That one toxic ex...

who just won't let you be!

Author

Chale News
February 21, 2025

So, what’s in the bag today?

  • Economic: VAT is giving villain origin story, and AGI wants it stopped.

  • Regional: GRA checkpoint turned into Fast & Furious, and an innocent bystander caught a bullet.

  • National: WAEC held results hostage—High Court just set them free.

  • Sports: Black Queens to Morocco: “Y’all been watching old tapes, we got new tricks.”

  • Crime: Gregory Afoko finally gets bail after 10 years—bruh served a full sentence before even getting a trial.

  • Fact of the Day: There are only two letters that aren’t on the periodic table

  • National: Local rice farmers are calling for a ban on oppressors aka rice importers with deep pockets.

QUICK BYTE

  • Ghana’s businesses are catching stray bullets from VAT, and AGI President Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke is not having it. He’s basically telling the government, “Let’s fix the VAT mess before we start celebrating tax cuts.” Because right now, it’s giving main villain energy. According to him, businesses are getting taxed so unevenly, it’s like playing “spin the bottle,” except the bottle is picking who gets to suffer. His message? VAT is the real problem, and if the government doesn’t fix it, local industries will be fighting for their lives. Read more

  • 10 years in remand? My guy did a whole decade behind bars, waiting for a court decision like a Ghana Most Beautiful contestant waiting for final results. But Friday came with good news—Gregory Afoko finally got bail! After several failed attempts, the court said, “Aight, you can go, but first, run us GHS 500,000 and two sureties with real estate flex.”Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

  • Ghana Revenue Authority officers at Sogakope turned a smuggling case into an action movie when they fired warning shots at fleeing suspects. The drama started when officers got intel about a smuggled Benz E350 crossing from Togo. They tried to stop the suspects, but these guys said, “Catch us if you can!” and took off on foot. Instead of just chasing them down like normal people, the officers let the bullets fly. Unfortunately, they hit an innocent bystander instead of the smugglers. Now, GRA says they’re investigating the whole thing. Meanwhile, the real smugglers are probably sipping sobolo somewhere, and an innocent person is in the hospital. Ghana, we have a problem. Read more

  • After holding onto the results of about 10,000 candidates for months over alleged malpractices, WAEC thought they could convince the court to let them keep playing gatekeeper. The High Court took one look at their excuse and said, “Y’all are just making this up.” Justice Ali Baba Abature wasn’t buying the whole “we need more time” speech. His ruling? Release the results, no conditions attached. Also, WAEC now owes the court a cool GHS 5,000—probably the only test they failed this year. Read more

FACT OF THE DAY

❝

The only letters that don’t appear on the periodic table are “J” and “Q.”

  • Cynthia Konlan and the Black Queens are coming with stealth mode activated. Ahead of their friendly against Morocco, the Ghanaian goalkeeper says her team is prepped and ready to shock their opponents. The Queens haven’t played since their July clash with Japan, and now, under new coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, they’re bringing fresh tactics to the pitch. Cynthia believes Morocco might be relying on outdated information about Ghana’s playstyle, and that’s where the magic happens. New systems, new energy, same Black Queens hunger. Morocco, you’ve been warned. Read more

  • Ghanaian rice farmers are out here struggling like trotro passengers during rush hour, and Amos Rutherford Azinu is basically yelling, “Driver, stop the rice importation madness!” The President of the National Seed Trade Association is calling for a rice import restriction because, let’s be real, Ghanaian farmers are fighting a boss level battle against big importers who have all the financial muscle. These importers are moving like Thanos—snapping their fingers and wiping out local competition. Read more

DEEP DIVE

10 Years, 1 Bail: Gregory Afoko Finally Gets a ‘Get Out of Jail (Kind Of) Card’

Imagine stepping out in 2015, rocking your fresh Azonto-era drip, only to blink and boom! It’s 2025, AI is taking people’s jobs, and somehow, Gregory Afoko is just now getting bail. Yep, our guy has been on a 10-year “staycation” courtesy of the Ghanaian justice system, waiting for his day in court like an unclaimed suitcase at Kotoka. But finally, after enough bail applications, he’s been granted his get out of jail (kind of) card—for a cool GHS 500,000. Peanuts, right? (Lol, if only.)

Afoko’s hard knock life started in 2015 when he was accused of playing a role in the acid attack that led to the death of NPP’s Upper East Regional Chairman, Adams Mahama. What followed was a decade-long Real Housewives of Ghana Judiciary saga—denied bail, trial started, jury was confused (literally said “we don’t know”), case got a retrial, and our guy still sat in jail. Every bail request was basically the court saying, “Nah, sit this one out.”

But Friday came with a plot twist. The court finally said, “Aight, you can go... but first, drop half a milly, and don’t ghost us.” That’s right—GHS 500,000, plus two sureties, one of whom has to own land. Not rent oo, own. If your surety is still arguing with their landlord about light bill, forget it. And even though he’s out, the retrial is still cooking, so technically, Afoko is just on half-time break.

Ghana’s legal system moves at its own trotro speed. But hey, at least Afoko can finally update his WhatsApp status outside of prison walls. Small wins. Read more

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from: