Good morning. Welcome to a summary of this morning's top local and international news stories. Click on the headline to read the full story.
‘I made post about presidential jet as head of a CSO’ – ASEPA boss faces CID today
The Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has said his controversial claim that President Nana Akufo-Addo’s relatives used the presidential jet during the Yuletide was made in his capacity as head of a CSO with the responsibility to check government.
Mensah Thompson was forced to retract the allegation that some family members of the President, as well as their companions, revelled in the air with the presidential jet during the Christmas period.
In a post on Sunday, January 23, 2022, Mr Thompson revealed that he has been invited by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service over the matter.
“Well tomorrow [January 24, 2022] at 10AM, in the company of my lawyers, I shall be honoring the invitation of the CID at the CID Headquarters to answer any questions they may have concerning the publication I made in my capacity as the head of a Civil Society Organization with key responsibility to check government and it’s agencies!!!” he posted on Facebook.
Majority Leader claims NDC MPs have already passed E-levy
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has claimed opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators approved the E-levy when they approved the 2022 budget.
He is wondering why some of them are still seen to be taking a stance against electronic tax.
At a capacity-building workshop organised for the Majority Caucus in Parliament and some Ministers of State on Saturday, January 22, 2022, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said “it is a difficulty for me when people are kicking against the e-levy when you know that in the adoption of the motion to approve the budget, we approved of that. So, it means that the first step has already been surmounted.”
“Then the E-levy has been factored into the various estimates that we have approved for all the sectors”, he explained.
“That is the second thing we did”, he said, adding: “The third step is: when we encapsulated everything into the Appropriation Bill and passed the bill unanimously."
Man in military uniform among 5 busted for robbery in Northern Region
Police have arrested five persons in the Northern Region for robbing two people of their vehicles.
The five, including a man in military uniform, were arrested on the Buipe-Tamale highway by a resolute team of police personnel.
According to the Police, on Sunday, January 23, 2022, upon information received from RCID/Tamale to the effect that some people attacked and robbed someone in Tamale of his Toyata Camry car and other items and fled towards Buipe direction, the Buipe highway patrol team on duty at Sawaba Police checkpoint on Buipe-Tamale highway intercepted and arrested occupants of two vehicles with registration number AS8445-19 and GX6923-20 in connection with the crime and brought same to Buipe Police Station.
Licensed fishing vessels in Ghana unmasked as illegal Chinese fronts
A three-month investigation based on interviews with dozens of fishery experts, company records and financial documents has revealed an opaque network of Chinese control and ownership of many industrial fishing vessels operating in Ghanaian waters – in contravention of local laws.
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) – an NGO that monitors economic and environmental abuses – has blamed the depletion of Ghana’s fish stocks on over-fishing by Chinese-owned trawlers that use Ghanaian front companies to obtain fishing licences.
Apiate explosion: Tricycle rider denies police claim he collided with explosives vehicle
A state-owned wire news service has gotten hold of the tricycle rider whose alleged collision with a truck transporting ten tonnes of explosives (ammonium nitrate) to a mining site triggered the massive explosion that rocked Apiate in the Western Region.
He told the Ghana News Agency that he was rather hit by another vehicle from behind and rushed to a nearby health facility before the explosion occurred.
"I didn't collide with the said truck, neither was I at the scene during the explosion," the rider (name withheld) said.
Newspaper headlines: Monday, January 24, 2022
Click here for the front pages of some of Ghana's newspapers today.
AFCON 2021: Comoros to play Cameroon today without a recognized goalkeeper
Comoros will today, Monday, January 24 play their round of 16 game against hosts Cameroon without a recognized goalkeeper.
Salim Ben Boina was injured in their final Group C match, while fellow keepers Ali Ahamada and Moyadh Ousseini have tested positive for Covid-19.
WPL Southern zone wrap: Hasaacas humble Immigration, Berry Ladies hold Soccer Intellectuals
Champions Hasaacas Ladies cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win against Immigration Ladies to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The Doo Ladies are the only unbeaten side in the Zone after winning four and drawing two in their opening six matches of the season.
Burkina Faso: Shots heard near presidential palace
Shots have been heard near the presidential palace in Burkina Faso's capital amid a mutiny by soldiers.
Gunfire has also been heard at several barracks in Ouagadougou, with soldiers demanding the sacking of military chiefs, and more resources to fight militant Islamists.
Hundreds of people came out in support of the troops, forcing authorities to introduce a night time curfew.
The government said the crisis had been contained.