June 29

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News
DAILY
Obengfo CEO refused
bail, still caged
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
CRIMINAL Division of the Accra High
Court, presided over by Justice Kofi
Dorgu, has dismissed a bail application for
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Advanced Body Sculpt Centre, Dr
Dominic Obeng-Andoh.
According to the court, the application
was premature because the key evidence
of the prosecution, which is the autopsy
report, was not ready.
The court held that Dr Obeng-
Andoh could influence investigations by
the police if granted bail.
The Obengfo CEO, together with one
of his cleaners, Mr Edward Amponsah,
are standing trial for the charge of murder
and personation respectively over the
death of Stacy Offei Darko, a Deputy
CEO of the National Entrepreneurship
Innovation Plan (NEIP).
While Dr Obeng-Andoh was not
granted bail, the cleaner at his facility was
granted a GH¢20, 000.00 bail by the court.
Lawyer Jonathan Dzaisu, counsel for
the applicants (Dr Obeng-Andoh, and
Amponsah), said the applicants were
lawful and abiding citizens and that
whenever they were invited they would
make themselves available.
According to him, when they were
invited to appear before the police for
questioning upon the alleged murder of
Stacy Darko, they obliged and made
themselves available to the police.
He told the court that Dr Obeng-
Andoh is a qualified medical practitioner
and had practised for over 20 years to the
extent that he worked at the Bartor
Hospital and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
and “due to the success he had made, he
has been able to set up a hospital for
Ghanaians.”
The lawyer further explained that the
late Stacy Darko had been a customer of
the hospital since 2014 and after a
successful procedure, she came back for
another procedure in 2018 and it was after
that procedure that she passed on.
Opposition
State Attorney Ashong Okai, while
opposing the bail application, said, “It is
our view that the application is premature
and we need to allow the police to finalise
their investigation.”
According to him, when granted bail,
the suspects might influence witnesses
who will provide investigations with
evidence since all the witnesses are Dr
Obeng-Andoh’s employees.
He told the court that the doctor might
continue to commit more harm since the
facility is still there, though under lock,
and that the atmosphere surrounding the
case meant that he should be protected.
•Dominic Obeng-Andoh, Director of the Advanced Body Sculpt Centre
AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL
, Ghana has called
on Ghanaians,
especially the Ghana
Police Service and
other intelligence agencies in the
country, to stop using torture as a
means of extracting information
from wrongdoers.
According to Amnesty
International, it is against the
recommendations by the United
Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur
on Torture for the police service
and other intelligence agencies to
use force to extract information.
The group made this call last
Tuesday, June 26, 2018, during the
celebration of International Day in
Support of Victims of Torture on
the theme ‘The Ghanaian Authority
Should Take Further Steps to
Compact Torture and Ill-
Treatment’.
Speaking to the media at the
event, Director of Amnesty
AN ASPIRING National Nasara
Coordinator in the upcoming New
Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Delegates
Conference, Mr Ali Suraj, has had
a lunch meeting with female
Nasara Coordinators in the
Greater Accra Region.
This, according to him, was part
of his campaign activities to
canvass for votes from the women
wing to become the next National
Nasara Coordinator.
The meeting was purposely
aimed at drumming home his
campaign message of building an
all- inclusive Nasara wing.
Addressing the gathering, , Mr
Suraj expressed his utmost faith in
the capacity of women and
pledged to work closely with them
to make the Nasara wing of the
International, Ghana, Mr Robert
Akoto Amanfo, said all forms of
torture - be it emotional,
psychological, physical and others -
are an abuse of human rights and
NPP effective to win the Zongo
communities.
“For the fact that I am a gender
positivist and have an
overwhelming trust in the capacity
HERITAGE, FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2018 WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
Torture for information
wrong — Amnesty Intl
BY PHILIP ANTOH
philip.antoh@dailyheritage.com.gh
must be condemned at all levels.
Mr Amanfo said for Ghana to
prevent torture, it must follow the
recommendations made by the UN
Special Rapporteur on Torture in
of ladies, for the first time in the
history [of NPP], I will appoint a
woman as my deputy if I am given
the nod to be the next National
Nasara Coordinator.
2013 and 2016 respectively.
He said though Ghana had made
gains in the UN, “we still know that
some police officers and intelligence
agencies continue to use torture and
Nasara Coordinator aspirant engages G/A Nasara wing
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
(L-R) Samuel Agbotse, Campaign and Fundraising Coordinator, Robert Akoto Amanfo, Director and
Frank Doyi, Growth and Mobilisation Manager at Amnesty Intl’s press conference
•Mr Ali Suraj, aspiring National Coordinator
According to him, his plans are
to strengthen and empower
women participation in the affairs
of Nasara since “women will have
enviable place under my watch as
other ill-treatment as a means of
getting information from culprits.
“Today marks 20 years since the
UN declared June 26 as
International Day in support of
victims of torture,” he stated.
“To prevent torture means the
justice system must be sharp,
discourage mob justice, embark on
education to discourage teachers
who use capital punishment as a
form of correction in schools and
also caution parents who use iron
and oil to burn their children as a
form of punishment,” the director
stated.
“We welcome any step by the
government to address torture and
ill-treatment in the country such as
the ratification of the Optional
Protocol to the convention against
torture. We again call on the
authorities to fully implement the
recommendations made by the
UN,” he stated.
Growth and Mobilisation
Manager, Mr Frank Doyi, called on
faith-based organisations to end all
forms of torture against their
members, especially in prayer camps
where people are chained and
maltreated.
National Nasara Coordinator.”
In attendance were female
substantive Nasara coordinators
and their deputies in Accra.
Govt bans
importation of tilapia
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
THE MINISTRY of Fisheries and
Aquaculture Development
(MoFAD) has placed a ban on the
importation of tilapia and
ornamental imports beginning July
1, 2018 till December 31 due to the
tilapia lake virus disease.
The tilapia lake virus is infecting
populations of tilapia and it is
responsible for decimation of some
populations, which was recently
discovered.
A statement signed by the Chief
Director of MoFAD, Prof Francis
K. E. Nunoo, said the ban was one
of the immediate steps being taken
to help prevent and control the
disease since its treatment was not
known.
According to the statement, “the
Ministry will follow up with
capacity building and awareness
creation programmes at different
levels for farmers, hatchery
operators, extension officers,
consumers and the general public
to support implementation of
simple farm level bio-security
programmes.
“Tilapia lake virus is a newly
•Elizabeth Afole Quaye,
Minister of Fisheries and
Aquaculture Development
emerging virus that is associated
with significant mortalities in
farmed tilapia.
“The attention of the Ministry
of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Development has been drawn to
the fact that cases have been
reported across Africa, Asia and
South America that the virus
represents a huge risk to the global
tilapia industry,” the statement
indicated.
“This means all countries should
be vigilant and act quickly to
investigate cases of mortalities in
farms.
“In line with this the Ministry of
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Development is, by this release,
placing a ban on the import of all
ornamental fishes and tilapia
species (live and dead), including
gametes-eggs and milt, into the
country from July 1 to December
31, 2018.
“Consumers and stakeholders
are therefore advised to report any
issues arising or related to this issue
to the Ministry of Fisheries and
Aquaculture Development. The
Ministry will also update the public
on any new development on this in
due time.”