Fred Kwasi Apaloo: The Ghanaian who served as Chief Justice in Ghana and Kenya
via GhanaWeb5 min read
Justice Fred Kwasi Apaloo, a respected Ghanaian judge, made history by serving as Chief Justice in both Ghana and Kenya. He also holds the distinction of being the only judge to have served on Ghana's Supreme Court under three different republics. Born in the Volta Region, Apaloo studied law at University College in Hull, England, and was called to the English Bar at Middle Temple in 1950. After Ghana's independence in 1957, he returned to practice law and was appointed a High Court judge in 1960. In 1964, he presided over a treason trial involving five individuals accused of plotting against former President Kwame Nkrumah's government. His decision to acquit the accused established his reputation for judicial independence. Apaloo was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 1966 and appointed to the Supreme Court of Ghana in 1971. In 1977, he became Ghana's sixth Chief Justice, serving until his retirement in 1986. Following his retirement, Apaloo joined the Kenyan judiciary, serving as a High Court judge and later rising to the Court of Appeal. In March 1993, he was appointed Kenya's ninth Chief Justice, a position he held until 1995. During his tenure in Kenya, Apaloo was known for his opposition to the death penalty. He passed away in April 2000 at the age of 79.
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Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, former Minister for Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development and Member of Parliament for Techiman South, has accused the current government of failing to use over US$200 million left by the previous New Patriotic Party administration. These funds were reportedly allocated to combat perennial flooding in parts of Accra, specifically for major drainage works and the construction of water retention facilities in the Greater Accra Region. Adjei-Mensah Korsah stated that the flood mitigation program was designed to include drainage systems and water-holding ponds across several flood-prone communities, covering 17 metropolitan areas within Accra. He claimed the project experienced implementation delays and is now stalled, expressing concern that the scope may be significantly reduced from 18 planned water-holding ponds to potentially only two. He urged the government to prioritize the completion of these flood mitigation projects.
BreakingThe US military conducted strikes on Iranian targets, including missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions, after President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating a truce. This action followed a drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. US Central Command described the strikes as a "powerful response" to the drone attack, stating that Iran's aggression against commercial shipping violated the ceasefire and undermined freedom of navigation. Iran's foreign ministry, in turn, accused the US of violating their interim deal and reported striking targets linked to American forces. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC warned of more extensive responses if aggression is repeated. The US and Iran had agreed on June 17 to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which included Iran's commitment to ensuring safe passage for commercial vessels for 60 days. Vice-President JD Vance stated that violence would be met with violence, while Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, criticized the US for violating the ceasefire during negotiations. The cargo ship attacked was the Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged vessel, which was struck south-east of Oman's port of Dahit while following a recommended route. The UN's International Maritime Organization IMO paused a planned evacuation of over 11,000 stranded sailors following the incident.
The story of former Ghanaian footballer Mumuni Salifu, known as Mumuni Africa, has resurfaced after his relative, Abdul Wahab Musah, shared how the family mistakenly believed he had died, only to discover years later he was still alive in a German hospital. Mumuni, who played for Olympic Babies, Tema Hearts Babies, and Powerlines, traveled to Germany for opportunities. Shortly after arriving, he sent money home for his mother to buy a house. However, before the money reached Ghana, he was involved in a swimming pool accident that left him in a coma. After years in a coma, his family received information that he had died and performed his funeral rites. Years later, Wahab Musah traveled to Nuremberg, Germany, for a conference. Before his trip, he obtained a 14-year-old letter from Mumuni's mother, sent by the hospital after the accident, which contained the hospital's address and the doctor's name. Wahab visited the hospital to inquire about Mumuni. After identifying himself as a family member, the doctor revealed that Mumuni was still alive. Wahab was given counseling before seeing Mumuni, who had been in a vegetative state for years and was considered a rare medical case. Hospital staff had cared for him daily, taken him out in a wheelchair, and celebrated his birthdays, placing family photographs by his bed. Wahab was encouraged to speak to Mumuni, and doctors noted changes in medical monitors as he spoke about their shared past. Wahab visited Mumuni throughout his five-day