Management of Ghana Water Company Limited(GWCL) says it has began a nationwide revenue mobilization exercise to retrieve all arrears owed by customers. Accordingto the GWCL, the exercise began on Wednesday 13th December 2022. In a release sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, it said "Disconnection teams and Task Forces in all the regions and districts Offices will disconnect all categories of customers whose bills are in arrears. Disconnected customers will be made to pay their bills in full together with reconnection fees before they are reconnected" The GWCL says it is advising its valued customers to make efforts to pay their bills and clear all arrears to avoid being disconnected. "Apart from disconnecting defaulters, the teams will check illegal connections, self –reconnections and the use of in-line boosters pumps at customer’s premises. All persons found to be engaged in such criminal activities shall be handed over to the Police for prosecution" The release added that paid up customers must leave their payment receipts behind when leaving their homes (premises) to avoid wrongful disconnections. "Also, customers who have paid via mobile money or other electronic means will need to show SMS or electronic payment receipts as proof of payment" "Payments of water bills can be made at all Ghana Water Company Limited Offices and Revenue Collection Points, via mobile money payments such as Vodafone cash, MTN MOMO, AirtelTigo cash, Slydepay, Express pay and all GWCL partnered banks across the country. Follow the mobile money payment process’ on your network and pay your bills in comfort" Management of GWCL says it is entreating customers to cooperate with the teams as they undertake the all-important exercise in its effort to collect and mobilize the much-needed revenue to improve on water supply service in the country. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Celebrated Sports Journalist, Patrick Osei Agyemang known by many as Countryman Songo has blamed the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku and his chronics for the abysmal performance of the Senior National Team, Black Stars at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar. According to Songo,it is about time, the GFA becomes more responsible and save the country’s football from collapsing. Speaking on an Accra-based radio station and monitored by Thinknewsonline.com, Songo said "Fire burn 'so-called' football people. Be more responsible and save our football. The corruption is too much" The Sports Journalist also expressed worry over the ban of Ghana's Under 17 women's team. "Our football has collapsed. The current administration has failed Ghana. We have repeated a disaster. Fire burn them. Friends and chronics-team and coach selections" He charged the Executives to vote wisely and responsibly when electing leaders to manage the Football Association. "You voted for the wrong people. Fire burn you all" He also revealed that the current Football Association has no proper structures for the country’s football. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Seasoned Sports Journalist, Saddick Adams known by many as Sports Obama has expressed worry over the current state of the Accra Sports Stadium after a failed Wizkid show. According to Sports Obama, it is disheartening and disappointung to see the Nation's Wembley in such state. In a post sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, the Seasoned Sports Journalist wrote "This is state of the National Stadium in Accra, after the Wizkid show. In civilized sporting jurisdictions, no event happens goes on and around the pitch unless it is covered" "Here, no protection for the pitch they spent huge sums of taxpayers money to build few months ago. There are other musical shows coming up" "They take money they never account for, supervise this destruction and come back for tax money for this purpose. Very great Leaders in charge 👏👏" It will be recalled that many music lovers thronged the Accra Sports Stadium over the weekend to catch a glimpse of Nigerian Musician, Wizkid perform. After hours of waiting, the patrons who trooped to the stadium were greeted with disappointment as Wizkid and some other Ghanaian Artists failed to show up. It was later revealed that Wizkid and two Ghanaian Artists have left the country to perform elsewhere. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori-Asiamah has assured Ghanaians to calm down as his ministry is in engagement with the various transport operators to come up with an appropriate reduction in transport fares. He explain that, there are three components which usually affect transport fare increase which the depreciation of the cedi, the cost of spare parts and cost of fuel which in all are considered before fares are increased or reduced. The minister assured that, the transport ministry is in final meetings with the transport operators to determining the value or an amount to be reduced in fares for Ghanaians. The minister's response came up when the majority chief whip and MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri Frank Annor Dompreh called on transport minister to consider if transport fares could be reduced for Ghanaians since fuel prices are reduced. These communication came at the plenary when the House was approving an amount of 1,226,619,067 for the transport ministry for the year ending 31 December, 2023. Source: Abaare Cletus

The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), has called for an urgent review of its waste collection and management fees with metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) due to the unprecedented rise in fuel prices in recent times. Making the call in an interview, the Executive Secretary to the ESPA, Ama Ofori Antwi, who described the situation as dire and one requiring some urgency of the various MMDAs to address, proposed a review ranging from GH¢45 to 7,265 a month for all categories of clients. She said members of the association were currently not only contending with a regular increase in fuel prices but also vehicular spare parts, which prices had seen astronomical increment due to the depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against major foreign currencies particularly, the US dollar. “An upward review of sanitation fees is urgently needed if we are to maintain the gains made in our environmental sanitation over the years,” she said. Ms Ofori Antwi stated that the last time a major review was made regarding waste collection fees was in 2014. Renegotiation She indicated further that although the MMDAs had since 2016 been reviewing waste collection and management rates, “the escalation of prices on all operational items now called for a renegotiation of the rates to address the rising cost of operations.” The prevailing fees range for a month from an average of GH¢110 for first-class areas, GH¢70 for second-class areas, GH¢30 for third-class areas, and GH¢10 for slum areas. However, the realistic fee calculated in 2021 for residential areas was GH¢149.06 for first class, GH¢94.85 for second class, and GH¢30 for the residential category. The charges for commercial and industrial areas were also pegged from GH¢223.59 to GH¢6,605.95. According to ESPA, based on its calculation for this year, the charges ought to be GH¢165, GH¢105 and GH¢45 for first, second and third classes respectively, while for commercial and industrial areas, the range should be GH¢245 to GH¢7,265 a month. Under-recovery Currently, changes in operational costs do not warrant a corresponding increase in collection rates or processing fees Ms Ofori Antwi said, explaining that fees were enacted by the district assemblies in their bye-laws, which now more than ever required an amendment to keep it abreast with the prevailing economic situation. According to her, the service fees approved by the MMDAs for second, third, and slum classes under the Franchise system or Polluter Pays Principle were very low, due to the consideration that people living in pro poor communities were unable to pay realistic fees. Additionally, some beneficiaries in first-class areas fail to promptly pay for services rendered to them, thereby worsening the already precarious financial challenges of service providers, she noted. “Because environmental service providers use specialised equipment in their operations, it is critical that we recover cost,” she said. The current system Sharing some historical analyses of the situation, Ms Ofori Antwi, said the financing of waste collection and management used to be the sole responsibility of the government through the MMDAs. However, due to the government’s continued indebtedness to service providers, that burden of financing solid waste collection under the contract system was shifted from the MMDAs to the private sector under the current franchise system, in which the service providers collect service fees imposed by the MMDAs directly from beneficiaries of the service. Clean city agenda The ESPA Executive Secretary reiterated the support of members to the President’s Cleanest City Agenda, which she said must be brought to the front burner again, through appropriate policies and governmental support to the sector. She expressed appreciation to the government for its current role in the country’s environmental sanitation drive but added that the government’s commitment would be resounding if it ensured that service providers received realistic fees for the services they rendered, to at least help them break even. “An upward review of sanitation fees is urgently needed if we are to maintain the gains made in our environmental sanitation over the years.” Story by: Edmund Smith-Asante

The University of Ghana, Legon (UG) has announced a review of students’ residence arrangements, beginning the 2022/23 academic year. According to a circular issued by the Registrar on Wednesday, December 14, all continuing students of Commonwealth Hall will not return to their rooms.Continuing male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall will also be affected by this directive. "They are to be randomly assigned to available rooms in any of the UGEL and private hostels,” the circular said. "Continuing female students of Mensah Sarbah Hall and students with special needs in both halls will not be affected by this measure.” The circular further instructed that only Level 100 and graduate students will be assigned to these halls while measures are put in place to ensure that only freshers and graduate students occupy traditional halls. This will, therefore, see the implementation of a full ‘in-out-out-out’ policy by 2025/2026. “Subsequently, undergraduate students will vacate the halls at the end of Level 100 and may secure accommodation in the private hostels from Level 200 until completion.” The University is also installing CCTV cameras and electronic access control systems in all halls “to improve upon security”. All these arrangements have been made as a result of the violence that erupted between students of Commonwealth Hall and Mensah Sarbah Hall on Friday, August 5. Credit: 3news.com

