SAM GEORGE SUED GH¢100m

Ken Ofori-Atta - Plaintiff

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, December 29, 2014

Ken Ofori-Atta, Chairman of Databank Financial Services Limited - a financial giant – has filed a case of defamation against Sam George Nartey, a Communications Consultant to President John Mahama at an Accra Fast Track High Court.

The suit file filed on December 23 by the plaintiff’s lawyers, Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah, which also joined Network Broadcasting Limited, operators of Radio Gold 90.5 is asking for a whopping GH¢100million in damages.

Evading Service

Sam George was reportedly served with the writ of summons on Saturday after news went viral on various social media platforms that he allegedly evaded service but it was not clear if Radio Gold as the second defendant had been served.

According to the plaintiff, Sam George on Radio Gold’s news analysis programme Alhaji & Alhaji aired on October 18, 2014 claimed that Mr. Ofori-Atta evaded taxes and did not pay his taxes but gets up and wants to ‘Occupy’ in reference to his association with the fast growing pressure group called Occupy Ghana which is fighting against corruption and bad governance in the country.

The plaintiff quoted Sam George as saying on Radio Gold that he (Mr. Ofori-Atta) has evaded tax to the tune of GHC1.6 million and added “This same Ken Ofori-Atta has been fingered in the fraudulent forex account that the General Secretary and Chairman of the NPP spoke about that was opened in the name of the NPP abroad and certain people were using it as a slush fund.”

The plaintiff continued “when you finish all of this illegality, you have the moral turpitude, the audacity, the pedagogy to come and stand there and say that you are going to occupy-occupy the Flagstaff House.”

Sam George - Defendant

Mr. Ofori-Atta further quoted Sam George as saying “They should occupy Databank and from there they should go and occupy Odaw-Odaw river, we need people to clean it. It's National Volunteer Day, they should go and clean the Odaw River, they should clean their acts,” adding “you cannot sit in this country and people will run this country down, create a mess, turn around and blame the President and his team for the mess.”

Plaintiff’s Claims

Mr. Ofori-Atta is claiming against the defendants jointly and severally a declaration that the statements made by Sam George on ‘Alhaji & Alhaji,’ hosted by Alhassan Suhiyini on Radio Gold “are false, malicious and defamatory”

The plaintiff wants “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from broadcasting, writing or in any other way, publishing the same or similar defamatory statements about the plaintiff,” as well as “an order directed at the defendants, compelling them to broadcast a full and unqualified apology to the Plaintiff and retraction of the said statements in language approved by the Honourable Court and on the Radio Gold website with the same prominence as the defamatory statements.

Apart from the restraining order, Mr. Ofori-Atta also wants damages of GH¢100million from the defendants.

Particulars of damage

According to Mr. Ofori-Atta, he suffered “serious damage to his character and reputation as one of Africa's most prominent businessmen and an internationally recognised leading business executive by being portrayed to right-thinking members of society as a person of moral turpitude who engages in tax evasion, fraud and gross hypocrisy.”

He said he has “suffered serious damage to his character and reputation as an honoured and decorated leader in society by being portrayed to right thinking members of society as a person of moral turpitude who engages in tax evasion, fraud and gross hypocrisy.”

He also said he “suffered serious damage to his reputation as the Co-Founder and shareholder of a leading investment bank in Ghana and Africa, to wit, Databank, which investment bank complies with all legal and regulatory requirements, by portraying Databank to right thinking members of society as an entity that engages in tax evasion.”

Radio Gold’s Offence

According to Mr. Ofori-Atta, “the defendants did not take any steps or make any attempt to contact him on the story to ascertain his version or rebuttal, and that the refusal, failure or neglect to do so was actuated by the Defendants' gross malice and ill-will towards the plaintiff.”

“The Plaintiff states that as a natural and probable consequence of publication, the aforesaid deliberately malicious and defamatory statements were given wide coverage in the Ghanaian media through Radio Gold and worldwide over the Internet at http://myradiogoldlive.com.18.”

He said that “the natural and ordinary and/or innuendo meaning of the words complained of is that: The Plaintiff is guilty of tax evasion on a massive scale - to the tune of GHC1.6 million - for which he deserves to be imprisoned.”

Second defendant

He also said he understood the defendant’s statement to mean that “the Plaintiff is a corrupt fraudster and appalling hypocrite who has the moral turpitude (or depravity) to operate a fraudulent overseas foreign exchange slush fund, while simultaneously claiming to be a member of Occupy Ghana, an anti-corruption movement.”

