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Mr. Addison will lead the petitioners to officially close their case with the re- examination of the 2012 vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party.

This follows the ending of Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata’s marathon cross examination, albeit temporarily, awaiting the outcome of the pink sheet recount by auditing firm KPMG.

Spokesperson for the petitioners Madam Gloria Akuffo in a post-trial interview said the petitioners were relieved Mr. Tsikata has ended his thirteen days cross examination.

‘’We are happy to re-examine, as you might have realized, it’s been a long 13 day cross examination. So we will come back fresh to do the re-examination,’’ Gloria Akuffo stated.

By: Pravdaradioonline.com/Ghana

It also declared that the actions of the defendants were contrary to the conditions of service for management staff of the GBC and also contravened the provisions of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).

The court, presided over by Mr Justice E. F. Dzakpasu, said it would have given Ms Lokko her seat back at the GBC but for the fact that her contract period had expired.

It accordingly awarded GH¢20,000 in costs and damages against the National Media Commission (NMC) and the GBC in Ms Lokko’s favour.

The court held that the allegation levelled against her by the board of the GBC, which included “supervising a pervasively fraudulent administration which courted the displeasure of workers resulting in labour unrest,” was false.

“There was no financial maladministration that could be put at the doorstep of the plaintiff,” it said, adding that rather Ms Lokko was making a gradual inroad at solving the long-standing financial malaise of the corporation which should have been supported by the board.

In a 27-page judgement, the court dismissed all counter-claim made by the NMC and the GBC against Ms Lokko, which included “gross incompetence, negligence and inefficiency” in her management of the affairs of the GBC and said the defendants failed to prove those charges.

It said Ms Lokko was dismissed under the pretext of being asked to proceed on leave and the refusal of the defendants to call her back after her leave had expired and in spite of letters she had written to the parties involved on the issue was a pointer to the fact that the real intention behind the move was to dismiss her.

It considered the directive to Ms Lokko to proceed on leave as a panic reaction meant to calm workers who had embarked on demonstrations as a result of a lawful act by the Director-General.

“The board should have known that group of workers on rampage had no justifiable reason for the demonstration than preservation,” the court said.

None of the reasons given by the defendants for the plaintiff to proceed on leave, in the opinion of the court, was justifiable.

The court said Ms Lokko’s performance, in spite of the problems she inherited, was, indeed, a strong indicator that the GBC was making a headway towards  building a viable corporate body.

It said the evidence offered by the GBC against Ms Lokko was merely cosmetic and that some of the witnesses brought to court by the defendants exuded nothing but bias.

What was more surprising of one of the witnesses, according to the court, was his admission that the workers demonstrated against Ms Lokko because she interdicted three colleagues who were arrested by the police in relation to the fraud perpetrated against the corporation.

The court said considering the fact that she had the opportunity to clear her name, in an admirably valiant manner, of the dirt intended to be smeared on her and the fact that she had joined the national crusade in the headship of a national political party for the good governance of the country, which includes protecting those very same state institutions from financial collapse, it (the court) was minded to give her GH¢5,000 general damages against each defendants.

Source: Daily Graphic

He has also offered to compensate the bereaved families and ask for God’s blessings for them.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic on behalf of the church yesterday, the acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the church, Evangelist Samuel Excellence, said Prophet Joshua had also offered his condolences to the bereaved families and wished those who were injured speedy recovery.

According to Evangelist Exellence “what happened outside the premises of the church” was an unfortunate incident and prayed to God that never again should such an incident happen.

He explained that the large crowd gathered outside of the church auditorium in great anticipation for the ‘anointing water’ which they had seen being introduced on Emmanuel TV the previous Sunday.

On Sunday, May 19, four people died in a stampede at the Ghana branch of SCOAN when thousands of people seeking divine intervention besieged the church premises to benefit from the distribution of anointing water.

The anointing water was said to be a gift from the head pastor of the church, Prophet T. B. Joshua, who had announced during a church service in Lagos on Sunday, May 12, 2013 that the repackaged anointed water would be sent to the other branches of the church across the globe.

Evangelist Excellence said although Prophet Joshua never mentioned specifically on Emmanuel TV or any other news media that people could receive the new anointing water at the Ghana branch of the SCOAN, it appeared many people anticipated that the only place to get the new anointing water was the Ghana branch, and it was upon this anticipation that people came from far and near, resulting in the stampede.

He said the lives that were lost resulted from the stampede outside the main church auditorium, and debunked the claims that people died as a result of their attempt to collect the anointing water from Prophet Joshua.

Evangelist Exellence said the leadership of the church had sought the assistance of the police who were in the environs of the church to maintain order but the people who were in their numbers defied all instructions from the police.

He said they broke down the crash barriers mounted outside the church, and rushed towards the main gate leading to the church building. “This was what brought about the stampede,” he explained.

Evangelist Excellence explained that the church auditorium could only accommodate 1,500 people at a service and not 15,000 as had been peddled, adding that the church’s security measures were always in line with the country’s rules and regulations.

He explained that one of the reasons for the creation of the church’s branch in Ghana by Prophet Joshua was to help the poor who had to sell their property to be able to travel to Lagos, where the headquarters of the SCOAN was located for deliverance and healing.

According to Evangelist Excellence, it was in consideration of that stress coupled with calls from many Ghanaians, both in the country and the diaspora, that culminated in the establishment of the branch in Ghana, after Prophet  Joshua had said fervent prayers to God for direction.

He pointed out that since the establishment of the church in Ghana, there had not been any such incident, and that the church had never flouted the laws of the country.

Some of the responsibilities taken up by the church so far have been the award of scholarships to some brilliant needy students in the universities and other higher institutions of learning in Ghana.

Evangelist Excellence said as a law abiding entity, the SCOAN would seek the permission of the police and other relevant authorities before holding a revival programme in the country.

Source: Daily Graphic

After nineteen days of the trial, Mr. Tsikata’s cross examination is the longest.

Bringing to an end his interrogation, the astute lawyer accused the petitioners of deliberately padding pink sheets to deceive the court.

“I am putting it to you finally that you and your co-petitioners have engaged in a massive deception in this election petition” Mr. Tsikata said.

But in response, the star witness Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia retorted that “I reject that suggestion, there has been massive irregularities, violation and malpractices in the conduct of this election and the first respondent has been the beneficiary of such massive violation of the law, irregularities and malpractices,” their motivation to come before the court.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the petitioners, Gloria Akuffo in a post-trial interview described the end of the marathon cross examination as “a big relief” and “the beginning of the end.”

But spokesman for the respondents Nana Ato Dadzie applauded Mr. Tsikata for a “deep cross examination.”

By: Julius Yao Petetsi/Pravadaradioonline.com/Ghana

The respondents on May 20, 2013 alleged that the counting process have been compromised after it was detected that the boxes containing the pink sheets have increased from 24 to 31.

Lead Counsel for the governing National Democratic Congress Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, who led the respondents to lodge the complaint, said they received information from their representatives at the counting that, some additional boxes containing pink sheets had been added to the number of boxes at the Court Registry.

Tsatsu Tsikata however said the NDC can’t trust the auditing process if the alleged compromised pink sheets were used by the UK firm KPMG for the auditing.

Meanwhile, the petitioners have raised a formal objection to the interruption of the process by their counterparts.

Lead Counsel Mr. Philip Addison in his submissions said the alleged compromise is a “sinister agenda to deprive the petitioners of the opportunity to fully put forward their case. That is the only reason that can explain this strenuous attempt to derail a process we have all agreed upon.”

He however prayed the court to dismiss the application by the respondents.  The counting process has been suspended following complaints by the respondents.

The Supreme Court ordered a recount of the pink sheet evidence served on all parties after Mr. Tsikata alleged that the exhibits served on them fell short of the 11,842 as claimed to have been served by the petitioners.

By: Pravdaradioonline.com/Ghana

Justice Apau and Prez. Mahama

The circumstances under which the state paid GH¢546,000 in judgement debt for a contract worth GH¢1,280 stunned the audience at yesterday’s public sitting of the Commission of Inquiry investigating judgement debt payments.

Kae Company Limited had secured judgement for the payment of the whopping amount after a contract it was awarded by the government to construct an irrigation facility in the Northern Region was terminated.

The Northern Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) were said to have awarded the contract to Kae Company Limited in October, 1984.

But the Board Secretary of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA), Mr Patrick Osew-Owusu, appearing before the commission, said the contract was not properly awarded.

He said apart from not consulting GIDA, the RCC and AESL had no right to award a contract, which was under the mandate of GIDA.

Moreover, he said, GIDA had not completed the design for the irrigation project based on which it could be awarded on contract.

Although Mr Osew-Owusu did not stamp a suggestion by the Sole Commissioner, Mr Justice Yaw Apau, that the manner in which the contract was awarded smacked of gross negligence or recklessness, he (Osew-Owusu) said it was “over-exuberance” on the part of the AESL.

He said the AESL should have been mindful of its mandate.

Mr Osew-Owusu said as an independent organisation under MOFA, GIDA had the mandate to award its own contracts.

He said GIDA had petitioned the RCC against the award of the contract, citing the aforementioned reasons, based on which the contract was suspended in December, 1984 and eventually terminated in February, 1985.

Kae Company Limited subsequently took the matter to court and secured judgement for the payment of GH¢4,100. But the company went to court again, and this time, secured judgement payment of GH¢546,000.

The Worakesehene, Nana Owusu Achiaw Prempeh II, also appeared before the commission to give testimony to the judgement debt payment of GH¢27 million in respect of compensation for 107 acres of land acquired by the state in 1943.

He said the traditional authority had released the land free to the state for a hospital project but the project was subsequently abandoned.

However, he said, instead of the state returning the land to its original owners, it gave it to the State Housing Corporation (SHC) for the construction of housing units, and to the Ghana Police Service for the construction of barracks.

Nana Prempeh said at various times, the traditional authority petitioned the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administrations for the payment of compensation for the land.

He said a Minister of Lands under the Kufuor administration had directed the Lands Valuation Board to value the land for the payment of compensation but following what it perceived to be delays in that exercise, the traditional authority sought to redeem justice via court.

Nana Prempeh said the traditional authority secured judgement for the payment of GH¢49 million as compensation, but upon subsequent negotiation with the Attorney-General, the state finally paid GH¢27 million.

The public sitting of the commission continues today with representatives of Consar Limited, Michelletti Company Limited and the Ministry of Lands and Forestry expected to make an appearance.

Source: Daily Graphic

Jose Mourinho

After a 30-minute meeting with Florentino Pérez, the Real president, it was announced that Mourinho would depart by “mutual” consent after Madrid play their final match of the La Liga season against Osasuna on June 1. Pérez referred to the pressure of managing Madrid as an explanation for Mourinho’s exit and drew a pointed comparison with working in the Premier League.

“In England a match lasts the two hours before a game, the two hours of the game, and then the two hours afterwards,” he said. “Here it is seven days a week and the pressure tells. This is a high-pressure job. We are proud of the fact that so much is expected of us at this club. Mourinho is the longest serving coach in the first division. It is not easy to last three seasons and more so at this club.”

Pérez also addressed reports that Mourinho’s wife, Matilde, had been insulted by supporters earlier this month as they drove to the Valdebebas training ground. “We would have liked him to continue but the pressure was just not sustainable,” said Pérez. “It had gone beyond the limits of normality with insults unbecoming of civilised people.”

Significantly, Mourinho has negotiated a departure from Madrid that is free of compensation for all parties. Had he been sacked, Mourinho could have activated the £17 million clause in his contract. Similarly, if Chelsea had made a formal approach for Mourinho, Madrid could have pointed to the remaining three years on his contract and demanded compensation which, even with a break clause, would have amounted to around £12 million.

Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, was forced to pay around £18 million to Mourinho and his staff when they left Stamford Bridge in 2007, meaning that the issue of compensation to reappoint him would have represented a very serious hurdle in negotiations.

Source: The Telegraph

The respondents are alleged to have been denied access to the room where the counting was conducted by KPMG officials.

A member of the third respondent’s legal team Abraham Amaliba said the process have been “compromised” in an interview with Accra based radio Asempa Fm.

According to Abraham Amaliba, two boxes containing exhibits have been added to what was counted on Thursday, adding that by this new development, the “process must be stopped.”

In his view, a new pink sheet exhibits in the custody of any of the Judges must be used for the audit.

The respondents are reported to have requested for an emergency meeting with Justice William Atuguba, president of the nine member panel hearing the case.

The Supreme Court ordered the audit following lead counsel for the third respondent Tsatsu Tsikata’s allegation that the pink sheets served on them feel short of the 11, 842 pink sheets the petitioners claimed to have submitted.

Per the rules of the intended audit, each party in the case – petitioners, first, second and third respondents- are to be represented by two persons who will serve as observers.

By: Pravdaradioonline.com/Ghana

The 38-year-old midfielder has called time on a glittering career after helping Paris St Germain to the French championship, which made him the first Englishman to win titles in four different countries.

The ex-England captain said: “I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level.

“If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I’m fortunate to have realised those dreams.”

Becks, part of United’s famed FA Youth Cup-winning side of 1992, made his senior Reds debut in a League Cup tie at Brighton in September that year.

He had to wait until 1995 for his league bow but went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League in 1999.

The right winger netted 85 times in 394 appearances for Sir Alex’s men during that trophy-laden period, in which he became a global icon. A master of the dead ball, he’ll always be remembered for his incredible goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996.

He left Old Trafford for Real Madrid in the summer of 2003 and spent four seasons in Spain, winning La Liga in the last of those, before signing for LA Galaxy, where he won two MLS Cups.

Two loan spells with AC Milan followed before he moved to Paris in January. He helped the French outfit to their first title in 19 years last weekend and is set to make his final appearance at Lorient on 26 May.

Beckham is England’s most-capped outfield player, having made 115 appearances since his international debut in September 1996.

Source: Manutd.com