A 40-year-old businessman, Nurudeen Abdul Ganew, has appeared before the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly impersonating Professor Joshua Alabi, a prominent figure in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to defraud a Council of State member.

Ganew is facing charges of impersonation and defrauding by false pretences. He was arraigned alongside his two brothers, Nurudeen Rashid and Nurudeen Gafaru, on a joint charge of conspiracy to commit crime. All three pleaded not guilty and were granted bail set at GH¢150,000 with three sureties, one of whom must be justified.

Presiding judge Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam ordered the accused to reappear in court on July 21, 2025.

Prosecutors revealed that on March 3, 2025, Ganew posed as Professor Alabi and deceived Mr. Hakeem Addae, a Council of State member and NDC Constituency Chairman for Twifo-Atti Morkwa. Ganew, also pretending to be a Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) official, allegedly promised to help Mr. Addae acquire a Toyota Land Cruiser and ten auctioned trucks, prompting the victim to send him GH¢60,000.

Ganew was later arrested at his residence in Wa, Upper West Region. The arrest led to the seizure of four identity cards, three pen drives, four mobile phones, and GH¢14,896 in cash.

Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of his brothers in Subinso, a suburb of Wenchi, on July 2, 2025. A search of their home uncovered over 12 mobile phones, multiple SIM cards—including some used in communication with Mr. Addae—and a political party database listing constituency executives across Ghana’s 16 regions.

Authorities say the three brothers formed a fraud syndicate, targeting high-profile individuals such as chiefs, queen mothers, political leaders, and companies. Ganew was identified as the ringleader who directly engaged victims, while his brothers facilitated the withdrawal of funds through mobile money vendors across several cities including Wa, Wenchi, Sunyani, Techiman, Koforidua, and Accra.

Police in Tamale have arrested a 53-year-old man, Alhaji Abdulai Sayuti, for allegedly possessing and unlawfully selling large quantities of restricted drugs.

The arrest took place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, around 1:30 p.m., during an intelligence-led operation. Sayuti was apprehended at his over-the-counter chemical shop located near Victory Cinema in the Aboabo area. At the scene, officers discovered 368 blisters of Tramadol (120mg) and 298 blisters of Tramaking (120mg).

Following the arrest, a search at Sayuti’s residence in Fuo, a suburb of Tamale, uncovered a hidden warehouse containing an additional 447 boxes of Tramadol and 11 boxes of Tramaking.

Chief Inspector Alhassan Luckman Neindow, the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident to Graphic Online. He stated that the suspect was arraigned on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty to charges related to the possession and sale of restricted drugs. The court remanded Sayuti into prison custody, with his next court appearance set for July 21, 2025.

Chief Inspector Neindow emphasized the police’s commitment to fighting illegal drug distribution and called on the public to support their efforts.

“We encourage the public to volunteer information to help us fight this menace in our communities,” he said.

Lawyers for Evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, have filed an application for bail pending appeal following her conviction and sentencing earlier this month.

The founder of Heaven Way Champion International Ministry was sentenced on July 3, 2025, to 15 years imprisonment with hard labor after being found guilty on two counts of defrauding by false pretenses. She also received an additional sentence of either paying 25 penalty units or serving 30 days for the offense of charlatanic advertisement. The court ruled that all sentences should run concurrently.

Dissatisfied with both the conviction and the sentence, Agradaa’s legal team, led by Richard Asare Baffour, filed a petition of appeal, citing numerous irregularities during the trial. With the appeal yet to be scheduled, her lawyers submitted a motion on July 9, 2025, requesting bail while the appeal is pending.

In the statement supporting the bail application, her legal team argued that the appeal stands a high chance of success due to what they describe as significant flaws in the trial and bias on the part of the presiding judge, Her Honor Evelyn Asamoah.

“The applicant contends that the trial was unfairly conducted, with the burden of proof effectively shifted onto her rather than the prosecution being required to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” the statement read.

The defense highlighted specific concerns, such as the trial judge’s reliance on a comment made by the Master of Ceremonies (MC) in a video presented by the defense, which they say was unfairly used to undermine Agradaa’s testimony. According to the lawyers, the judge failed to properly evaluate the key allegation by complainants—that Agradaa had instructed that the lights be turned off—an accusation she denied.

They also criticized the court’s selective analysis of evidence, particularly regarding the timing and length of lighting issues during the service, arguing that these were crucial details that were either ignored or unfairly interpreted.

Furthermore, the defense argued that the judge did not adequately consider mitigating factors during sentencing, despite referencing Ghana’s Sentencing Guidelines. They believe the judgment lacked a balanced assessment of the plea in mitigation.

Nana Agradaa has pledged to comply fully with all court requirements if granted bail. Her lawyers assured the court that she will not interfere with the legal process and that her sureties are prepared to provide adequate security in support of her release.

The application for bail now awaits the court’s determination as the appeal process unfolds.