EOCO mandate challenged as EV regulation advances

Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and Wontumi Farms are asking the High Court to stop the criminalisation of a loan dispute involving Ghana Exim Bank, arguing that the matter should be resolved through civil proceedings.

The plaintiffs have sued Ghana Exim Bank, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney General following criminal proceedings over alleged offences including defrauding by false pretences, uttering a forged document, money laundering and intentionally causing financial loss to the state.

In their statement of claim, filed through their lawyer Samuel Atta-Akyea, they contend that the dispute centres on recovery of a loan exceeding GH¢18 million granted to finance a farming project.

They accuse EOCO of acting beyond its mandate by assuming the role of a debt collector and insist that the disagreement should be handled as a contractual matter.

The plaintiffs say a 10,000-acre parcel of land belonging to Wontumi Farms was used as collateral, while Chairman Wontumi personally guaranteed repayment if the farm defaulted. They also claim Ghana Exim Bank agreed to obtain insurance to cover the loan.

According to the claim, the farming venture suffered major losses after four rivers surrounding the property overflowed their banks and flooded the farmland.

The plaintiffs say the bank was informed of the damage and allegedly promised to activate the insurance arrangement to address the outstanding debt.

They deny obtaining the facility through deceit or engaging in criminal conduct.

They want the court to declare the dispute a civil debt matter, order Ghana Exim Bank to provide an account of the amount outstanding and direct the bank to pursue recovery through the mortgage, the personal guarantee or the insurance cover allegedly arranged for the loan.

Ghana is taking steps to regulate its rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) charging sector as increasing numbers of electric cars enter the country, the Energy Commission said on Wednesday.

The Commission said it had completed regulations for EV charging stations and battery-swapping systems, which were currently undergoing the necessary approval process in Parliament.

Ms Joyce Caitlyn Ocansey, Programme Coordinator of the Drive Electric Programmes, Energy Commission, explained to the Ghana News Agency that the move was to ensure that the development of the charging infrastructure kept pace with the growing adoption of electric vehicles.

The Commission, together with the Ministry of Transport, had developed standards for electric cars, motorcycles and tricycles intended for the Ghanaian market.

Ms Ocansey said the Commission was working with relevant institutions to ensure that the emerging sector developed within a clear regulatory framework.

On management of used EV battery, she noted that the Energy Commission had incorporated it into the regulatory framework to prevent the emerging sector from creating a future waste problem.

Ms Ocansey said EV batteries could be recycled for other uses, and that the Commission would support the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that requirements covering the management of hazardous and electronic waste was enforced.

The regulations would require operators within the charging infrastructure sector to comply with provisions relating to the collection and recycling of batteries.

She said licensed agents were expected to undertake the recovery, recycling, repurposing and eventual disposal of batteries in accordance with the EPA’s requirements.

Ms Ocansey said the developing EV market presented opportunities for investment in charging infrastructure.

The Commission, she said, had completed a market opportunity study to provide information for potential investors, while government was also considering solar-based EV charging stations.

She said establishing the necessary regulatory framework would help streamline the sector and provide clarity for investors and operators as EV adoption increased.

It would also continue working with the Ministry of Transport and other relevant institutions to support the development of electric mobility in Ghana.

Menu Search for Switch skin Home News Politics Business Sports Crime Africa More World Education Editorial Features Lifestyle Technology Gallery Contact Us Facebook X TikTok RSS Switch skin Search for Business Hot! BoG cautions public against repairing mutilated cedi notes October 8, 2026 1 minute read The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has cautioned the public against repairing, re-joining or altering mutilated Ghana Cedi banknotes for re-issuance or recirculation.

The Bank said the Ghana Cedi was legal tender and an important national symbol, urging the public to handle the currency with care and respect.

In a statement issued in Accra on Wednesday by the Communications Department and copied to the Ghanaian Times, the BoG said its attention had been drawn to a video circulating on social media showing individuals repairing torn and soiled Cedi notes with adhesive tape for re-issuance as a business activity.

The Bank strongly cautioned the public against the practice, saying no person should engage in the repair, re-joining or other alteration of mutilated banknotes for the purpose of putting them back into circulation.

According to the BoG, such practices undermined the integrity of the currency and could affect its acceptability and proper processing within the cash cycle.

It explained that banknotes which had been taped, glued, stapled or otherwise improperly repaired were unfit for circulation.

The Bank further warned that such notes could damage automated teller machines (ATMs) and currency-processing equipment and might be rejected when presented for payment or exchange, potentially resulting in financial loss to members of the public.

The BoG said it had the sole mandate for the management of Ghana’s currency and advised the public to present all mutilated or damaged banknotes to a commercial bank for examination and replacement in accordance with its laid-down procedures.

It noted that, for a mutilated banknote to be considered for examination, more than half of the original note should be presented.

The Bank urged members of the public not to tape, glue, staple, re-join or otherwise attempt to repair damaged banknotes for re-issuance or recirculation.

It encouraged the public to report persons engaged in the improper repair, re-joining or mutilation of banknotes to the Bank of Ghana or the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

The BoG urged Ghanaians to handle Cedi banknotes with care, stressing the need to preserve the integrity of the currency as a symbol of national pride.

Menu Search for Switch skin Home News Politics Business Sports Crime Africa More World Education Editorial Features Lifestyle Technology Gallery Contact Us Facebook X TikTok RSS Switch skin Search for Hot! News Yaw Ampofo Ankrah defers parliament appearance over ongoing CID probe October 8, 2026 2 minutes read Lawyers for suspended National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, say he will not appear before Parliament for now because matters concerning him are currently under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.

In a statement issued on behalf of Mr Ampofo Ankrah, his legal counsel, Jerry Avenorgbor of Brookman Amissah & Associates, said the sports administrator has cooperated and will continue to cooperate with the police as they work to establish the facts.

The lawyers said Mr Ampofo Ankrah and his representatives would refrain from making detailed public comments on the allegations while the investigation is ongoing.

They urged the media and the public to exercise restraint and avoid presenting allegations, speculation or unverified information as established facts.

The lawyers stressed that the existence of an investigation does not, by itself, amount to a finding of wrongdoing against Mr Ampofo Ankrah or any other person.

On calls for Mr Ampofo Ankrah to appear before Parliament, his lawyers said it would be “imprudent” for him to do so while the CID investigation remains active and he is under suspension.

According to them, appearing before Parliament at this stage could create complications for the investigation and potentially affect the process through which the facts are being established.

Mr Ampofo Ankrah has therefore decided to defer any appearance until the investigation has been concluded and the circumstances surrounding his suspension have been determined by the appropriate authorities.

His lawyers, however, stressed that the decision should not be interpreted as a refusal to submit to lawful processes or to account to Parliament or any other constitutionally mandated institution.

They explained that the position is intended to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and prevent any action that could potentially interfere with it.

The lawyers further indicated that if his suspension is lifted and he is restored to his position as Director-General of the NSA at the discretion of the Office of the President, he will respond appropriately to any lawful request to appear before Parliament or another competent institution.

Mr Ampofo Ankrah and his legal representatives are expected to respond to the findings of the investigation and address any issues requiring clarification once the appropriate authorities have completed their work.

They have meanwhile called for patience and respect for the ongoing investigative process.

Menu Search for Switch skin Home News Politics Business Sports Crime Africa More World Education Editorial Features Lifestyle Technology Gallery Contact Us Facebook X TikTok RSS Switch skin Search for Crime Hot! IGP urged to probe Prampram police officers October 9, 2026 2 minutes read Some community members of Ningo-Prampram have called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohunu, to probe the Ningo-Prampram police over their handling of alleged assault, death threats and murder cases reported in the area.

They alleged that complaints bordering on criminality lodged at the Ningo and Prampram police stations were often referred to families for settlement instead of being investigated.

The residents want the police administration to explain why the cases were not pursued through the law.

Speaking to the Ghanaian Times , the acting head of the Ashaley Botwe family of Ningo, Mr Eric Tetteh Anum, said the allegations included the reported killing of an okada rider, Timothy Teye Otubua, in July, attacks on other riders and death threats against several individuals.

According to him, Mr Otubua was allegedly severely beaten by persons described as land guards linked to a faction in the area before he was found dead on July 20.

He alleged that although the incident was reported to the Prampram Police Station and reportedly taken up by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the police were yet to act on their complaints several months after the incident.

Mr Anum further alleged that other okada riders who went to the area to inquire about the death were also attacked, with as many as six riders having lost their lives since.

“We are therefore demanding answers, including [answers concerning] alleged assaults involving Larseh Joshua, Addo and Isaac Tetteh Kwadwo,” he said.

He said the matters were reported to the police but had not resulted in prosecutions.

Mr Anum further alleged that even when a prime suspect was invited to the police station, he threatened the complainants in the presence of officers.

Meanwhile, the dispute has also extended to the Dankyira family house at Ningo, where some family members allege that attempts had been made to demolish their properties.

However, the Alipue, Chenchenma and Ashalley Botwe Gates have opposed any demolition.

Mr Anum has therefore called on the police to review all cases reported to them and make a full disclosure of their status.

He insisted that traditional settlement should not replace investigations into allegations of assault, death threats and loss of life.

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Senior Pastor of Victory Bible Church International’s Higher Heights Sanctuary in East Legon and Assin South MP, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene over regulations restricting preaching in moving commercial vehicles, arguing that the measure could expose pastors and evangelists to imprisonment for sharing their faith.

The Ranking Member of Parliament for the Defence and Interior Committee said he had been preaching on commercial buses since around 2007, when he began evangelising in Tarkwa.

He questioned why the practice was now being treated as a nuisance and called on the President to direct that the regulation be abandoned.

I begun evangelizing and preaching freely in commercial buses in Tarkwa around 2007. Now they want to ban preaching in buses. I risk going to jail if I continue preaching JESUS in buses. But what shall separate me from the love of God? Shall persecution or senseless laws stop us from preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ freely everywhere? Mr President, please order them to abandon this bogus regulation which seeks to jail innocent Pastors and Evangelists - simply for preaching in buses. Now preaching JESUS in buses is described as NUISANCE? Or this is also part of the unpopular policies your Ministers are pushing without your approval? Who is really in charge in this govt? We will continue to PREACH JESUS in buses, on the street, on campuses, in markets and wherever we shall find souls. We will be undeterred by these anti-preaching regulations. Thank God for the inspiration for this book which occupied my passion a few years ago -PREACHING JESUS.

“Mr President, please order them to abandon this bogus regulation which seeks to jail innocent Pastors and Evangelists – simply for preaching in buses,” he wrote in a social media post.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour also questioned whether the policy reflected President Mahama’s position or was being advanced by some ministers without his approval.

“Or is this also part of the unpopular policies your Ministers are pushing without your approval? Who is really in charge in this govt?” he asked.

His appeal follows the enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), which prohibit preaching and hawking on public service vehicles while in motion.

The regulations prescribe a fine of between 10 and 50 penalty units, imprisonment for up to eight months, or both for offenders.

He maintained that he would continue preaching in public spaces despite the restrictions.