Saturday, April 7, 2012

City of MT.Vernon to Partner Ghana in Development

MOUNT VERNON,NEW YORK. Mayor of the city of Mt.Vernon,Ernest Davis says ,the city is keen to partner Ghana in its emergence to the world market and development of the country.He was speaking at the official launch of Ghana-New York Expo 2012 which will be hosted by his city.
Mayor Davis pointed out that Ghana is a leader in the West African sub region in terms of democracy and peace and has proven to the world that there is no turning back on these principles of peace,stability and national development.
"Ghana has shown the way in the sub region as truly the gateway to the sub region.This we see from the peaceful electoral transition from one government to the other.My city will do everything possible to associate itself with these achievements and more and support Ghana's quest for growth and business prospects.Mount Vernon is proud to host this important business enterprise ,and must say this is the best place in New York for this special event" Mayor Davis said.
The event which is being organized by Malaika Media Network and other stakeholders, has as its theme,"A better Ghana,A better destination ",will bring together about 300 exhibitors from Ghana's small and medium scale companies to showcase Ghana's rich but untapped economic investment as well as international trade potentials and opportunities.
speaking to the press,Kojo Ampah Sahara,President of Malaika Media Network,was full of praise for the mayor and urged other states and cities to follow the mayor's shinning example.He noted that it's about time Ghanaian industries take advantage of the global network trends to improve on their business effectively and network with their US counterparts for enhanced business growth and opportunities.This according to him will help reduce poverty and empower the people of Ghana by providing more jobs for the people,especially the youth."One cannot overlook the enormous benefits this trade expo will bring to the people of Ghana.If the products are well received and patronized,it will mean a great deal of expansion,which will mean employing more people,thus helping to solve the unemployment situation in Ghana". kojo Ampah.
He did not mince words, when he told members of the media that that Ghana as a country is "pregnant with investment potentials and happy for the emerging giant in Africa to showcase what it has under its sleeves to the rest of the world".
The event is slated for September 24 to 30 ,2012 at the forecourt and streets around the Mt.Vernon city hall.
Exclusively sharing his thoughts on the event ,Mr.Fred Nuamah,founder of Ghana Movie Awards and member of the high powered delegation who attended the launch,could not hide his joy at the opportunity and the fact that it will afford the exhibitors the chance to show the rest of the world that the "best always comes from Ghana"He urged all businesses in Ghana who want to attract international attention and market to jump at this opportunity of a life time to showcase what they have."Mr. Nuamah said the mayor has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that he is a "man worth his salt" ,and praised him for his vision and wisdom.
The delegation to the launch was led by Nana Nyarko-Atta Wirefi XVII, chief of Agona Odobeng.

In his closing remarks,the liaison officer for the mayor's office and the organizers, Nashon Halevi said "Ghana is at a stage in its development where all blacks in the Diaspora with good standing have to come together to push it to the next level" He thanked the Mayor and the City of mount Vernon for the opportunity.


Source:Ekow Shalders(institute for democracy and press freedom,USA)

Friday, April 6, 2012

VIKTOR BOUT SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS FOR TERRORIST CRIMES



Washington DC: DEA Administrator, Michele M. Leonhart on April 5, 2012 announced that international arms dealer VIKTOR BOUT was sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons, including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles and over 20,000 AK-47s to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (the “FARC”), a designated foreign terrorist organization based in Colombia.  BOUT understood that the weapons would be used to kill Americans in Colombia.  On November 2, 2011, BOUT was convicted on all four counts for which he was charged after a three-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin.
“The crimes Viktor Bout committed represent the worst case scenario for modern law enforcement--the merger of criminal international narcotics cartels with their terrorism enablers,” Leonhart said. “But his sentencing today also reflects the best of modern international law enforcement-- sophisticated, determined, and coordinated. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of criminal investigators and prosecutors in the United States, Thailand, Romania, Curacao and elsewhere, the ‘Merchant of Death’ has finally been held to account in a court of law for his years of profiteering from death and misery around the world.”
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Viktor Bout has been international arms trafficking enemy number one for many years, arming some of the most violent conflicts around the globe.  He was finally brought to justice in an American court for agreeing to provide a staggering number of military grade weapons to an avowed terrorist organization committed to killing Americans.  Today’s sentence is a fitting coda for this career arms trafficker of the most dangerous order.”
According to the Indictment and evidence presented at the trial:
Since the 1990s, BOUT has been an international weapons trafficker.  As a result of his weapons trafficking activities in Liberia, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control within the Department of Treasury placed him on the Specially Designated Nationals list in 2004.  The designation prohibits any transactions between BOUT and U.S. nationals, and freezes any of his assets that are within the jurisdiction of the United States.
Between November 2007 and March 2008, BOUT agreed to sell millions of dollars’ worth of weapons to the FARC, including 700-800 surface-to-air missiles (“SAMs”), over 20,000 AK-47 firearms, 10 million rounds of ammunition, five tons of C-4 plastic explosives, “ultralight” airplanes outfitted with grenade launchers, and unmanned aerial vehicles.  BOUT agreed to sell the weapons to two confidential sources working with the DEA (the “CSs”), who represented that they were acquiring them for the FARC, with the specific understanding that the weapons were to be used to attack U.S. helicopters in Colombia.

During a covertly recorded meeting in Thailand on March 6, 2008, BOUT stated to the CSs that he could arrange to airdrop the arms to the FARC in Colombia, and offered to sell them two cargo planes that could be used for arms deliveries.  He also provided a map of South America and asked the CSs to show him American radar locations in Colombia.  BOUT said that he understood that the CSs wanted the arms to use against American personnel in Colombia, and advised that, “we have the same enemy,” referring to the United States.  He also stated that the FARC’s fight against the United States was also his fight and that he had been “fighting the United States…for ten to fifteen years.” During the meeting, he also offered to provide people to train the FARC in the use of the arms.

The evidence presented at trial included a recording of the March 6, 2008 meeting between BOUT, the CSs, his former associate Andrew Smulian, and others.  Smulian was charged along with BOUT in March 2008 and pled guilty in July 2008.  Smulian cooperated with the Government and, along with the two CSs, provided testimony at the trial.
              
In addition to his prison term, Judge Scheindlin sentenced BOUT to 5 years of supervised released and ordered him to forfeit $15 million. 
BOUT was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 based on a Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court.  He was subsequently charged in a four-count Indictment in April 2008 and extradited to the Southern District of New York in November 2010.  At trial, he was convicted of (1) conspiring to kill U.S. nationals; (2) conspiring to kill U.S. officers and employees; (3) conspiring to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles; and (4) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Besides the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Southern District of New York, the Royal Thai Police was instrumental in the success of the Bout case.  In addition, the Romanian National Police, the Romanian Prosecutor’s Office Attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Korps Politie CuraƧao of the Netherlands Antilles, and the Danish National Police Security Services assisted, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

Source: Ekow Shalders(Institute for Democracy and Press Freedom,USA)

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

TRAGEDY HITS MS. KALI SICHEN

College Park,Atlanta-GA.  An African American entrepreneur with business interest in Ghana;Ms Kali Sichen on March 30, 2012. suffered a tragedy which has compounded the  already stressful life she is going through in the hands of the family of the late Dr.Kwaku Andoh ,a Ghanaian national she married and divorced several years ago.

According to Mr.Shalimar Adam,a.k.a. "Ambassadar",Ms.Sichen  has suffered a lot for being charitable to the man she was once married to and deserves better treatment and praises from the family of the late doctor instead of subjecting her to name calling and useless litigation.

"Mama Kali has been through a lot.This woman has a very good heart and spirit,when Dr.Andoh went to Ghana for  holidays and was taken ill,about 99% of his family members who were in Ghana did not even give a dime to support him financially in the hospital.
After he was discharged ,he spent about three(3)months in his residence and non of his family members came to visit .It was this woman (Ms Sichen) who was sending money for his hospital bills,medication expenses and all that mattered.I was the one who became Dr.Andoh's caregiver at Ghana's Korle-Bu teaching hospital where the man was on admission and at his residence .When the man came to the United States for further treatment and unfortunately died,this very people who neglected him while on his sickbed in Ghana ,secured the necessary funds to come and lay claim to properties they assumed was for the man here in the US .What kind of callousness is this?"He quizzed.

He told this reporter that just as Mama Kali ,as Ms. Sichen is affectionately called was trying hard to put all those troubles behind her and moving forward with her life,one of her well furnished houses at college park was razed down by fire.He wondered why a very good woman like this should go through all these and asked if life is fair or we are living in a wicked and cruel world.Mr.Adam said investigations are currently ongoing to know the cause of the fire,but arson is being suspected.

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"Ambassadar" ,who is a Hiplife star and Drum therapist here in the United States and has represented Ghana in many international music conferences and seminars ,advised Ghanaian families to invest in the welfare of their kinsmen when they are in difficulties and not wait for their demise to start fighting over properties they are not sure of its ownership.He said what is disturbing is that some African Americans here with dubious characters are in bed with the family of the late doctor and urging them on to do the despicable things they are doing to Ms.Sichen.
 He stated that  Ghanaian families must sometimes learn to give than always wanting to reap where they did not sow.

Source:Ekow  Shalders (institute for democracy and press freedom,USA)