Organised Labour has said it will “fiercely” resist any attempt by the government to default on an agreement to exempt pension funds from the Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) programme.
It said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the government on December 2, last year was final and thus organised labour and all pension schemes under the body were not participating in any DDE Programme.
“Any contrary communication or position is alien to us and should be dismissed by all well-meaning Ghanaians. Any attempt to go contrary to this agreement will be fiercely resisted by Organised Labour,” the group said on Wednesday.
This was contained in a joint statement signed by the Secretary–General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ghana, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah; Chairman of the Forum of Public Sector Associations and Unions, Dr Isaac Bampoe-Addo and the Deputy Secretary-General of Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Kenneth Koomson.
The group was reacting to a statement issued by the government to extend the deadline of the DDE programme for the third time, from Tuesday, January 31 to February 7, with new offers to encourage all bondholders to sign up.
The statement said that discussions were being finalised with Organised Labour and Pension Fund Trustees, on a separate arrangement in accordance with the December 22 MoU.
However, according to organised labour, the exemption should stay.
“We assure all workers of Ghana that, Organised Labour will continue to safeguard their interest at all times,” the statement said.
When the government announced the DDE on December 5, last year, pension funds were included, but organised labour agitated for exemption and announced an indefinite industrial strike to press home their demand.
Its argument was that the terms of the DDE were not favourable and would gravely affect them.
They called off the strike after they signed a deal with the government for exemption, following which the DDE programme was revised and extended for the second time.
Ghana in December last year reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF on economic policies and reforms to be supported by a new three-year arrangement under an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) of about US$3 billion.
The approval by IMF manage¬ment and the Executive Board in the period ahead is contingent on receiving financing assurances from Ghana’s partners and creditors.
Ghana is targeting to get 80 per cent participation in the DDE programme to continue processes to get the approval by March this year.
A Private Legal Practitioner, Elis Kwame Quashigah
A Private Legal Practitioner, Elis Kwame Quashigah has been arrested and charged for allegedly defrauding an economist working with the African Development Bank to the tune of $400,000.
The embattled Lawyer Quarshigah who was arraigned on Friday, February 3, 2023 was slapped with six charges to wit; defrauding by false pretenses, four counts of forgery of document and issue of false Cheque.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been granted bail in the sum of GHc3 million with one surety after his lawyers have made bail application for him.
The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Amoah Richard has been directed by the court to file and serve disclosures and witness statements within time.
The Circuit Court presided over by Her Honour Mrs Rosemary Baah Tosu has adjourned the case to February 28 for Case Management Conference.
Brief facts
Per the brief facts of the case as presented to the Court by Chief Inspector Amoah Richard, the Complainant is Dr. Namawu Alhassan Alolo, an Economist working at African Development Bank Head Office based in Abidjan.
He said the Accused, Elis Kwame Quashigah is a Private Legal Practitioner.
The prosecutor said, in November, 2021, Complainant was looking for a house online to buy and came across Jasano Real Estates Company and the owner is one Nana Ama Serwaah Nyarko.
Chief Inspector Amoah said, through discussions, Nana Ama Serwah Nyarko became the complainant’s agent and started looking for a house for the complainant to buy.
According to the prosecutor, in December 2021, Nana Ama Serwaah Nyarko told the complainant that, the accused person is selling a house in East Legon.
He said, thereafter, a meeting was arranged between the complainant and the accused.
He said the accused after the meeting led the complainant to inspect the house where they met a lady who is supposedly the occupant of the house.
Chief Inspector Amoah told the court that the lady took them around the house to inspect.
He said, the Complainant and accused bargained and agreed at four hundred thousand United States Dollars ($400,000) for the house.
He said, the Accused gave complainant his Fidelity Bank accounts to pay the money in and the Complainant made several transfers and cash deposit to the tune of $300.000.00 into the accused account.
The prosecutor said, the Complainant also made a transfer of One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($100,000.00) into Nana Ama Serwaah Nyarko Zenith Bank account for the same to be given to the accused.
He said the Accused later confirmed to the complainant of having received the One hundred thousand United States Dollars ($100,000.00) and issued an official receipt of payment of $400,000.00 to the complainant.
The prosecutor said the Complainant was to take possession of the property on May 22, 2022 which the accused person refused.
Demands
He said both Nana Ama Serwaah Nyarko and the accused person started giving her stories until the complainant decided to demand for her money.
Chief Inspector Amoah told the court that, the Accused person issued a Fidelity Bank Cheque number 200044 with the face value of Four Hundred thousand United State Dollars ($400,000 to complainant as a refund to be drawn on 15 April, 2022.
“Complainant presented the cheque on the date stated but it was dishonoured. On May 10, 2022, the complainant petitioned the Police for investigation,” the Prosecutor told the court.
“During the investigations, complainant gave the following documents to Police; Land Certificate number GA 65224, vol. 53: Folio 2525, a letter head of Eagle S. Company Limited which contains a board resolution, Deed of assignment and Land Title Registry Form L.R.50 purportedly signed by a witness in this ease and stated that accused gave her the document on 24th day of May 2022.
“The accused person was arrested and in his cautioned statement, he admitted having given the above-stated documents to the complainant and also received the said amount of money,” the Prosecutor noted.
“These documents were later verified from the source and it came out to be forged. The accused person has so far refunded a total of One Hundred and thirty-nine thousand, five hundred and fifty United States Dollar ($139,550.00) which was handed over to the complainant.
“After investigation, the accused person was charged with the offences. Efforts are also in progress to arrest Nana Ama Serwaah Nyarko for questioning,” Chief Inspector Amoah stated.
Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh
