The Financial and Economic Division of the High Court, presided by Mrs Afia Serwah Asare- Botwe, said it took into consideration the fact that the accused persons when given the opportunity to plea for mitigation were “remorseless and unrepentant.” It also said, the convicts though were first time offenders, • Abuga Pele to spend six years in prison were not young people, but elderly statesmen who should not have conspired to loot the State and therefore ought to face punitive measures that would deter others. The 52-page judgement ordered the State to recover from the convicted persons any property valued at $1.9 million equivalent to GH¢ 3.3 million. We’ll appeal But, lawyers of the convict have indicated their willingness to file a notice of appeal as early as this week. Lawyer for Mr Assibit, especially, Kweku Paintsil, told the DAILY HERITAGE that he had been instructed by his client to appeal the conviction and also apply for bail, adding that the State which had the burden of proving its case was selective in presenting evidence to the Financial Court. “The prosecution was specifically accused not only by one witness but by two or three witnesses of deliberately hiding evidence from the court. If the prosecution has a good case why withhold evidence from the court?” he asked rhetorically. According to him, even the judge conceded that proceedings were adjourned to allow the lawyers of the accused and the state to negotiate a plea bargain, but they were not offered that opportunity. •Philip Akpeena Assibit •Abuga Pele “You cannot ask a lawyer to confer with the client in the glare of the court and come out with anything reasonable in five minutes," he expressed disappointment. It is as good as admitting the conviction. Even if we decided to refund the entire amount, the judge will still go ahead to sentence them.” No contract In her 52-paged judgement, the court said, a purported Memorandum of Understanding signed between then National Youth Employment Programme and the then Chief Executive Officer of Goodwill International Group could not be described as a contract of consultancy service. The court said the document presented as evidence of work done by Mr Assibit had gaps in it and looked unfinished with references made from the European Union as if Ghana was in Europe. Touching on whether Mr Assibit had secured 65 million dollars funding from the World Bank as he claimed for which reason he demanded to be paid GH¢ 826 million, the court said per all documents before it from the World Bank, no such money was secured as at September 2011 when Mr Assibit insisted he had secured that amount. The court also found as false his claim that, he Assibit had recruited 250 youth and prepared an exit plan as ordered by World Bank to organise tracer studies. On whether his actions amounted to defrauding (had intent), the court found that the Prosecution proved the counts of defrauding by false pretence against Mr Assibit; he was accordingly convicted. Abuga Pele After citing many authorities on whether he (Pele) abetted the crime of defrauding by false pretence, the court said Prosecution had proved his guilty of two counts of abetting to commit crime. On whether there was an intention to willfully cause financial loss to the State, the court said it was convinced and had no doubt that GH¢ 3.3 million had been lost by the State. The court, thus, found Abuga Pele guilty of willfully causing financial loss to the State. The court found the former GY- EEDA coordinator guilty of 13 counts ranging from abetting to committing crime of willfully causing financial loss to the State.
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