“The Plaintiff states that as a result of the aforesaid deliberately false, malicious and defamatory statements, he has been seriously injured in character, credit and reputation and has been brought into and exposed to public scandal, odium and contempt, as follows:

The defendants are yet to file their responses.

I WAS POSSESSED BY DEMON OF TRUTH – GREENSTREET

Ivor Greenstreet

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Convention People’s Party (CPP) General Secretary Ivor Kobina Greenstreet has made a further damning statement after his legendary speech that stirred the hornet’s nest at the 8^th National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegate’s congress in Kumasi last Saturday.

He received tones of abuse from some of the ruling party’s bigwigs following his solidarity message in which he said Ghanaians were not feeling the NDC’s much-touted ‘better Ghana’.

He rhetorically told DAILY GUIDE  yesterday that “Indeed, it is true that I was possessed by a demon but that is the demon of truth, probity integrity and accountability.”

The demon possessed comment had been made by Majority Leader Alban Bagbin when reacting to Mr. Greenstreet’s incisive speech.

“It is the same demon that has possessed Alban Bagbin from time to time that is in me. Sometime ago, he was lambasting his own government and the President for running a family and friends government. Maybe at that time he was also speaking the truth and it was the same demon which possessed me in Kumasi over the weekend.”

Fuel Prices

He said the President John Mahama and his government had no justification to keep fuel prices where they are currently and it has continuously brought untold hardship to Ghanaians adding “that’s why I told them in the face that they don’t care.”

“When you look at the international prices for crude and where it is now, Ghanaians shouldn’t be paying what we are paying now. It has to be reduced without delay.”

He said he does not subscribe to the government’s explanation about the fuel prices saying “We are financing the prices for petroleum products as a result of their mismanagement and I think it should not be.”

“If they are also going to be truthful and sincerely believe they care for the people and want to create a better Ghana for all Ghanaians then what they should be doing now is that they should be reducing the fuel prices straight away. They don’t care about us and that is why they are not doing that.

Social Democracy Facade

He insisted that if the government says it is still footing some of the bills for Ghanaians then they should do more as a party that goes about touting social democracy saying “That’s what every social democrat does.”

He said he did not believe the NDC are true social democrats because their policies and actions was in conflict with the ideals of social democracy.

“You call yourself social democrat by how you treat the people. You don’t shortchange the people and call yourself social democrat.”

Criticisms

“I think in this country people are not comfortable when one speaks the truth. It happens when people feel that they have to ascribe all sorts of reasons why you are speaking the way you have to speak.

He said his speech at the NDC congress had been ‘carefully’ planned, explaining “It was something I had planned to say. It was word for word. I knew exactly what I was coming to say.”

“In fact, I ended up being charitable to them considering what I was going to say. I considered that in the presence of the people that would be there I was going to tone down.”

Sam George’s Insult

He chastised NDC communicator Sam George for the ‘elevation’ comment he passed about him following his speech saying “I am a lawyer who uses the wheelchair as a consequence of an accident I had in 1997.”

“When Bagbin was possessed about the truth demon he was also complaining about the NDC communicators. I am surprised such a person can be maintained at the presidency.”

SILVER STAR BOSS JAILED FOR CONTEMPT

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Chief Executive of Silver Star Auto Limited, Kalmoni Nouhad has been jailed for 21 day in prison for contempt by an Accra Commercial Court.

Mr. Kalmoni defied a Supreme Court order to deliver a brand new Mercedes Benz (E Class) to former Director of Ghana School of Law, George A. Sarpong.

The court presided over by Justice George K. Koomson had convicted  the Silver Star boss on December 1, but deferred the court’s reason and sentencing for yesterday.

The application had been filed by the former Director of Ghana School of Law claiming that Mr. Kalmoni had defied the court’s order.

The case, which started in 2009, was filed for and on behalf of the plaintiff by his solicitors, G.A. Sarpong & Co Limited with Mr. Sarpong as the Managing Partner against Silver Star Auto Limited with Mr. Kalmoni as its Chief Executive Officer.

Genesis

According to the plaintiff, a brand new Mercedes Benz (C-Class 180) he bought from the car dealer in 2007 had broken down suddenly in May 2008 but was replaced with another E-Class with registration GN 2266 Y at the cost of €15,000 which again broke down in December that same year.

The plaintiff therefore claimed among others things, a brand new E-Class as replacement or a refund of the purchase price of the vehicle as well as compensation for loss of use of the vehicles and damages for breach of condition/deceit.

Rebuttal

Silver Star Auto Limited in its amended statement of defence filed on October 19, 2009 denied the plaintiff’s claims and insisted that the cause of the accident was attributable to the May 2009 incident.

They argued that G.A. Sarpong & Co was not entitled to any claim as endorsed in the Writ of Summons and had urged the court to dismiss the plaintiff’s suit.

Court’s decision

The Commercial Court after full trial had held that G.A. Sarpong & Co was entitled to a delivery of a brand new E-Class as replacement for the damaged car but the court refused to grant the claim for compensation for loss of use of the vehicles and damages for breach of condition/deceit.

Not satisfied, Silver Star Auto Limited appealed against the decision at the Court of Appeal and succeeded in getting the appellate court to review the High Court’s decision by ordering the car dealer to only replace the damaged engine and not the whole car.

Final decision

G.A. Sarpong & Co then headed to the Supreme Court where a five-member panel presided over by Justice Julius Ansah ruled that G.A. Sarpong & Co had been able to discharge the burden of proof that the vehicle it bought from Silver Star has latent defects and deserved to be replaced.

The panel which included Justices Rose Owusu, K. Anin Yeboah, P. Baffoe Bonnie and J.B. Akamba, disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s reversal of the High Court’s decision and ordered that the trial judgement orders be maintained.

Contempt Application

However, the plaintiff in his application for contempt filed on September 9, 2014 said that “upon an undertaking, personally to executed by the respondent himself to unconditionally deliver to the plaintiff a brand new, latest model of the Mercedes Benz 200 E Class should its appeal fail, execution of the judgement was stayed.”

The plaintiff said when the Supreme Court gave judgement in his favour, he filed notice of judgement after trial and duly served the defendant adding “the defendant was served with the order for delivery of vehicle on July 21, 2014 as confirmed by a search report.”

Non-Compliance

The plaintiff said the defendant had till date failed to comply with the order of the court although the defendant had the vehicle in its possession.

“In total defiance of the orders of the court, the defendant on August 27, 2014 paid into the court, GH¢157,440 in purported satisfaction of of the order.”

The plaintiff insisted that the order of the court was not for the defendant to pay money but for the delivery of brand new latest model of Mercedes Benz 200 E Class and added that the said payment “is a clear manifestation of the respondent’s disregard for the express orders of the court and his fortitude not to obey the court’s order.

OBED’S BOOK ATTRACTS PATRONAGE

Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, December 19, 2014

A book titled: ‘The Political History of Ghana (1950-2013) The Experience of a Non-Conformist’, authored by Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, a former Foreign Minister and later Attorney General in the erstwhile NDC regime attracted huge patronage at its official launch on Wednesday.

The 762-page book which has nine chapters and published by Author House UK Limited in Indiana United States, tackles extensively Ghana’s political journey from pre-independence, post-independence through to the current democratic dispensation.

Scores of dignitaries including ministers of state, diplomats, former security capos attended the colourful launch at the Accra International Conference Centre where he raked in good money.

The first copy of the book was bought for a whopping GH¢15,000 followed by another copy bought for GH¢10,100 as well as several other copies bought between GH¢9,000 and GH¢2,000.

Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, a Senior Research Fellow of Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) at the University of Ghana who reviewed  the book described Dr. Asamoah as an “indispensable variable of Ghana politics.”

He said the book was “sets a valuable foundation for a healthy debate about Ghana politics,” adding “he takes himself out of the book and this is a down-to-earth tribute for him.”

He said “if you want to capture Ghana’s political history in an unbiased form then this is the book for you.”

Dr. Antwi-Danso said the book is “rich in detail” and “academically stimulating” adding “it is a one-stop book and it is highly recommended.”

Foreign Minister Hannah Tetteh who took the place of Edem Kodjo, former Togolese Prime Minister and former Secretary-General of the defunct Organization of Africa Unity (OAU) now Africa Union (AU) to do the official launching commended the author for shaping Ghana’s foreign policy as Minister.

“Dr. Asamoah as minister helped to shape our current foreign policy and how the ministry conducts its own business,” she said adding that the author portrayed a number of events in Ghana ‘dispassionately’ in the book.