President Akufo-Addo says, for African nations to gain respect internationally and alter negative impressions of the continent, they must wean themselves off of “begging” the West. “Africa won’t need to beg for respect from anyone if we stop being beggars and start spending our money on the continent; instead, we will receive the respect we are due. Respect would come as a result if we make it prosperous as it should be" During the summit’s opening ceremony in Washington, DC, he delivered the comments.To fulfill common ambitions, President Akufo-Addo advocated greater unity among Africans. “Outside of Africa, Africans are more resilient than they are there. We must keep in mind that there is no such thing as Nigeria, Ghana, or Kenya to the outside world; we are just Africans. We are all responsible for each other’s human fate “ The President claimed that while the continent possessed talent and strength, it required a concentrated political effort to make “Africa function.” President Akufo-Addo made his comments on the same day that the International Monetary Fund decided to lend Ghana $3 billion (£2.4 billion) to help the country recover from an unheard-of economic crisis. In light of growing Chinese and Russian influence on the continent, dozens of African leaders are in Washington to explore collaboration with the US. Credit: Samson Andoh

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has asked its lawyers to institute legal action against persons defaming the association and the Black Stars. The association in a statement said it is open to criticisms but will not entertain deliberate misinformation, and defamatory comments. “The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has noticed that a few persons are deliberately maligning and defaming the GFA and the Black Stars brand in an attempt to manufacture a non-existent scandal about the team.“ "While the Association will continue to encourage feedback and opinions (devoid of insults, personal attacks, and brand devaluation), the protection of the brands from deliberate lies, misinformation and defamatory comments must be curbed, as the Black Stars remains a global brand that unites all Ghanaians.“ The Ghana Football Association has therefore instructed its lawyers to institute legal action against persons who defame the Association, its officials, products and destroy the Black Stars brand as well as the media platforms used to do same. Below is the full statement Following the exit of the senior national team, the Black Stars from the ongoing FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022, the Ghana Football Association issued a statement dated December 2, 2022 (same day of the third match). We apologised to the general public and all stakeholders and also indicated that we will continue with the positive lessons going into the future. The GFA has since kept an open mind and continues to listen and receive comments, suggestions, and ideas from well-meaning Ghanaians both at home and abroad for the improvement of the team. Unfortunately, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has noticed that a few persons are deliberately maligning and defaming the GFA and the Black Stars brand in an attempt to manufacture a non-existent scandal about the team. While the Association will continue to encourage feedback and opinions (devoid of insults, personal attacks, and brand devaluation), the protection of the brands from deliberate lies, misinformation and defamatory comments must be curbed, as the Black Stars remains a global brand that unites all Ghanaians. The Ghana Football Association has therefore instructed its lawyers to institute legal action against persons who defame the Association, its officials, products and destroy the Black Stars brand as well as the media platforms used to do same. The legal forum will provide the opportunity for these persons to bring any evidence to substantiate their allegations. The Association will continue to encourage opinions and comments being expressed aimed at improving the team and the brand. Once again, the Association wishes to express its profound gratitude to all persons and stakeholders for their positive suggestions and ideas towards the improvement of the team and the Football Association. Credit: Citinewsroom

George Opare Addo, the retained National Youth Organizer of the NDC says the party's National Communications Director Sammy Gyamfi is living an affluent life. He is questioning the source of Sammy Gyamfi’s wealth who he claims has built a house at Airport Hills in Accra. Opare Addo affectionately called Pablo also claimed Sammy Gyamfi is jobless but living rich. In an interview with Mugabe Maase, he said, "Mugabe (referring to the host), ask Sammy Gyamfi how he built a house at Airport Hills, what work does he do?” The re-elected National Youth Organizer, George Opare Addo who faced stiff competition from Yaw Brogya Genfi, who was backed by the party's Communications Director Sammy Gyamfi, has been lamenting what he described as "injustice" he suffered during the election period. According to him, the whole competition was about Sammy Gyamfi, not the candidate himself. “As for this election, it was that Airport Hills small boy I contested not Brogya, I said today I will mention names... I contested Sammy Gyamfi and I won. “He is a small boy. There is nothing he can match me on. I have lived life well. He is a small boy,” he said in an interview with Mugabe Maase. According to him, the party’s spokesperson who has been a torn in his flesh schemed against him. He has vowed to crash Sammy Gyamfi should he crisscross his path as he did in his first term. "Yes, Sammy Gyamfi has now become an obstacle in my way and this is my second term I will not joke! I will cut away anybody who stands in my way as an obstacle. It is only action that we will see. Action action action,” Mr. Opare Addo warned. Pablo, as he is affectionately called, narrated the root cause of their disagreement, indicating that he had earlier reached out to Sammy Gyamfi for a collaborative project but he turned it down. "I called him twice for us to meet at my Dzorwulu office, ask him. He was at peace FM. I called him to come for us to sit and talk so that we can work together. So what is my crime?" he asked. He further revealed, “I told him (Sammy Gyamfi) that the situation where he passes the other way when I pass one way will not help the party and I want is to work together to bring NDC to power, ask him if I am lying.” Credit: Modern Ghana

Braimah Isaac Kamoko, aka “Bukom Banku”, a Ghanaian Professional Boxer, has been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court for one week on the charge of abetment of crime. He is said to have abetted with one Prosper Quaye to cause harm to one Ismael Quaye at Bukom in the Greater Accra Region. Bukom Banku was in the dock with one Mustapha Kamoko, his son, who was also facing the charge of causing damage. Bukom Banku, aged 50 and his son Mustapha Kamoko, pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, their accomplice, Prosper Quaye, a 32-year-old unemployed man, who is being held on the charge of causing unlawful damage, failed to appear before the court for his plea to be taken. The Court, therefore, issued a warrant for his arrest. Mr. Godwin Amoah, counsel for the accused person informed the court that Prosper Quaye was at the court earlier but told him that his tummy was paining him and that he was going to buy some drugs. Mr. Amoah prayed to the court for bail for his clients saying that they were family and had people of substance to stand as sureties. He said they had fixed places of abode and that they were not “flight risk.” The prosecution opposed the bail application because it was not the first time they had committed such a crime and if granted bail, they would interfere in police investigations. It also prayed for a bench warrant for the arrest of Prosper Quaye. The Court presided over by Mrs Adelaide Abui Keddey, therefore, remanded them into Police custody for seven days to reappear on December 19, 2022. Police Chief Inspector Maxwell Ayim, prosecuting, told the Court that the complainant, Mr Ishmael Neequaye is a footballer residing at Bukom while the accused persons (Bukom Banku and his son) were boxers and Prosper Quaye was unemployed. The prosecution said all the accused persons were residents of Bukom, near Jamestown. The prosecution said on November 25, 2022, at about 1730 hours the complainant was in his room sleeping when he heard an unusual noise around his house. Chief Inspector Ayim said the complainant woke up and saw the accused persons seriously attacking some friends of his, including one Julius Tagoe, a witness in the case. The prosecution said that the complainant approached them and calmed the situation. Chief Inspector Ayim said Bukom Banku on seeing the complainant broke a bottle and gave it to Mustapha to inflict wounds on him. The prosecution said Mustapha took the advice of the Banku and inflicted a deep wound on the abdomen of the complainant who bled profusely. Chief Inspector Ayim said Prosper also took a stone and hit a 32-inch television belonging to one Tagoe. The prosecution said the complainant was rushed to the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital where he was admitted. Chief Inspector Ayim said the accused persons were pursued to be arrested but to no avail. The prosecution said criminal summons were prepared and served on them to appear before Court. Source: GNA

The Deputy Attorney-General and Deputy Minister for Justice, Diana Asonaba Dapaah has hinted that the battle against corruption, Illicit Financial Flows (“IFFs”) and other forms of organized crime is not one to be taken lightly as it is broader than what is currently seen. According to the Deputy AG, these crimes have far reaching consequences as they contribute to the insufficient distribution of resources in Ghana and on the African continent at large. Speaking at the launch of the Asset Recovery & Management Policy Framework and Inauguration of Implementation Committee Members in Accra on Tuesday, she said "In fact, in the wake of corrupt activities by persons, including public officials, on the African continent especially, the conversation has been on how their extravagant assets in foreign countries and offshore accounts could be recovered after successful prosecution" The Deputy AG added that the success of the modern legal framework is making it possible for corrupt persons to be arrested and prosecuted resulting in assets of such persons being seized and accounts being frozen by courts of competent jurisdiction. "Asset recovery remains the kernel of the fight against serious and organized crimes as it deprives criminals of the profits of their criminal endeavors. The recovery of illicitly-obtained assets linked to criminal activities both within and outside the jurisdiction of a country can provide developing countries like Ghana with resources needed to undertake high-priority development projects. Ghana’s anti-corruption agenda is predicated on both local initiatives and international obligations mostly arising from treaties several of which have strong requirements on Asset Recovery and Management. All these highlight the legal procedures that govern the return of assets and wealth acquired through corrupt means on both the international and domestic fronts" The international front Madam Dapaah disclosed that Ghana has, amongst others, acceded to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC, 2003), the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC, 2000) and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption (AUCPCC, 2003). She further revealed that the country also has some international obligations under the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) of the World Bank/UNODC and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 Recommendations. These collectively, she hinted prove the urgency to which the global movement wants to ensure the return of assets to the countries they were stolen from. The domestic front "Ghana has enacted several legislations in line with Ghana’s international obligations. The Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2007 (Act 749) and the Economic and Organized Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804) and the Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2010 (Act 807) make provision for the seizure and return to the legitimate owner of proceeds of crime as well as the confiscation by the State of embezzled public funds or laundered embezzled public funds to its rightful owners" These laws, she says, also set up institutions and structures such as the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC). "These institutions are mandated to prevent, investigate and prosecute corruption-related crimes, money laundering and other serious and organized crimes. In the course of their work, these institutions also identify, trace, seize and seek orders from the court to freeze, confiscate and forfeit proceeds of crime" Nonetheless, some systemic challenges make the asset recovery process in Ghana a complex and complicated task. "At the domestic level, there are challenges of identifying, seizing, freezing and confiscation in addition to the more problematic issue of proving the origin and ownership of these assets. Furthermore, a major problem still lingers in the right procedure to evaluate the assets of corrupt persons including public officials and also to prosecute them after they have been proven guilty. The covering of immunity of some of the state officials makes it difficult for them to come under scrutiny and the right punishment to be passed on them for their crimes" Challenge She sighted inadequacy of provisions in the relevant laws on the important issue of the management of recovered assets as one of the challenges. "Every Law Enforcement Agency (“LEAs”) in Ghana adopts and implements their own asset management framework in the absence of a centralized standard or coordinated mechanism. The effect of this is the deterioration and dissipation of recovered assets as well as the lack of transparency and accountability in the management process. This has led to huge losses to the state and loss of public confidence in the process. Consequently, the Law Enforcement Coordinating Bureau (“LECOB”) tasked EOCO to create a division and a centralized framework for asset recovery and management for all law enforcement agencies in Ghana" "At the international level, there are jurisdictional challenges including the application of the Mutual Legal Assistance and all the complexities associated with it. Even where the recovery effort is successful, a critical problem has to do with the management of the recovered assets. These should not however deter us from taking proactive measures towards improving the already existing mechanisms aimed at recovery and management of tainted assets" She encouraged the promotion of enhanced diplomacy and international relations between Ghana and other nations. "The presence of these relationships does not only strengthen ties for economic growth but also provides avenues for the fight against common vices of which corruption is a part. In view of allowing the free flow of information and a coordinated effort for the recovery of assets, it is of importance that some diplomatic caucus is encouraged among nations to enhance positive international relations for the agreed cause. This will build trust and give way for proper negotiations and communication" She reminded all that it was also necessary to ensure transparency and a high level of accountability for all officials who are instated to serve the State. "The law is a major tool in the fight for the recovery of assets acquired through corruption. In the presence of good legislation, the procedures are easy to follow and duly implemented. However, it is necessary that the law itself is not used as a shield to safeguard government officials or any other corrupt person from any level of scrutiny. It is also recommended that the level of immunity against legal actions against suspected corrupt officials be reviewed so as to ensure that every stolen asset is duly returned to the State" "I would encourage the State to sign more asset recovery specified agreements so that there would be a move away from rhetoric towards action. It is highly expedient and relevant for some agreements to be in place between Ghana and several foreign states to steer the asset recovery process and to aid in retrieving stolen assets" "Lastly, I urge the Ghana Police Service, Economic and Organized Crime Office, the Narcotics Control Commission, the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to collaborate effectively by ensuring a year-on-year increase in the value of assets frozen, seized and recovered from criminals. This would have the overall effect of addressing the strategic deficiencies identified in the second round of Mutual Evaluation by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) (May 2017) where the country recorded moderate to low ratings as far as the investigations, prosecution and recovery of proceeds of crime is concerned" Taking her turn, Executive Director of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah said "Ordinarily, a casual visit to the precincts of our Police Stations, courts and even the car parks of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) would reveal that these areas are littered with seized and impounded vehicles which are almost always connected to crime" With time, she noted, these restrained vehicles are left to rot away under the harsh conditions of the weather with very little or no value to salvage at the end of the criminal justice process. She stressed that the persistent failure on the part of LEAs to manage assets linked to the commission of crimes eventually culminated in Ghana receiving low ratings as far as the recovery of proceeds of crime is concerned. This finding, she added, is succinctly captured in the report published after the second round of Mutual Evaluation undertaken by GIABA in 2017. "To address the above strategic deficiencies and to whip Ghanaians asset recovery and management regime in line with international best practices, the Law Enforcement Coordinating Bureau (LECOB), tasked EOCO to spearhead the process for the adoption and operationalization of a harmonized regime on Asset Recovery and Management" "Fortunately, attempts at navigating our way around this national assignment caught the attention of GIZ’s Governance for Inclusive Development (GovID) Programme commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). By this, GIZ offered to fund and lend its critical support to the national assignment geared towards building a robust and efficient asset recovery and managment regime in Ghana" "In furtherance of the above, GIZ, through a competitive and transparent process selected an international consultant by name Alex Ferguson who subsequently developed the following principal documents after a comprehensive assessment and review of relevant laws and institutions in Ghana: This include; National Policy Framework on Asset Recovery and Management, 1-3year Implementation Strategy for operationalization of the National Policy Framework and Standard Operating Procedures for LEAs. Explaining further, Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah noted that the SOP are intended to be a practitioner’s guide for those who are involved in the investigation, prosecution, and recovery of the proceeds of crime" She mentioned that upon a review of the first draft of the documents by EOCO and GIZ, a one-day validation workshop was organized, and this had relevant agencies such as the Ghana Police Service, Office of the Special Prosecutor, Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana Revenue Authority, and the Narcotic Control Commission represented. "The validation workshop sought to collate comments and suggestions on the three draft documents, and this enabled the consultant to finalize work on the documents" "I am therefore of the firm belief that our collective resolve to see to the operationalization of this initiative would elevate our dear nation head-and-shoulders above its peers, in the next round of mutual evaluation by GIABA" On her part, Speech of GIZ Country Director, Regina Bauerochse Barbosa said "We, GIZ, are proud and delighted to have supported the law enforcement agencies in developing the Framework together with our co-financing partner, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and other relevant institutions We congratulate the team on this important milestone" She mentioned that this was a necessary step as Ghana is losing huge amounts of money through illicit financial flows (IFF) - reportedly 340 million USD annually since 2015. These funds she explained are urgently needed for public services such as health and education. "Moreover, confiscation of illegally acquired assets is crucial in the fight against organised crime, as cnminal convictions without confiscation and restitution of assets will not deter criminals" Challenge "Another challenge is that while some assets have been seized by law enforcement agencies and handed over to the state over the last few years, the management of them has not worked as there is no coordinated and effective mechanism tn place for the management of such assets The result ts the forferture and