Five Nigerians nabbed for duping American
Seminar on enforcement of human rights opens in Tamale
Justice Hayfron-Benjamin gets new post
Five Nigerians nabbed for duping American
Accra (Greater Accra), 9th June 99 -
Five Nigerians, who posed as officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Secretariat and duped an American of 808,000 dollars, were on Tuesday remanded in custody by a circuit tribunal on a charge of fraud.
They are Ogungbemi Alabede Jubril, alias Dr Johnson Smith, George Uzo Anieke, Prince Eugene Onwu, Tahir Abudul Jabbar, all businessmen, Alhaji Sidi Ilolo Ismaila, an accountant.
They pleaded not guilty and would make their second appearance on June 29.
The prosecution told the tribunal that between January and May this year, the accused persons introduced themselves to Mr Share Barnett, an American businessman in Ghana, and told him that they were officials of the ECOWAS Secretariat.
They told the American that they were capable of awarding him a contract to supply 37.5 tonnes of rice to the sub-region at a cost of 808,000 dollars.
Mr Barnett gave them the money but the accused persons later told him that they could double the money for him instead of awarding him the rice contract.
The complainant became suspicious and reported the matter to Dr John Abu, Minister of Trade and Industry, who also reported the case to the Police.
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Accra (Greater Accra), 9th June 99 -
Joshua Addo-Boi, a welder who allegedly made his 16-year-old daughter pregnant, on Tuesday appeared before an Accra Circuit Tribunal charged with incest.
Addo-Boi, 45, pleaded not guilty and was granted five million cedis bail with one surety to appear again on July six.
Police Inspector Alex Yartey Tawiah told the tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson Yeboah that the girl lives with her father in the same house at La in Accra.
The prosecutor said the mother of the victim, Madam Nana Adwoa, was divorced by her husband, Addo-Boi, when their daughter was seven years old.
Inspector Tawiah said the accused, who had a big sexual appetite, took advantage of his wife's absence from the house to sexually abuse his daughter which has resulted in her being eight months pregnant.
According to the prosecutor, the victim reported the conduct of his father to her mother, who informed the family, but their efforts to contact Addo-Boi on the issue failed.
They, therefore, reported the matter to the Women and Juvenile unit of the Police Service.
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Seminar on enforcement of human rights opens in Tamale
Tamale (Northern Region), 9th June 99 -
The Chief Justice, Mr Justice I.K. Abban has stated that panel members of tribunals have the equal rights regardless of their professional background.
Panel members have the right to differ and express dissenting opinion even from that of the chairman of the panel, he said, but cautioned against panel members ganging up against the chairman.
The Chief Justice said this in a speech read for him at a seminar on enforcement of human rights in courts and tribunals in Tamale on Tuesday.
The seminar was organised by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the directorate of continuing judicial Education for chairmen and panel members of community tribunals in Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.
Mr Justice Abban said many concerns have been expressed about the uneasy relationship that exists between tribunal chairmen and members of the panel, as the former have arrogated to themselves the power to veto.
The seminar sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer foundation of Germany was aimed at updating the knowledge of participants on human rights and modern day challenges.
Topics listed for discussion included, "Fundamental Human Rights and Enforcement of Rule of Law in the Fourth Republican Constitution", "The power of arrest and the use of force" and "The role of CHRAJ vis-a-vis the court system".
Mr Justice Abban advised the tribunals to freely grant bail pending trials except for aggravated offences adding that it is unhealthy that about 50 per cent of prison inmates are remand prisoners sent there by the tribunals without bail.
The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Emile Short noted that there are a number of remand prisoners in custody who have not been tried for periods ranging from one week to eight years.
He said such inordinate delays in the trials of an accused person amounts to a denial of the right to a fair trial and defeats the presumption of innocence.
Mr Short said though the constitution guarantees the rights of the individual, "such rights will remain a mere paper guarantee if the public are not made aware of them and if those primarily responsible for their promotion and protection do not appreciate the values inherent in the very concept of human rights".
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Justice Hayfron-Benjamin gets new post
Tamale (Northern Region), 9th June 99 -
Mr Justice Charles Benjamin Hayfron, a retired Supreme Court Judge, has been appointed Director of the Continuing Judicial Education.
Mr Justice I.K. Abban, Chief Justice, announced this in a speech read for him at a seminar on the enforcement of Human Rights in courts and tribunals in Tamale on Tuesday.
The objective of the continuing judicial education is to keep all those who administer justice abreast not only with developments in the law, but also introduce them to matters of public interest which affect the administration of justice.
Mr Justice Abban said a person who administers justice in society must be abreast with the economic, social and political developments around them.
The two-day seminar which has the theme "enforcement of human rights in courts and tribunals" is organised by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the Directorate of Continuing Judicial Education for chairmen and panel members of courts and tribunals in Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.
The seminar is aimed at upgrading the knowledge of the participants on human rights and its modern day challenges.
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