He said the book is rich in terms of foreign policy thinking but admitted it was going to generate debate in the political landscape due to some of the issues raised which she termed ‘somewhat’ controversial.

Reading a statement from the former Togolese who could not attend the launch because he had travelled to Congo Brazaville, Ms. Tetteh described the book as “the most comprehensive history to date in the Rawlings era.”

The author, Dr. Asamoah who broke ranks with the NDC to form the now defunct Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) said “It is only important to note from the title of the book that I am recording my experience which may be different from that of others.”

He said “My speech is not primarily concerned about the reason why we are here. I have finished my work. It is now up to others to review, criticize, make their assessments of the work or produce their own.

The veteran politician said “I started public life as a lecturer in law and I am ending it doing academic work.”

He also delved into the recent happenings on the global politico-economic front and tasked Ghana’s ambassadors, envoys and diplomats to take advantage of the current world order to place Ghana right in global affairs.

 “It is tempting to see the work of an Ambassador as an occasion for partying and high living. There is more to it than that,” he said adding “Even when partying serious diplomatic work can and is done promoting the interest of your country and gathering intelligence, particularly as alcohol loosens the tongues of many of your colleagues.”

VICKY HAMMAH RANKED ‘CRAZIEST’ POLITICIAN

Victoria L. Hammah

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Her infamous comment that she wanted to make $1million before she quits politics has earned Victoria Hamah, the sacked Deputy Minister of Communications a description as one of the ‘craziest’ African politicians in a new book published recently in London.

The book titled: “The Fat Boy with the Bomb and 299 more of the World Craziest Politicians” was authored by Brian O'Connell and pictures by Norm Chung both based in Oxford, United Kingdom and published by Myrmidon with ISBN 9781910183090. The controversial book published in November is being sold at £12.99.

The fat boy is in reference to the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un who has gained notoriety for human rights abuse, pushing his impoverished country to the brink of war with its neigbours.

Ms. Hamah who is no stranger to controversy was ranked alongside top politicians including Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo, South Africa’s firebrand, Julius Malema and Zimbabwe’s octogenarian President Robert Mugabe as the 10 ‘craziest’ on the continent today.

She is the only Ghanaian featured in the book.

‘The Million Dollar Woman’

Of Ms. Hamah, the book which subtitled her version as ‘The Million Dollar Woman’ said “the former Deputy Minister of Communications who wanted to bag $1 million wealth before leaving her job, is now better known as a sex commentator and host of a show called ‘Chocolate Factory’.”

“Ghanaians reckon she’s a beauty, or at least some of them do. One publication calls her a ‘Goddess of Beauty’. The Former Deputy Minister of Communications may be down but not out. She got booted out of government by President John Dramani Mahama when a secretly recorded tape of her emerged in which she said she didn’t want to squabble with her boss because she had yet to bag $1 million in her job.”

The book said “the scandal has been dubbed ‘Vikileaks’ in the local media. The driver of the car in which she was in when she made the statement and who secretly recorded her was a cousin of the sacked former Deputy Communications Minister. In November of 2013 the former Ablekuma West parliamnentary candidate of the governing National Democratic Congress was sacked.”

Radio Interview

Quoting her recent appearance on Starr Fm, the author said Ms. Hamah in September she said on the radio station, ‘politics has no end, I’m in politics, I’m a politician, I live for that’.

“She stays prominent in the media for both good and bad reasons. She hosts Real Talk which is broadcast on TV3 and Chocolate Factory which is played on Multi TV. Both sometimes address salacious sexual issues.”

Complicated Love Life

“There’s also her complicated love life. In September 2014, according to the Daily Guide, Hamah ‘stormed the Dansoman Police Station in Accra and reported her boyfriend, Richard Frimpong Dardo, to the police after they had disagreed on an issue about sexual intercourse. Victoria was said to have told the police that Dardo had beaten her up and stolen (from) her (an) unspecified amount of money’.”

The book said “the paper further reported that Dardo claimed that Hamah wanted him to perform a specific sexual act he wasn’t prepared to do and then berated him,” adding “five days later the police issued a warrant for Dardo’s arrest on fraud charges relating to the sale of six kilograms of gold but by that time the late night spat over sex was forgotten and Hamah had a change of heart and stormed the police station demanding his release and proclaiming his innocence.”

Other ‘Crazy’ Leaders

Apart from Presidents Mbasogo, Mugabe as well as Julius Malema the former ANC Youth leader who left South Africa’s ruling party to form Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the book also captures Eritrea’s President Isias Afwerki, Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Joseph Kabila, Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as well as Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan.

It also highlights the ‘deeds’ of current governor of Ekiti State in Nigeria Ayo Fayose who was described as the man “who personally led a gang of thugs that beat up judges,” and Namibia’s Epafras Mukwiilongo who is the head of the dreaded Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF).

World’s ‘crazy’ leaders

The book does not ‘deal’ with Africa alone. It also captures the world’s high profile politicians who are ‘crazy’.

The top ten are joined by many other European and especially UK politicians profiled in the book, including French far-right politicians Jean-Marie Le Pen and Bruno Gollnisch, head of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, neo-nazi German Udo Voigt, Hungarian far-right MEP Krisztina Morvai, Italy’s Alessandra Mussolini and Latvia’s Tatyana Zhdanok, as well as other politicians from the Americas, Asia and Australia.

“The book identifies the downright dangerous leaders, as well as the just plain stupid lawmakers from around the world, bringing together Bible-belt Americans, African dictators and neo-Nazi Europeans among the 300 in the book.”

“The book has angered the ‘Supreme Leader’ of North Korea, Kim Jong-un. The cover image depicts the North Korean leader as a chubby child holding a nuclear weapon and mercilessly pokes fun at the dictator and other international leaders,” the authors said.

WAIT FOR 2015 - MAHAMA

President John Mahama - Ghana

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

President John Dramani Mahama appears to be singing a new tune regarding the time-lines his government’s self-inflicted economic crisis will abate.

After failing to fulfill most of his government’s campaign promises and promising not to make anymore promises, the President is now singing a new tune that Ghanaians should wait for the end of 2015 before getting some respite from the economic crisis.

It started in 2013 when the President said the vehicle of governance was in first gear and that 2014 was going to be economic turnaround for the country.

Economic Turnaround

On Monday June 9, at a meeting with some Muslim chiefs at the Flagstaff House in Accra, President Mahama declared emphatically that 2014 was supposed to be a turnaround year for Ghana’s economy whilst acknowledging that it was hugely challenged.

"It is not Ghana alone. Those challenges affect almost all countries in the world. Even the developed countries are facing those challenges...All of them are going through austerity and are having to take measures to protect their economies. In Ghana we are doing the same thing," he said.

The President went ahead to outlining some of the causes of the difficulties the economy is going through, including fall in prices of major primary export commodities.

"Gold and cocoa are our major exports. Between 2012 and 2013, as a result of the drop in gold and cocoa prices on the international markets Ghana lost export revenues to the tune of $1.3 billion. And that is what accounts for some of the difficulties we are going through,” he said.

"We are doing everything possible to ensure that [the problems are solved]. As I said this year is a turnaround year and that the economy will come out of the recession the country is facing," he had promised.

He repeated the same message during the end Ramadan fasting in Kumasi assuring the Muslim community and Ghanaians as well that everything will be ok by year end which now turned to 2015.

Even before the declaration, the President has said at his first anniversary that the vehicle of government shifting to second gear from first gear and called on Ghanaians to watch out for more.

All the promises have not materialise with latest revelation that bloated civil wage bill is to be blamed for the mess.

Al-Jazeera Promise

With the economy still seriously challenged as 2014 is nearing an end, President Mahama has now shifted his ‘turnaround economy’ to 2015, assuring the people that the current challenges facing the economy would be ‘over’ by next year.

Speaking on Al-Jazeera News at the weekend, the President said Ghanaians had every reason to expect better times in 2015.

He said he was basing his prediction on programmes his government was undertaking as well as an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme which is expected to take off next year even though DAILY GUIDE is reliably informed that an outright fund programme might not be possible in 2015.

Going HIPC

Besides, inflation has hit a five-year high with cost of credit currently hovering around 35%, while Ghana's public debt has hit levels which could see the country back to Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) according to some economics experts.

“I believe that the worse is over; things should get better. Inflation is expected to start declining from early next year and by end next year we are going to be at a better place than we are this year,” he told the renowned network.

The President insisted that there will not be any freeze on public sector wages as part of the IMF conditionalities for the bailout programme.

Payroll Admission
“Increase in the payroll has been one of the problems we are grappling and it is a factor which has brought where we are, but it is not about a freeze it is about making the pay rise predictable over the three years.

“So we’re looking to negotiate what those increases would be so that it makes it predictable – how government’s expenditure is going to go but I think that is something we can deal with,” he said.

IMANI Boss

President of policy analysis think tank IMANI-Ghana Franklin Cudjoe commended the President for openly admitting that Ghana was in economic crises and called on Ghanaians to remember him in prayers.

He said on his Facebook page after the President’s interview: “You've got to give it to President Mahama. The Aljazeera interview revealed to me a 360 degree presentation of the Mahama I knew when we were both guests discussing the need for a national vision on Super Morning Show before he became Vice-President.”

He said “The level of detail and the back bone with which he delivers his answers is always executed perfectly. Often he leaves even the sophisticated little room to object when he evades a few crucial questions,” he said.

“In the Aljazeera interview, he was honest about the challenges facing the economy and even suggests he will be glad to pay the ultimate political price...

“When the interview was over, I asked myself, where did we go wrong? How did such a fine young gentleman, who looked every bit serious for a country such as Ghana, end up with so much confusion in deeds?” he asked.

“Whilst I still look forlornly at the results of President’s Mahama’s stewardship so far, I have but one thing to say, let us remember Mahama in our prayers so he could leave a legacy that he himself would be proud of,” Mr Cudjoe added.

GHANA IN DANGEROUS TIMES – NUNOO-MENSAH

General Nunoo-Mensah at the official launch of the book

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, December 12, 2014

Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah is predicting doom for Ghana if situation in the country continue to remain the same.

If we do not take care we will live to regret. We are living in dangerous times! I am getting old so I don’t want any coup d’ etat. We have to protect our democracy because we’re not stable yet,” he warned.

The retired army officer was speaking at the launch of a book titled: ‘JJ Rawlings and Democratic Transition in Ghana’ authored by Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo, a former Minister of Health and Ghana’s immediate past High commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Published by Ghana Universities Press, the book which traces former President Rawlings’ political journey has 384 pages with 15 chapters, 1062 endnotes and 250 bibliographical entries.

It was President John Mahama who was scheduled to launch the book but when the MC, Fritz Barffuor, MP for Ablekuma South announced that neither the President nor his representative could not make it, the mantle fell on the controversial old soldier to do the official launching where the first copy was bought for GH¢2,000.

“People are still living in abject poverty after 57 years (of independence) so we need to be very careful,” General Nunoo-Mensah said, adding “we haven’t learnt much from history.”

He said the June 4, 1979 uprising masterminded by junior ranked military personnel to topple the SMC2 government “was a terrible thing” saying “we don’t want that to happen again.”

“We have lessons to learn otherwise history will repeat itself.” 

Dr. Nicholas Amponsah of the University of Ghana Political Science Department who did the review said “there is no doubt that if we are really serious about moving forward as a nation, then we need to take a critical look at this book.”

He said the former President was the first leader on the African continent to make his people feel what he called “a sense of certainty and security,” adding “he was the first leader to ensure that a government  can have the sense of security to finish their tenure.”

“These are some of the profound achievements of all who are objective enough should judge JJ Rawlings,” saying “you understand why his admirers refer to him as Junior Jesus and his opponents demonize him as Junior Judas.”

The lecturer said “JJ Rawlings’ work was not just a coup d’ etat. It was a coup to end all coups,” and added that by the former President’s efforts, Ghana has enjoyed two decades of relatively sustained democratic governance.

He said Mr. Rawlings’ abhorrence “to anything that sounds injustice’ should never be overlooked as well as events that culminated in the formation of the 4^th Republic and easiness with which he accommodated other leaders.

Dr. Sena Kpeglo, Registrar at Volta University of Allied Sciences, Ho who chaired the launch said “the book satisfies our intellectual curiosity,” and would help to develop Ghana’s contemporary politics.

“It provides an interpretation of the politics of JJ Rawlings,” she said.

The author, Prof. Danso Boafo said “I wrote this book because the transition and consolidation of our democracy owes a lot of gratitude with the person of JJ Rawlings.”

“We have worked on this book consciously. It is not designed to defame anybody. It is purely academic work,” he said.

RUBY COCAINE SAGA: COVER-UP OVER VVIP

Nayele Ametefeh aka Ruby aka Angel

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Information gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicates that drug baroness Nayele Ametefeh aka Angel who doubles as Ruby Adu-Gyamfi and her alleged gang of cocaine smugglers indeed used the highly restricted Very Very Important Personality (VVIP) section of the Kotoka International Airport reserved for the President and his top ministers to board flight BA078 to London on November 9.

However, to avoid political backlash and international embarrassment, the NDC government hurriedly organized a simulation exercise taking the suspects to the crime scene in an attempt to make it appear as if the suspects had used the VIP instead.

Amendment

Even though, the prosecution in the case of six people including two ladies Sadala Nuhu and Nana Akua Amponsah being tried in connection with the arrest of Nayele Ametefeh at Heathrow in London on November 10, for shipping 12.5 kilogrammes of cocaine, tried to amend the charge sheet, some of the defense lawyers still had VVIP on their copies as at Monday.

Simulation

During the November 27, 2014 so-called simulation exercise, drama unfolded when a BNI official took the ladies to the exit of the VIP section of Ghana’s only international airport known as the staff gate.

In the process, one of the ladies protested that was not the placed they used while embarking on that fateful journey to London on November 9, but an airport staff immediately came in and claimed it was the same place and that the place had changed because there were some renovation works ongoing over there.

BNI Denial

After the exercise, an officer of the BNI briefed the press and sought to deny the claim that Ruby Adu-Gyamfi and her girls used the VVIP section and insisted they used the VIP even though the suspects were prevented from giving their own account during the exercise.

The suspects were specifically asked to simulate the processes they had followed to get on board the BA078 flight but upon seeing journalists, the two ladies in particular became apprehensive for fear of being captured by the cameras.

Sadala Nuhu and Nana Akua Amponsah

Defense Lawyers On VVIP

One of the defense counsel who wants to remain anonymous told DAILY GUIDE that his client confided in him that the three ladies indeed used the VVIP and thi has been corroborated by all the defence counsel.

During the hearing at the Accra Circuit Court presided over by Francis Obiri, the lawyers kept hammering on the fact that Ruby and her girls were assisted to pass through the VVIP.

Frank Davies who represented Abiel Ashitey Armah, Foreign Service Officer in charge of the VVIP Lounge at KIA said “he got a call and one Alhaji Dawood requested that he had visitors who are accessing the VVIP lounge and that he should grant them the necessary courtesy”, he said.

Mohammed Attah, counsel for Ahmed Abubakar another suspect in the case said “my client as a Protocol Officer was on duty to clear one Mr. Duncan and that brought him there. He was then instructed by his superior to usher in some three ladies.”

“All that he did was to access the ladies into the VVIP and profiled was the end. The airline then took over. As for the security checks he was nowhere near them,” counsel said.

Vincent Aikins, counsel for Theophilius Kissi said his client was a ‘victim of circumstance’ because he was instructed by his superior to assist the ladies at the VVIP and did not even know them.

Kwabena Addo-Attuah representing Alhaji Dawood Mohammed said his client indeed aided Ruby to access the VVIP Lounge at the KIA with a phone call.

Alhaji Dawood

It was only Ellison Owusu-Fordjuor counsel for Ruby’s girls Sadala Nuhu and Nana Akua Amponsah who told the packed court that the charge sheet he was holding read VIP instead of VVIP.

Litany of Lies

There have been so many half truths peddled by government officials since Nayele Ametefeh cocaine scandal broke.

Even though government says the lady travelled on Austrian passport from Accra, Ghanaian officials were the first to defend her especially when the issue of diplomatic passport popped up.

An Austrian newspaper had published that Ruby travelling as Nayele Ametefe indeed travelled with Ghanaian diplomatic passport a statement the Ghanaian officials had flatly denied.

There are strong suspicions that Nayele even used Diplomatic passport.

When the trial judge His Honour Judge Edmunds QC asked the Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Ravinder John whether Nayele Ametefeh carried Diplomatic passport, he replied “No comment!”

Dawood Passports

When Alhaji Dawood was arrested information provided was that he was carrying five passports (2 Nigerian, 3Ghanaian) and that he was picked up by the BNI at the KIA.

However, it later turned out that he had turned himself in voluntarily in the company of his lawyer, Addo Attuah.

Many wondered how Alhaji Dawood could reportedly be carrying three Ghanaian passports alongside two from Nigeria when data is now collected biometrically.

The immigration officer who processed Alhaji Dawood when he arrived after being placed on a wanted list was arrested but nothing had been heard about him just like sis other people who arrested alongside the two ladies who allegedly travelled with Ruby.