Gyan is also to compensate his former wife with a house he owns in the United Kingdom, and another four-bedroom house in Ghana, a gas station and a couple of cars.

These are among orders made on Tuesday, October 31, by the High Court in Accra which has been hearing the couple’s divorce suit for the past three years.

The couple had gone their separate ways over Gyan’s denial of the children’s paternity, however, the court ruled on Tuesday that Gyan is the biological father of Gifty’s three children. The GHȼ25,000 for the welfare and upkeep of the three children does not include their educational expenses, medical and dental care settlements, and aircraft tickets for travel, among other costs for the upbringing of the children.

The Church of Pentecost Deacon who was abducted in Johannesburg has been safely released, according to Charles Owiredu, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa.

The news of the deacon’s freedom brings relief to the Ghanaian community in South Africa and concerned individuals.

This positive development was shared by Mr Owiredu in a Twitter post on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

“The Church of Pentecost Deacon/Elder was freed last night. He is with his family now,” he said.

The incident dates back to October 29, 2023, when some Ghanaians residing in South Africa were gripped with fear following a shocking robbery and kidnapping at the Johannesburg branch of the Church of Pentecost.

Videos of the distressing event had surfaced on social media, sparking widespread concern and condemnation.

The captured footage portrayed the perpetrators, led by a well-built man in dark clothing, brandishing firearms and subjecting the preacher and church members to threats at gunpoint. During the ordeal, the victims were forced to relinquish various personal belongings to the assailants.

The incident prompted swift action from the Ghana High Commission in South Africa, which officially confirmed the robbery and subsequent abduction.

The safety and well-being of the deacon were of paramount concern, and the High Commission collaborated with local authorities and the Church of Pentecost to ensure a swift resolution.

The news of the deacon’s release has brought a sense of relief to the Ghanaian community and others who had been closely following the case.

Charles Owiredu’s Twitter announcement reassured the public that the deacon is now reunited with his family, marking a positive outcome to a distressing situation.

This incident has highlighted the importance of cooperation between government authorities and community organizations in addressing security concerns and ensuring the safety of individuals in the Ghanaian diaspora.

Renowned international music festival, Afro Nation has revealed that the highly anticipated Nigeria edition scheduled for December will no longer be taking place.

The festival organizers claim this decision followed the realization that “it is currently not possible to deliver a show that is of the quality that Nigeria deserves in December 2023.”

In a post on social media, the organisers explained that Nigeria holds a special place in their hearts, making the cancellation a heart-wrenching decision for them.

The festival team wants the fans to know that they are fully committed to creating an unforgettable Afro Nation show in Lagos that everyone can be proud of in the future.

Afro Nation says it understands the disappointment that this news brings to their dedicated fans who had purchased tickets and pledged refunds.

“We know that you are as disappointed as we are and to all those who have purchased tickets, we love you and thank you for supporting us on this journey. We will refund all tickets including booking fees. Ticket buyers do not need to do anything but will receive an email with information outlining the refund process.,” the October 31 statement indicated.

In December last year, the Afrobeats festival returned to Accra after 2019’s African debut event in Ghana.

During that edition, the Marine Drive, Black Star Square hosted the biggest names in African music.

The 2019 edition was staged at the Laboma Beach in Accra.

But for the cancellation, Nigeria would have been the second country on the continent to do so.

Ghanaian actor, John Dumelo, walked bare footed and backwards to the campus of the Legon based Presbyterian Boys Senior High, (PRESEC) in Accra after losing a bet.

The actor had put up a bet that he was going to walk bare footed and backwards to the Presec campus at Legon, should Presec beats his [Dumelo] alma mater, Achimota School in the 2023 National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ) grand finale.

When PRESEC qualified for the NSMQ2023 grand finale against Achimota School and Opoku Ware School, the actor, who went to Achimota School believed that his school would win the contest.

He, therefore, threw a challenge that should PRESEC win the contest, he would walk bare footed and backwards to the school.

However, when the grand finale was held on Monday, October 30, 2023, PRESEC humiliated both Achimota School and Opoku Ware School to win the coveted trophy for the eight time.

Having lost the challenge, John Dumelo decided to honor his promise in the bet by walking bare footed and backwards to Presec.

The collaboration between the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in relation to the case of former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has introduced interesting legal dynamics to Ghana’s criminal justice system, as well as international laws and treaties that both countries have signed. Bobby Banson, a private legal practitioner, has commented on the matter.

He asked whether a Ghanaian court can restrain the FBI from taking certain actions relative to the investigations.

The investigations, according to a note from the OSP will primarily focus on examining assets and financial transactions within the US.

In the note released by the OSP on Wednesday, October 11, this is “to ascertain the lawfulness of Ms. Dapaah and her associates’ wealth, both in the context of their funds transitioning from Ghana to the United States and vice versa”.

Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Wednesday, October 11, Mr Bobby Banson said “It is an issue of an international treaty that relates to mostly anti-money laundering collaborations and related financial crimes.

“There is an international treaty that Ghana is a signatory to that requires states that are signatories to that treaty, in this instance, Ghana and the United States, the security agencies will collaborate when there is evidence that money that is subject of investigation of money laundering or proceeds from money laundering found its way into the other jurisdictions.

“So, if, I in Ghana engage in money laundering activities and I use the funds to acquire properties in the United States it is possible the security agencies in Ghana will collaborate with security agencies in the United States, in this instance, the FBI to help them trace the assets and recover it and then bring them back, I think there is a percentage ratio,  to the host country for the benefit of the public. So yes it is in line with it.”

Asked what dynamics this new twist of the FBI collaboration brings to this case, Bobby Banson answered “It makes it very interesting because there is an application for an injunction to restrain the OSP from further investigating Madam Cecilia Dapaah and her husband in respect of the matter in the public space now.

“Now, the question is whether or not a Ghanaian court can make an order if the FBI is investigating her, can we make the order to restrain the FBI? If the FBI formally requests the OSP office to assist with the investigation, tracing assets an all of that, whether the Ghanaian court order will have precedent over the international treaty obligations of Ghana and its implications. I think it brings a lot of  interesting dynamics in both the criminal jurisprudence and the issues of international law and treaty obligations between states.”

The FBI, OSP partnership came barely a day after lawyers of the former Sanitation Minister filed an affidavit at the Human Rights Division of the High Court, seeking an interlocutory injunction on investigations being conducted by Ghana’s OSP.

The former Bantama MP had described as “unfair, unreasonable, capricious, arbitrary and ultra vires” the re-seizure of her monies and re-freezing of her accounts and property.

“I am advised by Counsel and verily believe same to be true that to prevent further violation of my constitutionally guaranteed rights and rendering my application for judicial review otiose, it is imperative that the Respondent is restrained from continuing his investigation pending the determination of my said application,” her affidavit in response to OSP’s suit prayed.

The OSP aside its suit in investigating corruption and corruption-related offences against Madam Cecilia Dapaah had charged her for failing to declare her income upon a lawful demand.

But, according to the OSP, she failed to do so after 30 days contrary to Section 69(1)(a) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, Act 959.

“As at close of business on 5 October 2023, the Accused had willfully failed, without lawful excuse, to return the duly completed statutory forms to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than thirty (30) days after the service of the notice and forms to her.”

The former minister is expected to file a response to this charge.

William Ato Essien, the founder of the now-defunct Capital Bank, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the bank’s collapse.

Although he agreed to refund the state GHC90 million, he was only able to return GHC37 million, which led to the imposition of the custodial sentence.

Essien was sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison for multiple counts of stealing and money laundering, but these sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will serve 15 years.

We will share more information as it becomes available.

The government has announced a major overhaul of the Electronic Transfer Levy as part of its Medium-Term Revenue Strategy. This is a concerted effort to improve and optimize this taxation policy for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

In May 2022, the e-levy – a highly unpopular tax on mobile money transactions – was introduced. The levy was originally set at 1.5% for all electronic and mobile money transactions over ¢100 per day. It was designed to extract larger tax contributions from Ghana’s informal sector and raise more money for the government.

However, in January 2023, the government reduced the rate of the tax to 1%. The unique feature of the levy – an exemption threshold for transactions below ¢100 a day – is expected to be removed but remains in place for now, although its real value has been eroded by inflation over the past 12 months.

The levy’s effects on Ghana’s public finances, its poor, and mobile money usage have been the subject of intense and polarizing public debate.

This comprehensive redesign of the Electronic Transfer Levy may represent a forward-thinking approach to taxation in the digital age, and it aligns with the government’s broader strategy to modernize its revenue collection methods while ensuring that the burden of taxation is distributed equitably across various sectors of the economy.

The Medium-Term Revenue Strategy also includes several other proposed reforms, such as broadening the withholding tax regime, streamlining tax returns, and scrutinizing the modified taxation system to reduce tax avoidance and foster voluntary compliance. Additionally, outdated tax categories such as stamp duty and income tax stamp will be reviewed and updated to align with current market dynamics.

The strategy also aims to enhance the taxation of rental income and implement taxation on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for industry players, as well as introduce withholding tax on winnings. All of these measures represent a significant step towards a more comprehensive and equitable tax structure.

Cecilia Abena Dapaah, a former minister of sanitation and water resources, has denied accusations made by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that she operates an unregistered real estate company.

She claims that the OSP has not shown any proof to support that assertion.

Cecilia Abena Dapaah “was engaged in undisclosed and undeclared real estate business in which she obscured and concealed the transactions by employing the use of aliases to avoid detection of the actual ownership of the business and properties, while craftily receiving proceeds of the transactions in her bank account and investments,” according to a court document filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

This is a part of OSP’s effort to verify the confiscation of Madam Dapaah’s allegedly tainted properties.

However, in an abridgment of time application to the court, the former Bantama MP has denied the allegations outrightly.

According to her, she only sold a property in a representative capacity for her deceased mother.

“That I have an undisclosed and undeclared real estate business when I have no real estate business and Applicant has not provided a scintilla of evidence that I do. That I concealed my identity by using aliases to sell the property to third parties when Applicant’s own Exhibit OSP16 shows that I rather sold the property in a representative capacity for Nana Yaa Ode. Nana Yaa Ode also known as Nana Ode Nyarko was my mother (now deceased),” Cecilia Dapaah explained in her affidavit.

Meanwhile, she has also maintained that the OSP is abusing her silence in the ongoing case and wants the court to expedite the hearing.

According to her, the OSP relied on her caution statement taken from her earlier to refreeze her accounts and re-seize her cash despite the earlier court order.

“Again, the Respondent has alluded to my decision to remain silent on 7th September 2023 and is seeking to on that as further justification for the confirmation of his re-seizure of the money and re-freezing of my bank accounts which he did two days prior on, 5th September 2023.”

“I am advised by Counsel and verily believe the same to be true that having exercised his administrative powers to re-seize the money and refreeze my bank accounts on 5th September 2023, the Applicant cannot justify his suspicion on the cautioned statements in Exibits OSP10 and OSP6 which were taken after reseizure and refreezing.”

Rescue teams in Libya are struggling to retrieve the bodies of victims who have been swept out to sea in tsunami-like flood waters.

At least 2,300 have been killed, according to the ambulance authority in Derna, the worst affected city.

Two dams and four bridges collapsed in Derna, submerging much of the city when Storm Daniel hit on Sunday.

About 10,000 people are reported missing, the Red Crescent says, and the death toll is expected to rise further.

Some aid has started to arrive, including from Egypt, but rescue efforts have been hampered by the political situation in Libya, with the country split between two rival governments.

The US, Germany, Iran, Italy, Qatar and Turkey are among the countries that have said they have sent or are ready to send aid.

Video footage recorded after dark on Sunday shows a river of floodwater churning through the city with cars bobbing helplessly in the current.

There are harrowing stories of people being swept out to sea, while others clung onto rooftops to survive.

“I was shocked by what I saw, it’s like a tsunami,” Hisham Chkiouat, from Libya’s eastern-based government, said.

He told BBC Newshour that the collapse of one of the dams to the south of Derna had dragged large parts of the city into the sea.

“A massive neighbourhood has been destroyed – there is a large number of victims, which is increasing each hour.”

Mr Al-Dbeibah said rescue teams were struggling to recover some bodies, and that the navy and divers were trying to retrieve bodies from the sea.

Kasim Al-Qatani, an aid worker in the town of Bayda, told the BBC’s Newsnight programme it was difficult for rescuers to reach Derna as most of the main paths into the city were “out of service because of huge damage”.

An investigation has been launched into why the floods were able to cause such devastation, he said, adding that 2.5bn Libyan Dinar ($515m) would be given to help rebuild Derna and the eastern city of Benghazi.

The cities of Soussa, Al-Marj and Misrata were also affected by Sunday’s storm.

Water engineering experts told the BBC it is likely the upper dam, around 12km (eight miles) from the city, had failed first, sending its water sweeping down the river valley towards the second dam, which lies closer to Derna – where neighbourhoods were inundated.

“At first we just thought it was heavy rain but at midnight we heard a huge explosion and it was the dam bursting,” Raja Sassi, who survived along with his wife and small daughter, told Reuters news agency.

Libyan journalist Noura Eljerbi, who is based in Tunisia told the BBC she only found out that around 35 of her relatives who all lived in the same apartment block in Derna were still alive after contacting a local rescue team.

“The house has been destroyed but my family managed to get out before things got worse. They are safe now,” she said.

Rescue worker Kasim Al-Qatani told BBC Newsnight that there is no clean drinking water in Derna, and a lack of medical supplies.

He added that the only hospital in Derna could no longer take patients because “there are more than 700 dead bodies waiting in the hospital and it’s not that big.”

Libya has been in political chaos since long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 – leaving the oil-rich nation effectively split with an interim, internationally recognised government operating from the capital, Tripoli, and another one in the east.

Libyan journalist Abdulkader Assad said the confusion around this was hampering rescue efforts.

“You have people who are pledging help but the help is not coming,” he told the BBC. “There are no rescue teams, there are no trained rescuers in Libya. Everything over the last 12 years was about war.”

But despite the split, the government in Tripoli has sent a plane with 14 tonnes of medical supplies, body bags and more than 80 doctors and paramedics.

Brian Lander, the deputy director of emergencies at the UN’s World Food Programme, said the organisation had food supplies for 5,000 families.

Derna, about 250km east of Benghazi along the coast, is surrounded by the nearby hills of the fertile Jabal Akhdar region.

The city was once where militants from the Islamic State group built a presence in Libya, after Gaddafi’s fall. They were driven out some years later by the Libyan National Army (LNA), forces loyal to Gen Khalifa Haftar who is allied to the eastern administration.

The powerful general said eastern officials are currently assessing damage caused by the floods so roads can be reconstructed and electricity restored to help rescue efforts.

Libya’s leading Al-Wasat news website has suggested that failures to properly rebuild and maintain infrastructure in Derna after years of conflict is partly to blame for the high death toll.

“The security chaos and Libyan authorities’ laxity in carrying out close monitoring of safety measures [of the dams] led to the catastrophe,” it quoted economic expert Mohammed Ahmed as saying.

Despite feeling betrayed by his subordinates who were captured in leaked footage plotting his removal, the Inspector-General of Police extended an olive branch to one of his ‘enemies’, Superintendent George Asare during a brief break at the parliamentary ad hoc committee hearing.

Dr George Akuffo Dampare was captured in a video approaching his subordinate and stretching forth his hand to shake his and then exchanging some words believed to be friendly with him before moving away.

Interestingly, Superintendent Asare stood up to reciprocate the gesture but in an obviously hesitant manner, suggesting that he either felt embarrassed or still harboured bitterness against his boss.

He was seen in another leaked video in circulation, telling the former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bugri Naabu that the IGP is delaying and that he couldn’t wait to see him gotten rid of.

Meanwhile, the IGP has said that Commissioner of Police, Alex George Mensah got it completely wrong when he described him as the worst IGP in the history of Ghana.

According to him, the records across the country do not support his accuser’s assertion. He outlined several achievements of the police under his leadership, including police visibility, decentralization of various units, and reduction of crime among many other things as reasons that he could not have been the worst IGP in the history of Ghana.

COP Alex George Mensah, while speaking to the parliamentary ad hoc committee probing a leaked audio recording in which he and Superintendent George Asare were captured plotting to get rid of the IGP, alleged that his boss was not managing the Ghana Police Service well and that many officers were not happy.

“Honourable member and honourable chair, several opportunities and what I said yesterday if you give me the opportunity today, I will say it again. For me, for the 31 years, I have been in the service, he is the worst IGP ever,” COP Mensah told the Samuel Atta Akyea-chaired committee.

The leaked audio was recorded secretly by Bugri Naabu with whom the senior officers were having the conversation in his office.

But appearing before the same committee on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, IGP Dr Dampare said COP Mensah probably had a slip of the tongue, and that he must have meant to say otherwise.

“I think my colleague meant to say I’m the best IGP in Ghana’s history. I think it was a slip of the tongue on his part,” the IGP said.

He also rejected claims that he has the power to determine who wins elections or not, saying every election has various stakeholders playing diverse roles to ensure its success.