QNET is outraged by the recent reports of Ghanaian nationals being kidnapped under false pretenses and commend the Ghana and Nigeria Police forces for their efforts at rescuing the victims. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families during this deeply distressing time.

We categorically state that QNET has no connection with the individuals involved and condemns in the strongest terms any act of fraud, abuse, or human trafficking unfairly linked to our name.

As a responsible wellness and lifestyle company with a global footprint, we operate through a transparent and legitimate direct selling model. QNET does not recruit employees, offer visa opportunities, or require anyone to travel to participate in our direct selling business.

We recognize that bad actors continue to manipulate and exploit vulnerable individuals, falsely presenting themselves as affiliated with QNET. To combat this, we have taken concrete and sustained actions:

Partnering with Authorities

We actively collaborate with law enforcement and regulatory bodies across Sub-Saharan Africa to track down and stop individuals who misrepresent QNET or distort our materials for criminal purposes.

Raising Awareness

Our “Say No” and “QNET against Scam” campaigns in Nigeria and Ghana respectively are at the heart of our education efforts, helping people identify red flags and avoid falling victim to scams that misuse our name—especially those targeting young people with false promises.

Providing Safe Reporting Channels

Commenting on the recent developments in Ghana, Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Biram Fall noted that “it is devastating that people are being harmed by criminals pretending to represent QNET. We stand with the victims and are unwavering in our fight against this type of exploitation. Our company is built on values of integrity, respect, and human dignity—and we will continue to work tirelessly with local authorities to bring these perpetrators to justice,”

We call on the public, media, and community leaders to help share accurate and verified information and remain vigilant. No one should ever have to suffer because of lies told in our name.

We encourage the public to report any suspicious or fraudulent activity through our official WhatsApp Compliance Hotline at +233 2566 30005 or via email at [email protected].

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor (L) and Rev John Ntim Fordjour (R)

The Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, has filed a defamation lawsuit against his colleague, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South, over a social media post he claims has severely damaged his reputation.

The legal action follows a post made by Rev. Ntim Fordjour on May 8, 2025, via the platform X (formerly Twitter), in which he alleged that Mr. Dafeamekpor—who also serves as the Majority Chief Whip in Parliament—acted as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation during a period when embattled former National Signals Bureau boss, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, allegedly paid GH¢360,000 to the committee to help facilitate the passage of a Legislative Instrument (L.I.).

Kwabena Adu-Boahene, in his defence against claims that he fraudulently misappropriated GH¢49.1 million, explained that allowances of GH¢960,000 and GH¢309,000 were paid to MPs on the Defence and Interior Committee and the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, respectively, during the passage of the NSB Act and its accompanying Legislative Instrument.

In response to accusations that he embezzled GH¢49.1 million, Kwabena Adu-Boahene clarified that during the enactment of the NSB Act and its corresponding Legislative Instrument, MPs on the Defense and Interior Committee and the Subsidiary Legislation Committee received allowances of GH¢960,000 and GH¢309,000, respectively.

Rev. Fordjour demanded in the same post that Mr. Dafeamekpor and others be the subject of a thorough investigation, saying that the NDC and all others involved in the alleged embezzlement would be held responsible once the investigation got underway.

Mr. Dafeamekpor responded by filing a statement of claim in which he unequivocally denied the accusations and called the post “malicious, defamatory, and false.”

“The Plaintiff has further suffered economic harm, loss of business, disruption to his professional activities, and extreme emotional distress as a result of the widespread dissemination and continuous accessibility of the defamatory statements,” the suit reads.

“The Plaintiff says that the defamatory statements made by the Defendant and published on ‘X’ formerly ‘Twitter’ are untrue and same was made with calculated malice, aforethought in order to paint the plaintiff as a person who is corrupt and accepts bribes to pass Legislations of Parliament.”

In addition to requesting a public apology and retraction from Rev. Fordjour, Mr. Dafeamekpor is also requesting an interlocutory injunction to prevent the MP and his allies from making or disclosing any more statements until the lawsuit is resolved.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from making or in any other way, causing to be published any further defamatory statements about the Plaintiff. An order directed at the Defendant to retract the said defamatory statement made about the Plaintiff and posted online,” the suit demands.

KA

This case is about voluntary, adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships. This case is about those real-life relationships, and the government is trying to turn those relationships into a racketeering case, a prostitution case, and a sex trafficking case. It will not work.

Let’s start with the basics, the most important things in this courtroom are you and him. At a time when everything in government can feel so uncertain, one thing has remained the same in our justice system, and that is standing between all of us and a criminal conviction, is a jury of our peers. That is you. You will hear the evidence. You will get to the truth. You will see the witnesses and evaluate them one by one.

And finally, finally, the story about this case can finally come out. Why do I say that? I say that because this case is not about what you’ve heard on the news, read in the news, or have seen on social media for the past year and a half. This case is not about what civil attorneys looking for a payday are trying to make my client out to be. There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case for the past year and it is time to cancel that noise and hear and see the evidence that will be presented in this courtroom. And it will be crystal clear.

The story of Sean Combs is a fascinating one, but it is a human one. We are going to tell you his story over the next two months in this courtroom. And you will learn that he is a man who grew up here in New York City, in Harlem, who came from little, but built ground breaking, lawful businesses. You will hear that he is a wealthy individual, but know that the evidence will show that nobody gave him this money. He worked for it and no one gave him a dime. It will show that he made every single dollar. Recreated a culture and produced music that I believe you will hear will change the generation. And I believe that the evidence is going to show that this ingenuity is what drew people to Mr. Combs.

Witnesses will share with you that Mr. Combs is a fascinating person, and that people are drawn to him. Yes, he is famous. Yes, he is wealthy. And that’s certainly part of it. But he was charismatic and magnetic and a larger than life figure. If you had any interest in climbing the social ladder at the time and being involved in the music industry, the apparel industry, spirits industry, attending his legendary parties, you wanted to be around Sean Combs.

You also wanted to be around him because of the benefits that came along with being with him. As you listen to the evidence in this case, try to remember why that matters. Try to remember why people stayed around him and why it matters. I expect it will matter to you as the jury because he gave people opportunities and he gave people chances to work at his companies. They believed he had a vision that few others had, and, for the most part, I believe the evidence will show you that they loved him. I don’t think that the witnesses will tell you they always liked what he did or how he behaved, but the real time text messages that you will review in this case show that the people really loved him. And they believed that by being with Sean Combs, they were part of something special.

So, by now, you’ve heard the government say a lot of things about my client. It’s time for me to introduce you to him. His name is Sean Combs. You may have heard him by Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, Diddy, but standing in this courtroom, at 55 years old, in the same place he was born and raised, he’s going by the same name he was born with, Sean Combs. My name is Teny Geragos and I am one of the attorneys honored to represent him.

The government started their opening statement by telling you this is about a 20-year racketeering influence corrupt organization act enterprise that he committed with his apparent trusted inner circle. The only people in this courtroom who will tell you that they participated in, knew about, or came to an agreement to participate in a racketeering enterprise are the prosecutors. Not one witness will get into this courtroom and will take that witness stand and tell you that they were part of any racketeering influenced corrupt organization act enterprise. And the reason is simple: There was not one.

You heard what the government tried to say the enterprise is, that he used his lawful businesses to feed his every desire, including sexual ones. This case is about Sean Combs’ private, personal sex life, which has nothing to do with his lawful businesses. The government has no place here in this man’s private bedrooms. The government can say over and over again that this is not about his private sex life, but the evidence will show you that it is.

The people who will come into this courtroom and testify are the people who would know about a racketeering enterprise, and those people will all say they knew nothing about any enterprise. That is because these hard working individuals were either doing their jobs as personal assistants, or as top executives running his successful businesses. These are individuals educated at places from Harvard to Howard University.

The prosecution will bring in those same employees and others into this courtroom and have them testify that Sean Combs has a temper. And when he drank, or when he did the wrong drugs, he would get violent. My client is not proud of that. But it is one of the many things we are going to own and fully admit right up front at this trial.

Sean Combs has a bad temper. He sometimes gets so angry or so jealous that he is out of control. You will see evidence and you will hear some testimony that does not portray my client in a good light. You will hear some text messages, some voice notes, and some witness testimony that may make you think I don’t think this guy is a great guy. I don’t like how he just lied to his girlfriends. I don’t like the things he just said in that text message.

I want to tell you now there may be one point, there may be multiple points at this trial where you think I think he is a jerk and I think he is kind of mean. But he is not charged with being mean. He is not charged with being a jerk. He’s charged with running a racketeering enterprise.

And though there was violence that you are going to hear about, you already have, that violence is not part of any RICO. That violence is not connected to sex trafficking and that violence is not prostitution.

There was a name in criminal law for the violence that we will hear about and we will see at this trial. It is called domestic violence. It is called assault. Domestic violence is a very serious matter. I want to say that now. It is a bad, illegal problem, and it is something that the law addresses. We take full responsibility that there was domestic violence in this case.

Domestic violence is not sex trafficking. I want to say it again. Domestic violence is not sex trafficking. Had he been charged with domestic violence, had he been charged with assault, we would not be here right now. We would not be sitting through an eight-week trial. However, he has been charged with different crimes: Sex trafficking, prostitution, racketeering. These are federal crimes with their different statutes, they charge different elements, and he is simply not guilty of those crimes.

One of the central themes of my statements to you will be personal accountability and personal responsibility. As the trial goes on, we will see that with each witness. We are going to take that on ourselves. We will not shy away from the things Mr. Combs did. But we will not, we will not deny his personal responsibility or own the things he did not do.

We are telling you right now that he is physical, that he is a drug user, and I’m telling you he had a bit of a different sex life. For example, you have not heard any evidence in this case, but the prosecutors already told you about lubricant, and you may know of his love of baby oil.

Is that a federal crime? No. You will hear that he got IVs after ingesting drugs. Is that a federal crime? No. He will be responsible. He will be accountable for the things that he did. But we will fight for his freedom throughout the next eight weeks for what he did not do.

And he cannot be the only person in this case who accepts personal responsibility and accountability for his actions. The alleged victims who will testify in this case are capable, strong, adult women. They were all getting something each of them wanted from him and from being in a romantic relationship with him. And these adult, capable, strong women will have to take on the same level of personal responsibility for their lives that he is going to take on for his.

When any person in life makes an adult choice, that is a free choice. A free choice has pros. It has cons. You may think there are better choices. You may think there are worse choices. But that does not eliminate the personal responsibility behind those choices. And each of the women you will hear from, they all had the personal responsibility and the freedom to make the choices that they made.

You will hear from these women. You will see these women. You will meet them. They will sit in that witness chair a few feet away, and you will evaluate them for yourselves. You will see that they are capable, you will see that they are strong, and you will see that they made free choices every single day for years.

As you are listening to the evidence and you listen to them testify, I want you to ask yourselves: What are all the ways that this individual had the ability to make that choice? Ask yourselves: What are they getting from being with Sean Combs? They are not with him because they are stuck or because they are without a choice. The government will try to show you that Sean Combs is the only one getting something from each of the alleged victims who testify in this case. But with each of these individuals, ask yourselves, what is this person getting? They are with him or they are working for him because they are getting something they want from being with him. Now, with each person, that something may be different. And it usually is. But with each person, they are all getting something.

So as you listen to the evidence, watch closely to the role that jealousy plays in this case. We have talked to you, both of us already, about jealousy and how it is pervasive and present in every single relationship. But I want to also let you know it drives a lot of the choices that the alleged victims make here.

Combs is one of those men that, I’ll submit to you, we all know. The evidence is going to show that he is somebody who never married, but he needed to always have a woman around him. He is a many-women man. He has seven children by four different women. And he is the kind of guy who is always in relationships. In fact, he was always in multiple relationships. But critically, he was not always honest about that fact. And you’ll find that even when he was, even when women knew he was in multiple relationships, this would drive a primal jealousy in people. It would drive a lot of the choices you are going to see in this case.

You are also going to see that Sean Combs is extremely jealous. You might think that it’s hypocritical. You might not like it. But you are going to see that he is also extremely jealous. So as you’re listening to the evidence and you’re evaluating the testimony, ask yourself, what is causing that fight? The answer is, without exception, jealousy or drugs. The hitting, the things we are going to take responsibility for, it is typically because of jealousy or drug use. The role of jealousy here is critical and it’s pervasive.

The evidence will show you that, over the course of the 20 years we will examine in this courtroom, we’ll see the same women over and over. They remained in multi-year relationships with him. And I believe that you’ll pretty much know about every relationship he’s had over the past 20 years. Again, that’s whether this is an employee or a girlfriend, you will pretty much know about every girlfriend he has had.

You will see that these women are strong, capable, and they were in love with him. You will see that breaches of trust, infidelity, and jealousy are what drove the domestic violence you will hear about. You will see that alcohol and drugs played a major role in his temper. The evidence is going to show you a very flawed individual, but it will not show you a racketeer, a sex trafficker, or somebody transporting for prostitution.

So, as we’ve said, you’re going to hear from two women: Cassie and Jane. This case is, in large part, about his sexual relationships with these two women. And you’re going to hear that they went to private hotel rooms to engage in what I expect some witnesses at this case to call the swingers lifestyle, which is essentially just a fancier terminology for threesomes by adults.

Sometimes Combs partook in the sex with his girlfriend and the male escort, and other times he watched while the male escort was having sex with his girlfriend. You heard the government call these freak-offs. I expect you will hear that. I expect you will also hear them called parties and entertainment.

You will hear from both Cassie and Jane about these nights. They will testify about their relationships, and you will hear things that should never be heard in a federal courtroom. I think you’ve heard that already. You’ve heard things that may make you uncomfortable at first, that he liked to watch this. You might hear about his kinky sex or his preferences for sex that may make you uncomfortable and may not be what you like to do in your bedroom.

But you are not here to judge him for his sexual preferences. You are not here to judge him for all purposes. You are here to evaluate whether the government can prove beyond a reasonable doubt what they actually charged him with. They cannot. You’ve also heard that in his relationships with both Cassie and Jane, he bought them things. Yes, like every relationship, they got things from their boyfriend. Here, a wealthy rapper, paid for their housing, he paid for Cassie’s car, and he gave them money. These are nice houses that he paid for. It was a nice car that Cassie drove. And they were nice vacations on private planes because he is a wealthy individual. These were vacations that they took together as couples. And as I’ve said, like every relationship, there was jealousy and there were flaws.

But as you evaluate the evidence in this case, remember that he is not charged with being a flawed individual or having a flawed relationship. They did not stay with him over and over again because of force, fraud, or coercion. The evidence in this case will show you that over and over again, day after day. These women fought to be in a relationship. Fought to do what they wanted to do in consensual adult relationships.

This case started with Cassie, so I think it’s best for me to start there. I expect you will hear from her this week. She will sit in this witness box and she will tell you about her 11-year relationship with Sean Combs. You heard that they met when she was an up-and-coming artist. What you didn’t hear is that she had a boyfriend at the time, and he was in a very public relationship with the mother of four of his children named Kim Porter.

After the two fell in love and started dating, she broke up with her producer boyfriend. But Combs, for his part, did not break up with Kim. He remained in a public relationship with her, and that is something that caused extreme jealousy with Cassie. He continued that relationship with Kim Porter until her tragic untimely death from pneumonia in 2018. This is important because, as you look at the evidence and as you evaluate Cassie and Combs’ relationship, you will see that their fights, their cheating, their jealousy, it typically surrounded his cheating or it surrounded hers. This is something that plagued their relationship until the very last day.

The evidence will show you that he was extremely jealous of Cassie’s actual or perceived infidelities, and she was uncontrollably jealous of his. This led to a toxic relationship between two people that I expect the evidence will show deeply, deeply loved each other. Perhaps they did not always show love to one another the way you would with your partner, but they were in a relationship and she was not being trafficked.

You will see that over and over again in this decadelong relationship. These two fought about his inability to remain faithful. I expect Cassie to tell you about the jealousy of Kim Porter and another girlfriend that he started dating in 2014 named Gina. This jealousy is something that plagued their relationship, even the day of the InterContinental video in the elevator bank, that much of you told us during jury selection that you saw. That day, unfortunately, jealousy was on full display. And in combination with the bad drugs that I expect Cassie to testify that Combs took, it led to domestic violence in the elevator bank.

This assault happened almost 10 years ago on March 5 of 2016. I expect that we are all going to see this video many, many times throughout this trial. You are going to see it later today, and I expect you to see it many more times throughout this week. You’re going to see it a lot. But I want to start by saying two things.

First, what Combs did to Cassie on this videotape is indefensible. It is horrible. It’s dehumanizing. It’s violent. It’s virtually every bad word you can think of. And while it is dehumanizing and violent and terrible, the second most important thing is that it is not evidence of sex trafficking. It is evidence of domestic violence. You will see that it is also evidence of the central theme in this case, which is jealousy. That’s what this videotape shows you.

As you watch it later today and as you watch it throughout the week, I want you to look for two things. The first part is Cassie walking out of the hotel room, walking down the hallway. She is carrying two bags, and you see that she makes it to the elevators, and then Combs comes down wearing only a towel. He pulls Cassie by the hoodie and she falls to the floor. He kicks her in her back side and he stomps her on the back of her leg and he starts to drag her by her hoodie back to the hotel room. You will see him walk away momentarily with her bags. And you will see this. Then he comes back around and walks towards her, and she is kind of in the left part of the screen. When he comes towards her, he has nothing in his hand. And when he walks away from her, you will see an illuminated phone in his hand. He wanted this phone and he got it.

Please understand that this video is overwhelming evidence of domestic violence, but it’s overwhelming evidence that this domestic violence is over a phone and not because of sex trafficking. What causes a fight about a phone? We can all use our life experiences to show us that. Phones keep the secrets of infidelity. And you will hear that there was another fight even later that year, again, about a phone. I’m not justifying the assault, not by a long shot, but I’m putting it in the proper context. Because you will see that as soon as he gets the phone, he sits down. He’s visibly disgusted. He broke a vase, and he threw flowers and stayed away.

The video has a second part. Cassie calls security from the hotel phone. The security officer comes to the floor, and I expect you will hear from him later today. Combs is sitting in the chair slumped over. He’s holding his head in his hands and the security officer tells them to leave the public area of the hotel where they are making a commotion. You will see Cassie turn to Combs and gesture to her. And pay attention to the words that I think you will see her say to him, which is, Get back to the room.

Two parts. Both of them important and both of them important to show that Combs assaulted Cassie. But you can’t stop there because he is not charged with assault. Is it because of sex trafficking, as the government is going to argue to you, or is it because of something else?

I expect the evidence, even just this week, will show you that the fight was over a phone. These two stay together two more years after this incident. And to understand how and to understand why is to understand how this relationship ended. You’ll hear that, even into 2018, these two were fighting to stay together. But the evidence will show you that in the summer of that year, of 2018, she woke up to a gossip site that showed a photo of Combs and Gina, the same woman who he had started having an affair with in 2014, or a relationship with, I should say, walking out of The Standard Hotel together.

Cassie could not come back from it. She could not give him another chance. And instead, she made the choice, as she often did, when he was caught in public with Gina, to break up with him and date another man. For Cassie, she made a choice every single day for years. A choice to stay with him. A choice to fight for him. Because for 11 years, that was the better choice. That was her preferred choice. And so she made the choice to stay with him until one day she decided she was going to break up with him because that was her preferred choice.

So it’s important for you to remember as you evaluate the evidence, because she was not coerced to continue or engage in this sex life with Sean Combs. When she made the decision to leave, there were no repercussions, as the government hinted. She made the choice to leave. She communicated it to him and she ran into the arms of another man, a physical trainer who Combs had hired to train her.

So I will ask you, ladies and gentlemen, pay close attention to the messages, the realtime communications between these two individuals, and the messages surrounding their breakup. Does Combs release the videotapes the government was just talking about? No, he doesn’t. You will hear that the government raided two of his homes, you have already heard that, over a year ago. They seized countless electronic devices. The only freak-off videos you will see or hear about at this trial came from her devices that she kept for five years.

So when the government talks about power and control, who had the power? Who had the control? The government did not find any freak-off videos with Cassie on those devices. And so going back during the time of Cassie and Combs’ breakup, Cassie is already dating her now husband. She is with him for months as she is breaking up with Combs, all while telling Combs she still loves him.

And then in November of 2018, Kim Porter tragically passes away from pneumonia. Knowing that Combs would be distraught and wanting to be there for him, she did everything she could to be there. She came to memorial service at his home. She flew to Kim’s home state of Georgia to be at the funeral. Don’t lose the sight of the fact that, amidst a breakup, all the way at the end of 2018, she flew to a funeral service to be there for him and support him and his family during this trying time of their life.

And at the service at their home, Combs, to a group of loved ones, former employees, and others, and to many people on social media who were paying respects, said, and I quote, “Kim was my soulmate.” In Cassie’s presence for everybody to hear, he said, She was my soulmate. The end of the relationship between Cassie and Combs is important, and I want you to focus on the evidence of how and why it ended. When Combs publicly said Kim Porter was his soulmate to all the people around him who were there, for the first time maybe ever, Cassie realized all the things she would not be.

I expect many witnesses at this trial to tell you she wanted to be Combs’ wife. I expect even she may tell you that. That is what she spent 11 years trying to get. And in one day, it became clear to Cassie she was never going to be that. And if she was never going to be Combs’ wife, if she was never going to be the love of his life, then she would leave. And that is what she did, on her terms, her choice, for reasons that, for her, were the right reasons.

This is where bringing personal experience to this jury matters. This is something we have all been through. That one life event you can point to where you can say that is when I knew it was over. Because that is what this was for her. Because this was a relationship, although toxic at times, like every other relationship, it was not based on coercion. It was not based on force. At a certain point, you know you’re not going to get what you need from that other person and you leave.

After Kim’s funeral, they never saw each other again. The very first time that this former couple will see each other after six and a half years of a breakup is in this courtroom later today or tomorrow. We are all going to witness their closure, and that is because she moved on with her life and he moved on with his. You will see that she married the trainer. She had two children with him. And she’s pregnant with her third. And Combs also moved on with his life.

As you listen to her testimony, as you read her messages closely, evaluate what Combs’ intent was at the time. Evaluate what he understood about what she wanted during those 11 years that they spent together. What he understood, I expect the messages to show you, was that she was a willing participant in their sex life. That was a voluntary adult choice by two capable adults. What Cassie may testify to this week, six years after a breakup, is not a match for the realtime evidence that you will have. The realtime text messages I urge you to read. Evaluate his intent, which is the only thing that matters here.

The government also talked to you a lot about Jane. She is the other woman that the government alleges Combs sex-trafficked. She was his girlfriend of three years, and she comes into his life several years after the Cassie breakup. He, I think you will find in the evidence, is a little bit different in 2020 and 2021 than he was when he was dating with Cassie. And I think the most important reason you will see is that he was more upfront about his dating life. Rather than saying that he was only dating one person, he was very upfront with Jane. I expect her to tell you that he was dating multiple different women.

However, as I started my opening statement, this did not stop the jealousy. Jane’s relationship with Combs was plagued by jealousy. Their relationship was not the 11-year public romance that Combs and Cassie had. The problem is that Jane wished that it was. The government told you that their relationship was not public. You are going to hear from Jane why that was. There were many different reasons why that was.

And so, after a period of time, their relationship becomes primarily sexual. Jane is also older than Cassie was when she started dating him, and she was living her own life in a different state raising her child. She is a capable, strong adult woman. And you are going to hear, as I expect that you’ve already heard, that pretty soon after her relationship with Combs started, he brought up the idea of whether she would want to have sex with another man. Again, like a consensual threesome. And Combs would watch. She agreed, and they went to a private hotel room, away from his employees, away from family. And I expect that she will testify that she enjoyed that night. She laid down on the couch after and said to herself, like, wow, I can’t believe I just did that.

And you will see that Combs really began to love these hotel nights with her. And I expect that she will testify that she began to do everything possible to make these nights incredible for Combs. That includes finding the best male entertainment to join them, to wear the outfits he would find the sexiest, and saying all the things during these nights that would excite him.

I expect she will testify she did this because she loved him. She was desperate to spend time with him, to be with him, and ultimately, to give him something none of the other girlfriends that he was dating at the time were giving him. She will tell you that she tried many times to change the tenor of the relationship from one of a purely sexual nature to something maybe deeper or more meaningful. I’m not sure exactly how she will put that to you, but she will testify that it always came back to what they would call parties, which were these nights in hotel rooms.

And the evidence will show you that she did it over and over again for three years because she made the choice. And this became their time together. This became their sex life. And I expect that she will testify that she realized that if she didn’t have these hotel nights with Combs, they may not get their alone time together, which is time she so deeply craved.

I expect she will tell you that she kept coming back over and over again because she did it for the affection, she did it for the love, for the cuddle, and because she knew it would make him happy. And she wanted more than anything to make him happy. She was unable to resist him emotionally, and her desire to be with him outweighed all other considerations of hers.

The government told you about a phone call they had in November of 2023. I expect the evidence will show you that even after this phone call, she continued. She flew out to see him many more times, and continued willingly engaging in these nights. The evidence is going to show you a toxic and dysfunctional relationship between these two individuals. And you may think to yourself, wow, he is a really bad boyfriend. But the evidence is going to show you that she is a capable, strong woman who willingly engaged in their sex life so they could spend time together. That is simply not sex trafficking.

I expect her to testify that she was a willing participant, and being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking. I expect her to also testify that there were nights she engaged in the sex because she hoped she could turn their relationship from one of a more sexual relationship into something more. And she will testify that if she walked away, she would have lost him. That is not something she was willing to do.

And as I said, you will see her jealousy on full display at this trial. And you will see that she was willing to engage in these nights with Combs, and then she would be on social media after, and she would see he was with another one of his girlfriends, either out to dinner or traveling, and she would send messages with regret afterwards. These are born out of jealousy, which was the root of their troubles. And regret does not mean that she was coerced. Her jealousy drove her to make the moves that she made.

As I said, every single witness in this case had free choice to make the choices that they made. The jealousy of other women in Combs’ life was one of hers. Seeing the other women that he would be on social media posts with or otherwise drove her to try to be in first place and made her more desirous of their time together. This was the way to get there and the evidence will show you that that is simply not a crime.

The government also told you about a night a year ago where Jane hit Combs. Once again, as I said, this was a night born out of jealousy. You will hear, as you’ve already heard, that he also hit her back. But what you didn’t hear was the start of the fight. She was overcome by jealousy that night. She slammed his head down on her kitchen counter. This is how the fight started. I do not want to justify this night. I do not want to justify the assault. But I simply am here to tell you that the evidence will show you that it starts because she slams his head on her kitchen counter.

And you are also going to hear that less than a month or approximately a month after this assault, an incident of domestic violence at her home, she flew to Combs’ home in Miami. She called an escort and had what I expect her to say was one of her best hotel nights that she had with one of their regular escorts.

Now, during the testimony of both Cassie and Jane, I expect the government is going to put in a bunch of videotapes of the so-called freak-offs or hotel nights or wild king nights, however you would like to call them, into evidence. These videotapes depict what we’ve been telling you about, Sean Combs, one of his girlfriends, and a man. These videos, we believe, are powerful evidence that the sexual conduct in this case was consensual and not based on coercion.

But I want to say one thing to you now. Some of you may find them hard to watch. Not because they are violent, not because they are non-consensual, but because they were never meant to be seen by people outside of that room. They are in one word — intimate. And they were always meant to remain that way. The reason these videos will be seen by you is because the government has chosen to take possession of these videos and to put them into evidence in a federal courtroom. Playing these videos will feel invasive, but the government has charged him with sex trafficking, and the evidence of the alleged sex trafficking is on these videos. This is why you will have to see them.

You may hear about other women. The government told you about someone named Mia, for example. I urge you to pay attention to these other women’s realtime communications with Combs. Ask yourself, why are they making this allegation now? What is their motive? You will conclude, like you will with every single other witness in this case, that everybody who testifies has a motive.

With Mia, for example, I ask you to evaluate her motive when you listen to her testimony. What are the reasons she is saying what she might be saying now, what she never said before, and certainly never said when she first started cooperating with the government? This is someone you should evaluate her messages carefully, ones of unbelievable love for Combs throughout her employment.

You are also going to hear from several other past employees of his. They will try to paint a picture for you of a hostile workplace. As I’ve said with nearly every single witness in this case, when these people testify, ask yourself: Why did anybody, if they were so scared and if this was so hostile, ever call the police? Why not? I expect that the evidence will show you that the testimony against him, their former boss, for many, not all, is vindictive or they are being subpoenaed to give it.

Like every other witness, ask yourself: What is the something? What is the reason that they stayed. You will find, with every single person, they had a something. So when you hear from the witnesses who testify here who will tell you they were victimized, and you ask yourself, What is their motive? For many of them, the answer is simple: Money.

This criminal case started because of Cassie. Not because she went to law enforcement with her allegations, but because she filed a public lawsuit against Combs in November of 2023, at this time when she was having financial trouble and living in her parents’ modest home in Connecticut with her family. Rather than go to law enforcement about what had allegedly happened to her, she went to a civil lawyer who is here today.

I expect that this trial, from nearly every witness that you hear from, they will tell you that instead of going to law enforcement, after either their employment ended for the alleged victims, they went to a civil lawyer for a money grab. They will claim that they were so afraid of this man that they could, of course, not go to the police because he was so powerful. But they were not so afraid that they could not go to civil lawyers to make money demands against him. Demands for unbelievable amounts of money. More than any of us have ever made.

Cassie, for example, will tell you that she first made a demand on Combs for $30 million. Another witness will tell you that in a breach of contract case, she made a demand for $22 million. And as you listen to these witnesses — and there will be many, as the prosecutor told you — who made civil demands against him, I want you to ask yourself: How many millions of reasons does this witness swearing to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth, have to lie? How many hundreds of thousands of reasons does this witness swearing to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth, have to lie?

Will you really believe that these people who have demanded an unimaginable amount of money from Mr. Combs would have traded all of that to not have been abused? Because if that is the case, I submit that you will consider, why did they never go to law enforcement?

So, in closing, the evidence will be framed to prove from the government, they will attempt to prove racketeering influence and corrupt organizations act charge, two sex trafficking charges, and two prostitution counts. The evidence you will hear at this trial will not make out any of them. The conspiracy charged is that Combs allegedly committed two counts of acts of kidnapping, one act of arson, a bribery, an obstruction of justice, forced labor, and drug trafficking.

I’m going to take these briefly, briefly in turn, and then I’m going to ask you to evaluate the evidence by the witnesses who will testify about these acts.

First, he did not commit any of these acts. In terms of the alleged bribery and the obstruction of justice, this relates to the InterContinental Hotel incident that we’ve talked about this morning. You will hear, as you already did, that he paid money to a security guard at the InterContinental so the footage would go away. This was solely, solely related to preventing bad publicity for both Combs and Cassie, and had nothing to do with obstructing a law enforcement investigation. No law enforcement investigation existed, period. That is a requirement. And so the evidence will show you he simply did not commit those acts.

As to the kidnappings and the arson, I submit that you are not going to find there were any kidnappings, and he was simply not involved in the alleged arson. The government told you that the kidnappings relate to one employee, who I am telling you the evidence will show worked for Combs for almost a decade. As you listen to her testimony and evaluate: Was this person actually kidnapped? I expect the evidence is going to show you that, even after the criminal investigation into Combs started, she asked to work for him again 12 years after her employment ended. 12 years after she claimed she had been kidnapped the last time. Now, more than a decade after these kidnapping acts. And so the evidence is going to show you that he simply did not commit them.

As to the drug trafficking, I submit the evidence is going to show you that the drugs are personal-use drugs for him and, at times, the women he was with. And those drugs have nothing to do with an enterprise.

As to the forced labor, you will see that Combs worked hard, his employees worked hard, but they were there to do something great and novel for his lawful businesses. It was not forced. Being there was an adult, free choice like everything else in this case.

Second, the RICO conspiracy requires a group effort, even if the group is two people. And there will be no evidence of that. So as you are listening to the evidence, ask yourself: Who is Combs actually conspiring with to violate the racketeering influence corrupt organization act? The answer will be no one.

Finally, the last of the charges I will talk to you about are the two counts that charge him with causing interstate travel for the purposes of prostitution. For him to be guilty, I expect the judge will tell you that he had to intentionally engage in what he knows to be prostitution. What the evidence is going to be is that he was paying different men for their time and an experience.

Think about the pornography industry, for example. Actors in pornographic movies are paid for their time, and generally they have sex. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be pornography. You also hear about many companies, I expect you’ll hear from one later today, called Hunkomania, a company called Cowboys4Angels that advertise online across the country where you can pay money for time and an experience.

These escort companies are common and they do not advertise themselves as money for sex. They advertise themselves as money for time and money for an experience. And that is what Sean Combs was doing. He was paying money for that experience.

So, in closing, I ask you once again to listen carefully to all of the evidence. You are not here to judge or impose your moral beliefs onto this man. You are here as a jury of his peers to determine whether the government can meet its burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed these crimes.

When you hear the evidence, when you go back into the jury room and evaluate the evidence in light of the crimes that are actually charged here, you will return the only verdict that the evidence demands, that is he not guilty of these crimes.

Turkish retail company, Seka Group, has announced plans to establish a one-of-a-kind Expo-city shopping centre in Ghana.

The project, touted as the first of its kind in the subregion, promises to bring globally acclaimed luxury brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada to Ghana, positioning the country as a retail gateway to the African continent.

The CEO of Seka Group, Fuat Kiyagan, shared the company’s enthusiasm and vision for the initiative during an exclusive interview.

“We are in Ghana purposely to work on a project. This project is a kind which will put together all the world’s expensive brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci together in a very big shopping centre.
We are happy about how Ghanaians and the government were happy about the project.
This project will be a gateway to other African countries after we successfully establish it in Ghana.” Fuat stated.

With the Expo-city projected to become a major commercial hub, local stakeholders have hailed the development as a game-changer for Ghana’s economy.
Resident business consultant for the project, Dr. David Kofi Wuaku, emphasised the wider socio-economic benefits it is expected to bring.

He noted that the centre would serve as an opportunity for job creation, expansion of the economy and also create an opportunity to exchange talent and foster the marketing of new brands.

Dr. Wuaku also expressed hope that anyone who will have the opportunity to work on this project should be committed and all political players that anything about the project will come to, will expedite action on it for the development of Ghana.

From a technical perspective, the resident supervising engineer, Eng. Esiamah, assured that rigorous planning and assessments had gone into ensuring investor confidence and sustainability of the project.

He explained that the value for money for the project has been done to optimise the design in such a way that value for money for the investment for the investors that are coming considering the land size, the traffic impact assessment and the impact of the environment.

The conceptual design of the Expo-city has been pitched to the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who received the investors on behalf of the government, signaling high-level political interest and support.

Situated strategically along Accra’s bustling Spintex Road, the project is expected to commence soon, pending the completion of all necessary paperwork. Construction is anticipated to take 24 months.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

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May – 13 – 2025 , 20:01

2 minutes read

Citizen Eye Ghana, a civil society organisation, has praised the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, for his decisive handling of a recent controversy involving the Acting CEO of the Ghana Gold Board.

The CEO was seen in a viral video giving out an undisclosed amount of dollar-denominated currency to Evangelist Patricia, prompting public concern.

Speaking in an interview on Okay FM on Monday, May 12, the group’s leader, Alex Tetteh, applauded Debrah for inviting the official for questioning.

He described the move as a testament to Debrah’s commitment to accountability and professionalism in public service.

“There is a reason why President Mahama trusts Julius Debrah with such big tasks—he knows he has the wisdom and experience to handle them,” he stated.

Tetteh also commended Debrah for what he called a “quiet but strategic role” in Ghana’s recent economic turnaround under President John Dramani Mahama.

He credited Debrah’s operational discipline and steady leadership with helping to restore investor confidence and contributing to the cedi’s appreciation.

“While others branded themselves as economic whiz kids and delivered catastrophic currency depreciation, Julius Debrah has focused on results, not words,” Tetteh said, taking a swipe at former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who chaired the Economic Management Team under the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to Tetteh, Ghana no longer has use for “theoretical economists” whose legacies are marked by economic hardship. He instead urged Ghanaians to embrace experienced and loyal leaders like Debrah.

Tetteh described Debrah’s long-standing political grooming under former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Evans Atta Mills, and John Mahama as “unmatched preparation for national leadership.” He also lauded his tenure as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, citing significant progress in decentralisation and rural empowerment.

“He understands the grassroots. His time in that ministry transformed him into a true servant of the people,” Tetteh stated, adding that Debrah is “easily the best chief of staff in the last 16 years.”

Turning to internal matters within the NPP, Tetteh issued a caution ahead of the party’s upcoming internal elections. He warned that ignoring the will of grassroots supporters in the selection of a flagbearer—particularly Kennedy Agyapong—could destabilise the party.

“If the NPP cannot uphold fairness, we will rally behind a credible and experienced alternative like Julius Debrah,” he said. “We will not stand by and watch injustice destroy the democratic fabric of the party.”

The Bank of Ghana will, from July 19, 2025, roll out a series of national events to commemorate 60 years of the cedi as Ghana’s official currency.

The anniversary highlights the cedi’s pivotal role in shaping Ghana’s economic journey—from replacing the Ghanaian Pound in 1965 to becoming a symbol of the country’s financial independence and economic reforms.

In a statement issued on May 13, 2025, the central bank said the celebration will reflect on the cedi’s evolution and resilience in the face of global and domestic economic shifts.

It described the currency as a reflection of the country’s resilience and efforts towards a stable and inclusive economy.

“This anniversary offers an opportunity for Ghanaians to reflect on the history of the Cedi, to celebrate the progress made, and to reaffirm our collective responsibility to protect the value and integrity of the currency,” the notice stated.

The Bank also indicated that the anniversary will serve as a platform to engage the public on the importance of monetary stability and the use of digital financial tools.

Activities lined up include official launches, educational campaigns, stakeholder dialogues, and public exhibitions, spanning July to December.

Authorities say the milestone not only marks six decades of monetary transformation but also reinforces the collective responsibility to preserve the value and credibility of the currency. Further details of the planned activities will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced the government’s intention to establish a new public university dedicated to health, agriculture, and life sciences in Kintampo, located in the Bono East Region.

The proposed institution will serve the broader Bono Region and contribute significantly to Ghana’s national strategy for agricultural development.

This announcement was made during the official inauguration of the Governing Council of the S.D. Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies in Wa.

According to the Minister, the Ministry of Education is in the final stages of preparing a bill that will be presented to Parliament to provide the legal framework for the establishment of the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences, expected to focus on agricultural innovation, life sciences and rural development, with the overarching aim of enhancing Ghana’s food security and promoting sustainable development.

The Minister reiterated the President’s commitment to ensuring that each of Ghana’s 16 regions hosts a public university.

“It is the desire of the government that every region of Ghana will be host to one higher education institution of learning. It is the dream and desire of President Mahama that in each region there will be an established university, but we have to begin somewhere, and we have begun somewhat in getting that done,” he stated

“One of the new universities that I will lay a bill in Parliament for will be the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences at Kintampo to serve the Bono Region. I intend to table the bill in Parliament as soon as Parliament reconvenes,” he announced.

In addition to unveiling plans for the new university, the Minister also revealed the Government’s intention to revert the names of certain public universities that were changed under the previous administration. He emphasised that this policy is aimed at restoring the historical identities of these institutions and reaffirming their foundational missions.

“I’ve heard people, some very critical of us, saying, ‘Why did we announce that the names of the universities will change?’ Yes, it will change; that’s the policy decision of the government, and we intend to get the bill into parliament for the names to change to reflect the historical names of those institutions,” the Minister explained.

“It’s not to say that we do not appreciate the sacrifices and contributions of those individuals the institutions were named after. If I were to be very political, I would have just said that President Akufo-Addo was busy naming universities he didn’t build, but I will not say that,” he clarified

The Minister gave his assurance that the bill would be tabled in Parliament promptly upon its return from recess.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi is former GIIF Board Chair

The Office of the Attorney General has filed charges against former Minister of Education, Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, and one Solomon Asamoah over their involvements in the Accra Sky Train project.

The filing of the charges comes after the Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, indicated that both Asamoah and Prof Ameyaw-Ekumfi will face charges, with some board members offering to testify as prosecution witnesses.

He stated that it has been established that the $2 million payment made by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund was unauthorised, with only former CEO Solomon Asamoah and former Board Chairman, Professor Ameyaw-Ekumfi, aware of and involved in the transaction.

“In respect of the Skytrain matter, we have completed investigations and will be filing charges hopefully next week. We have established that the two million United States dollars (US$2,000,000.00) paid by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund was paid without board approval.

“The only persons who knew and acted on the payment were the former CEO, Mr Solomon Asamoah, and the former Board Chairman, Professor Ameyaw-Ekumfi. Both will be charged next week. Some of the board members have offered to testify as witnesses for the prosecution and I am considering their offers,” the AG said while briefing the media at a recent press briefing.

A portion of the charge sheet sighted by GhanaWeb showed that at least two charges had been slapped on the two men, including “Conspiracy to commit a crime” and “Wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic.”

See the court document below:

BAI/AE

Watch as Agradaa promises to share church money with Sammy Gyamfi if he’s fired because of her

Ghana’s President, John Mahama, on Tuesday urged global firms to ramp up crude oil production in the West African nation before the global shift to renewable energy renders the resource worthless.

He warned that Ghana risks seeing its oil resources stuck in the ground if drilling is not fast-tracked while demand still exists.

Many countries have pledged to reduce their use of oil and gas to meet international targets for reducing carbon emissions that drive deadly climate change.

“Oil is in transition. Everybody who has any assets should be pumping like there’s no tomorrow,” Mahama told the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

“I will lay a red carpet to anybody who wants to drill and pump oil because in the next decade or two, the world would have made a transition to renewables.”

Mahama, who took office in January, accused the previous government of Nana Akufo-Addo of stalling oil exploration through regulatory bottlenecks and disputes with key investors such as British-based company Tullow and ENI of Italy.

He said the sector suffered “a lot of disinvestment” as the previous government had “squabbles” with Tullow.

Ghana’s petroleum sector has seen a steady decline in output, according to the statutory body that monitors petroleum revenues in Ghana, the Public Interest and Accountability Committee.

It said crude oil production dropped to 48.25 million barrels in 2023 from 71.44 million in 2019 largely due to reduced investment in new wells.

Mahama blamed regulatory uncertainty for the exodus of some key players.

“ENI was held in contempt and they had to move all their expatriate management to Cote d’Ivoire,” he noted, adding that now the company was “back and they are drilling again”.

Ghana’s major offshore oil assets include the Jubilee Field, operated by Tullow Oil, as well as the TEN and Sankofa fields, with players including Kosmos Energy, PetroSA, and the state-owned GNPC.

While calling for aggressive oil drilling, Mahama stressed Ghana must not abandon its clean energy goals.

He said the country’s Renewable Energy Act required that “at least 10 percent of our energy mix should come from renewable sources.”

AFP

By James Amoh Junior, GNA

Accra, May 13, GNA – The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has launched a pioneering training course on Youth in Leadership and Peacebuilding, aimed at equipping young Africans with the skills to drive sustainable peace and development across the continent.

The initiative, supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), seeks to challenge negative stereotypes of youth in conflict zones and empower them as key agents of change.

Africa, with over 75 per cent of its population under the age of 30, is the most youthful continent in the world.

While young people possess the energy, creativity, and perspectives to drive development, they continue to face barriers such as limited access to education, unemployment, economic hardships, and systemic exclusion from leadership.

These factors not only hinder their contributions but also expose youth to vulnerability, often making them active agents in conflict situations including electoral violence and cybercrime.

Recognising this dual reality, KAIPTC, through Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI), initiated the five-day specialised training to harness the positive potential of the continent’s youth.

The programme targets youth leaders and activist involved in governance, peacebuilding and community development initiatives, youth-led and youth-focused civil society organizations, members of youth-focused NGOs and grassroots movements working on conflict resolution, human rights and advocacy.

Participants will engage in interactive sessions, conflict resolution simulations, and leadership exercises designed to strengthen their ability to mediate disputes and advocate for inclusive governance

Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong, Commandant of KAIPTC, in a speech read on his behalf by Mrs. Sylvia Abra Nutsukpui, Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Acting Director of WYPSI, highlighted the urgency of nurturing young leaders in a world grappling with division and conflict.

She highlighted the gathering as an opportunity to inspire and equip future leaders who will promote peace, resilience, and unity within their communities and beyond.

Mrs Nutsukpui noted that the training was developed following extensive stakeholder consultations in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal, and Ghana, ensuring that the curriculum addresses real-world challenges.

These engagements, followed by a validation symposium and a Learning Design and Development workshop, helped shape the course content to directly address the real-world challenges faced by youth leaders and influencers.

“This course is expected to solve problems and your feedback as the first cohort will be invaluable in refining this programme for future leaders,” she said.

She underscored the importance of equipping young leaders with the tools to champion peace, resilience, and social cohesion in their communities and beyond.

The WYPSI Director acknowledged that although the participants were young, many of them were already assuming leadership roles in their respective organisations.

Their participation, he said, symbolized hope in a world increasingly challenged by conflict and division.

“You are the change-makers of today,” she noted, adding that their ability to influence peers, engage in constructive dialogue, and spark action would be essential in driving long-term peace.

She further encouraged participants to take full advantage of the sessions, stressing the importance of collaboration, reflection, and mutual learning.

The Commandant also expressed gratitude to the SIDA for their financial and strategic support in making the training possible, describing the partnership as a demonstration of a shared commitment to empowering youth to make meaningful contributions to peace and development across the continent.

Dr. Fiifi Adu-Afful, a consultant on the course, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, emphasized the need to move beyond the perception of young people as mere perpetrators of violence.

He said, “oftentimes, we think young people are spoilers, used for all kinds of nefarious activities. But the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 paved the way for us to understand the important role youth play in peacebuilding and fashion out ways to engage them.”

Resolution 2250, adopted in 2015, recognizes the critical role of youth in conflict prevention and resolution, urging greater inclusion in decision-making processes.

Dr. Adu-Afful therefore stressed that empowering young leaders was essential for fostering long-term stability in Africa.

Quoting former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the he reminded participants: “A peaceful world is a prosperous world” and urged them to seize the opportunity to become ambassadors of peace in their respective countries.

GNA

CA

By James Amoh Junior, GNA

Accra, May 13, GNA – Ghana is set to receive a wave of investment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the official visit of Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to the Gulf nation.

Mr Ablakwa, during the two-day working visit, engaged in high-level meetings with senior UAE government officials and key industry leaders, securing concrete commitments from Emirati companies to invest in Ghana’s priority sectors.

Mr Ablakwa was received by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.

The Ghanaian minister also held strategic discussions with key UAE officials including Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs; and ministers responsible for foreign trade and investment.

The investment drive, a central part of the Minister’s mission, aligns with President John Mahama’s economic recovery agenda themed “Ghana is Open for Business Again.”

The UAE private sector expressed keen interest in Ghana’s emerging opportunities, particularly in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, education, healthcare, aviation, and defense.

Several UAE companies are expected in Ghana within the coming weeks to begin due diligence and initiate projects, marking a significant post-visit development.

The delegation’s interest in renewable energy comes at a time when Ghana is diversifying its energy mix to improve reliability and sustainability.

Mr Ablakwa, in a social media post, noted that discussions touched on the development of Ghana’s aviation sector.

In a major boost for youth employment, the Minister disclosed that agreements were reached in principle to facilitate large-scale labour export to the UAE.

This initiative is expected to create thousands of jobs for skilled Ghanaian workers in various fields.

The implementation is contingent on the finalization of the ongoing Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister described the outcome of the visit as a “milestone in Ghana’s international economic diplomacy,” and thanked the UAE government and Ghana’s diplomatic team for their support in securing the investment pledges.

The post-visit engagements will now focus on fast-tracking investment frameworks and ensuring a smooth entry for UAE businesses into the Ghanaian market.

GNA

CA

The Bank of Ghana will commemorate 60 years of the cedi | File Photo

The Bank of Ghana is set to celebrate 60 years of cedi usage as the sole legal tender in Ghana.

According to the Central Bank, on July 19, 2025, the cedi will mark 60 years as Ghana’s sole legal tender.

It noted that since its issuance on July 19, 1965, to replace the Ghanaian pound as the sole legal tender in Ghana, the cedi has remained a strong symbol of Ghana’s economic sovereignty and development.

In a communique to announce the anniversary, the bank said, “To adapt to the changing demands of the Ghanaian economy, the Cedi has evolved through several modifications in form and policy direction, over the last 60 years. Ghana’s tenacity, innovation and quest for economic stability are all embodied in the Cedi’s reforms, from the first note and coins to the safe currency we use today.”

In recognition of this important milestone, the Bank of Ghana said milestone will be commemorated with a series of nationwide activities and engagements between July and December 2025, including official launch events, public exhibitions, educational campaigns, and stakeholder forums.

“This anniversary offers an opportunity for Ghanaians to reflect on the history of the Cedi, to celebrate the progress made, and to reaffirm our collective responsibility to protect the value and integrity of the currency. In addition to being a medium of exchange, the Cedi is a symbol of our pride, heritage and shared aspirations for a prosperous future. The evolution of the Cedi reflects Ghana’s resilience, innovation and pursuit of a robust economy,” the bank said.

The Bank of Ghana is, however, inviting the public, institutions, organisations, stakeholders and development partners to join it in celebrating this important milestone.

“Further details of the programmes and activities will be announced in due course. The Bank of Ghana is committed to maintaining a stable Cedi in pursuit of stability in the general level of prices,” it added.

SSD/AE

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The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has set an ambitious target to raise at least GH¢360 billion in tax revenue by the end of 2028 as part of its medium-term strategy to boost domestic revenue mobilisation and increase the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio.

Acting Commissioner-General of the GRA, Anthony Sarpong, made this known during an X-Space discussion with the media, on the theme, “Resetting Ghana’s Revenue Mobilisation”.

“This year, we’re targeting GH¢ 200 billion in tax revenue, up from GH¢ 153 billion in 2024. But in the medium term, by 2028, we aim to reach a minimum of GH¢ 360 billion,” Mr Sarpong stated.

The “360 by 28” campaign, as described by the acting Commissioner-General, seeks to more than double Ghana’s 2024 tax revenue performance. 

Mr Sarpong noted that achieving this target would move Ghana’s tax-to-GDP ratio from the current 13.8 per cent to between 17 per cent and 18 per cent by 2028.

Reforms

Mr Sarpong attributed recent improvements in tax mobilisation – averaging growth rates between 25 per cent and 30 per cent from 2020 to 2024 – to ongoing reforms within the authority; he, however, emphasised the need to “look within” and intensify efforts to broaden the tax base.

Outlining key strategies to reach the 2028 target, the acting Commissioner-General cited digitalisation and data analytics as critical enablers.

“We are in a digital and automated world, and GRA must not be left behind in terms of technological transformation. That is why we’re digitising tax administration to reach more taxpayers, including those outside the net,” he said.

Mr Sarpong highlighted ongoing data system integrations with institutions such as the Registrar of Companies and SSNIT, leveraging the Ghana Card as a unified tax identification tool to enhance compliance.

Data analytics

“Through data analytics and integrations with other institutions, we can now identify registered businesses and individuals and match their activities with tax obligations. The same goes for the informal sector, which we are targeting through mobile money transactions and other data points,” he added.

While acknowledging the revenue potential of Ghana’s large informal sector, Mr Sarpong stressed the importance of building a taxpayer partnership rooted in trust, integrity, and professionalism.

“Taxpayers are our customers, and we must build public trust and confidence in the tax system. When that happens, we can mobilise the needed revenue to support the nation’s reset agenda,” he concluded.

The GRA’s revenue drive aligns with broader economic objectives set out by the government and is expected to play a key role in achieving fiscal stability and supporting national development.

By Hafsa Obeng

Accra, May 13, GNA – The Sika African Tourism Art and Culture Club (SATACC) has welcomed a group of African diasporans returning to Ghana for the first time in an emotional ceremony.

The event celebrated their reconnection with their ancestral homeland.

With traditional drums and colourful displays of Ghanaian heritage, the ceremony began with libation pouring to honour ancestors and seek spiritual guidance.

A prayer was offered to “Grant them wisdom, strength, and prosperity as they reconnect with their roots. Make them walk in the paths of our forefathers, honouring our traditions and culture.”

The group was then purified with sacred herbs and water, cleansing them of negative energies before their initiation into the homeland.

Adepa Sika Onyamekese, Chief Executive Officer of SATACC, noting the significance of the event, said Ghana continued to strengthen ties with the African diaspora and promote cultural tourism.

“It comes in the spirit of the ‘Year of Return’ initiative and its successors, which have welcomed thousands of diasporans seeking to reconnect with their heritage.

“Our brothers and sisters from the diaspora are not visitors; they are family. This is their land, their heritage, and their story. We are honoured to stand with them as they reclaim their place in the African narrative.”

Mr Onyamekese noted that the group was also in Ghana for discussions on the upcoming Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC).

A representative from the group acknowledged their ancestral ties, pledging to remember their roots and share Ghana’s cultural heritage globally.

FESTAC is an international event bringing together artists, musicians, writers, and thinkers from Africa and the diaspora to celebrate Black culture and identity.

The festival, set to be hosted in Ghana later this year, is in collaboration with the National Commission on Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, and the Ghana Tourism Authority.

GNA

KAS

Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah

The President of Citizen Eye Ghana, Alex Tetteh, has heaped praises on the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah for his role in the appreciation of the local currency in recent times.

According to him, Debrah’s “quiet yet strategic” leadership has also led to the boosting of investor confidence in the country.

“While others branded themselves as economic whiz kids and watched the cedi crash, Julius Debrah focused on delivering results,” Tetteh said in an interview.

Tetteh emphasized the need for practical leadership rooted in governance experience rather than academic theory.

He cited Debrah’s track record as a former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, and his mentorship under Presidents Rawlings, Atta Mills, and Mahama as proof of his readiness for national leadership.

“He doesn’t just understand politics from textbooks, he’s lived it,” Tetteh noted, calling Debrah “the most effective Chief of Staff Ghana has seen in the last 16 years.”

Ghana’s local currency, the cedi, has recorded marginal gains against major trading currencies, particularly the US dollar, at some forex bureaus.

In its daily update, the Central Bank noted that the cedi is trading at a buying price of GH¢12.8 and a selling price of GH¢12.89 to a dollar.

The British pound is being bought at GH¢17.02 and sold at GH¢17.04, while the euro trades at a buying price of GH¢14.32 and a selling price of GH¢14.34.

Checks by GhanaWeb Business on May 13, 2025, at 08:00 AM indicate that the cedi is trading at GH¢13.85 to the dollar, while the pound is trading at GH¢18.70 at some major forex bureaus across the country.

Additionally, the euro is trading at GH¢16.00 on the retail market.

SA

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The Patriotic Action Forum (PAF) has demanded the immediate dismissal of Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, following the emergence of a viral video showing him publicly gifting US dollars to controversial preacher Evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa.

In a press conference held in Accra on 13th May, PAF described Mr Gyamfi’s conduct as “reckless, offensive, and a flagrant betrayal of the public trust.”

The group criticised President John Dramani Mahama’s administration for tolerating such displays of “opulence and arrogance” at a time when many Ghanaians are grappling with severe economic hardship.

“Barely four months into his tenure, Mr Sammy Gyamfi is already at the centre of a shameful new culture,” said one of the convenors, David Prah.

“The very man who has built a reputation attacking public servants is now reportedly spending a staggering $10,000 (approximately GHS 140,000) on fuel for a luxury Lexus V8—not in service of the state, nor in response to any national crisis, but merely to chauffeur a former fetish priestess turned evangelist,” he added.

PAF accused the current administration of betraying its “Reset Ghana” agenda, which, according to the group, has instead resulted in worsening power cuts (dumsor), soaring prices of essential goods, and widespread job losses in the public sector.

“Ghanaians are being punished for placing their trust in what has proven to be a deceptive ‘Reset’ agenda,” said another convenor, Adamu Musa Raha.

PAF further condemned Mr Gyamfi’s conduct as a “grotesque abuse of office” and “a vulgar insult to the intelligence and suffering of ordinary citizens,” many of whom are struggling to afford basic necessities such as cement or utility bills.

The group also highlighted what it described as Mr Gyamfi’s hypocrisy, citing his past criticisms of figures such as former Minister Cecilia Dapaah and Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. “There is a saying: ‘He who seeks equity must come with clean hands.’ Clearly, Mr Gyamfi’s hands are soiled by the very extravagance and impunity he claims to oppose.”

In light of these developments, PAF has called on President Mahama to demonstrate leadership by dismissing Mr Gyamfi or demanding his immediate resignation.

According to the group, the situation represents a litmus test for the newly introduced Code of Conduct for government appointees, which places emphasis on integrity, impartiality, and professionalism.

“Failure to act will only confirm what many Ghanaians already suspect—that the so-called ‘Reset’ is a smokescreen for rewarding party loyalists with public funds,” the Forum warned.

The group has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the President, threatening to initiate legal proceedings to challenge the credibility of the Code of Conduct should Mr Gyamfi remain in office.

“With such blatant waste and impunity, it has become abundantly clear that this administration is more interested in plunder than public service. “The good people of Ghana must not be deceived. Come 2028, we must use the ballot to reject this corrupt, indifferent, and dollar-spraying NDC government once and for all,” the group emphasised.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.