squandenng of the recovered assets. The general public also realised this grievance and there has been pubic outcry on the dissipation of recovered assets This has led to a loss of public confidence in the fight against corruption and organized crime" "Therefore, managing recovered assets with integrity and efficrency ts crucial to butid confidence in public institutions and faith in the fight against corruption and other cnminal activities, and to reinforce the rule of law. In order to advance the fight against Senous and Organized Cnme and Illicit Financial Flows, we have been supporting state institutions in Ghandwith ounGiZ-programme Govemance for Inclusive Development” since January 20224 This measure 1s cofunded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office FC Together with our partners and all relevant stakeholders this policy framework and implementation strategy for asset recovery and management has been developped.. The GIZ Country Director noted that the framework spells out measures for goverment and law enforcement agencies to improve efficient mechanisms to recover, manage and maintain frozen and confiscated cnminal assets. "It is important to note that the effective implementation of this policy will be key to improve the asset recovery practices in Ghana and | am pleased that the policy has been approved by the Minister tay ~ ef Attorney-General and-dustrce This is a positive development, as government of Ghana, at the highest political level, is fully committed to the implementation of this policy" She congratulated EOCO, for having already recovered an amount of GHC 27 55 millior’as proceeds of crime through the continuous technical support in the areas of asset recovery and management from January to September 2022. Sharing his thoughts, Director, Asset Recovery and Management at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Albert Akurugu said "Over the years the attention of many a law enforcement agency has been focused on investigating and prosecuting various crimes including corruption and corruption-related offences. Not much has been done by way of corruption prevention and recovery of tainted property and proceeds of crime" Mr. Akurugu added that the importance of asset recovery in the fight against corruption and corruption-related offences cannot be over emphasized. "If people who commit corruption and corruption-related offences are confident that even if apprehended and convicted they and their families can enjoy their illicitly obtained wealth, they will be more likely to commit those crimes. On the other hand, recovery of tainted property and other proceeds of crime not only prevent crime but serves as a deterrent, making corruption an act of higher risk with lower returns" He stressed that funds obtained from recovery of tainted property can be used in development and strengthening the various law enforcement agencies. "As a specialized agency in the fight against corruption and corruption-related offences and the key stakeholder in the implementation of the asset recovery and management policy framework, the Office of the Special Prosecutor is delighted to work in cooperation with other public institutions in investigation, prosecution and recovery of proceeds of corruption while taking steps to prevent its occurrence" He noted that the OSP is not oblivious of the fact that asset recovery in Ghana is a journey undertaken by several law enforcement agencies. "Reaching the destination, however, requires a shared vision and excellent coordination which the Asset Recovery and Management Policy Framework provides" "While we applaud ourselves for achieving this feat, it is important to remember that the greatest challenge we may face is not the creation of this Policy framework but applying the Standard Operating Procedures therein correctly" The OSP calls for maximization of the use of the various channels of cooperation and speedy exchange of information among members of the Implementation Committee to avoid dissipation of tainted property in the course of legal proceedings in court. He called on Authorities to invest in training for members of the Implementation Committee to serve as specialized officers in the field of asset recovery and management. Head Of Analysis, Financial Intelligence Centre, Lucy Abebrese on behalf of her colleague Implementation Committee Members thanked the organisers for the trust imposed on them. She assured that they will be guided by the legal framework and ensure that corrupt persons are arrested and prosecuted likewise assets being seized and accounts frozen. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have carried out an intelligence-led operation for the retrieval of various specifications of luxury vehicles in the country. According to EOCO, the retrieved cars are suspected to have been stolen from the United States of America (USA) and Canada. In a statement signed by the Head/Public Affairs, Faustina Lartey, it said "On Friday December 9, 2022, thirty-seven (37) of such vehicles were retrieved from some garages in Accra during which ten (10) persons were arrested" The release added that the suspects have since been questioned and granted enquiry bill. EOCO is cautioning prospective vehicle buyers to conduct due diligence prior to the purchase of any vehicle. Thinknewsonline.com has gathered that investigations are ongoing. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith