Liberia tussles with foreign debtors

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's president, has appealed to foreign debtors to allow her country time to emerge from a 25-year economic decline before attempting to recover millions of dollars owed by the country.

Her appeal came as part of an attempt to fend off the advances of a so-called "vulture fund", a company that buys up bad debts of poor governments before going to court to try to get the money back.

video-Murder accused Sydney Nhlapo in court on Friday

For almost a decade, it's alleged, a murder accused had isolated his family... rarely allowing them to leave their house.

Court frees boy prisoner

The Namibian Newspaper: "THE High Court yesterday ordered the immediate release of a 12-year-old boy who became Namibia's youngest sentenced prison inmate after receiving a six-month jail term for housebreaking and theft at Karasburg in October.

In a review judgement handed down by Judge Elton Hoff, Acting Judge Claus Hinrichsen set aside the boy's conviction and sentence and ordered his immediate release from detention.

Judge Hoff agreed with Acting Judge Hinrichsen's decision, which was based on the principle that a child as young as the boy is presumed not to be criminally liable, especially where he had been involved in a crime while under the influence and instructions of a much older person.
The boy was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on October 19, after he had been convicted in the Karasburg Magistrate's Court on a charge of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft."

Hohoe Police cell inmates beat up colleague

Ghana Today "Hohoe (V/R), Feb. 27, GNA - Inmates at Hohoe Police cell beat up a colleague for being so 'stupid' not to have taken some of the money that fell off as armed robbers escaped after looting a local bank.
Six armed robbers on Tuesday evening attacked the Hohoe branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank and took away an unspecified amount of money. The robbers held Mr Solomon Osei Bonsu, the Branch Manager of the Bank, at gunpoint, matched him to the strong room at about 1850 hours and took away the money."

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