Ghana News
Wanted: INTERPOL Red Notice Activated for Russian ‘Pick-up Artist’ Who Secretly Recorded, Distributed Intimate Videos of Ghana Women
Ghana has formally activated the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to pursue an international arrest warrant against a Russian national accused of secretly recording intimate encounters with Ghanaian women and distributing the footage online without their consent, the government confirmed on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The suspect has been identified through official passport documentation as Vladislav Aleksandrovich Liulkov, a 36-year-old Russian citizen born on September 19, 1989.

His passport, bearing number 77 7784005 and issued by Russian authorities on December 9, 2025, was published by Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation Minister Samuel Nartey George on Facebook following a verification process conducted with the Russian Embassy in Accra.
The confirmation resolved several days of public speculation about the suspect’s identity and nationality after social media users questioned whether the name circulating in early reports matched a typical Russian name.

Criminal Allegations and Legal Framework
Authorities say preliminary investigations indicate that some of the material may have been monetized on digital platforms, adding a financial exploitation dimension to the criminal allegations beyond the initial privacy violations. Minister George described the alleged conduct as “atrocious” and stated that it constitutes a clear criminal offense under Section 67 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) , which prohibits the non-consensual recording and distribution of intimate images and carries penalties of up to 25 years imprisonment depending on the specific charges.
The government said it has taken steps to trace and secure relevant digital and financial evidence linked to the publication of the footage. Several affected women have filed formal complaints with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, and those complaints are being actively processed.
Diplomatic Dimensions and INTERPOL Activation
The case carries a significant diplomatic dimension. The Russian Ambassador to Ghana indicated that extradition is currently not a possibility, as Russia rarely extradites its own citizens.
However, Minister George confirmed that by activating INTERPOL protocols, Ghana has established a legal mechanism to hold Liulkov accountable should he travel outside Russian territory. Authorities are simultaneously preparing for possible proceedings in absentia should the suspect fail to appear before Ghanaian courts.
Wider Regional Impact
Officials also addressed a particularly distressing element of the case. Cybersecurity investigators found that certain women whose images appeared in the circulated material had no intimate encounter with the suspect at all. Some had only brief casual interactions with him in public spaces such as shopping malls, yet their images were later published in a context that falsely suggested intimate involvement.
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed it is also investigating reports that the same individual targeted women in Nairobi, widening the scope of the case to a regional cross-border incident.
Government Response and Victim Support
Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey announced that a dedicated victim support desk has been established, staffed by clinical professionals offering psychological and emotional assistance to affected women, their families, and close relations. The support programme operates under the directive of President John Dramani Mahama and covers anyone emotionally impacted by the case. The Ministry’s toll-free helplines are 0800 800 800, 0800 900 900, and 0800 111 222. All services are offered in strict confidence.
Public Warning
The public has been formally warned that sharing or redistributing the intimate material constitutes a criminal offense under Ghanaian law and will attract prosecution.
International Cooperation and Next Steps
As INTERPOL member countries receive notification of the warrant, Ghanaian authorities continue gathering evidence and coordinating with international partners. The case represents a significant test of cross-border cooperation in combating technology-facilitated sexual abuse and underscores the growing challenges posed by digital platforms in an interconnected world.
For the affected women and their families, the pursuit of justice now extends beyond Ghana’s borders, carried forward by the reach of international law enforcement cooperation and the determination of a nation to protect its citizens from harm, wherever the perpetrators may flee.
Ghana News
Ghana Ties Rice Imports to Local Production, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
These are the most relevant and impactful stories from across Ghana today, presented as concise updates on key developments across the country.
Government to Tie Rice Imports to Local Production in Major Policy Shift
The Ghanaian government is set to introduce a significant policy linking rice import permits directly to investments in local rice production and milling facilities. This move by the Ministry of Agriculture aims to boost domestic farming, reduce the country’s growing rice import bill, and accelerate progress toward food self-sufficiency. Read the full story here
Edem Senanu Questions Procedural Lapses in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Process
Chairman of Advocates for Christ, Edem Senanu, has raised concerns over how Parliament’s House of Records handled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, questioning procedural and drafting issues that emerged after its passage. Read the full story here
Sheikh Shaibu Warns Against Politicising Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, has cautioned the NDC and NPP against turning the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into a political contest, stressing that Ghana already has a broad national consensus on the matter rooted in cultural and religious values. Read the full story here
Honest Ghanaian Rewarded GH¢10,000 for Returning Lost ATM Cash
Fidelity Bank has rewarded Emmanuel Appiah Boateng with GH¢10,000 for his honesty after he returned GH¢4,000 he found left behind at one of its ATMs. Read the full story here
Nigel Gaisie Files GH¢10m Defamation Suit Against Kumchacha
Prophet Nigel Gaisie has sued Prophet Nicholas Osei (Kumchacha) for GH¢10 million over alleged defamatory statements questioning his prophetic ministry. Read the full story here
680 Ghanaians to Be Evacuated from South Africa Amid Xenophobia Concerns
The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has announced plans to evacuate 680 Ghanaians (340 on June 6 and 340 on June 7, 2026) due to xenophobia-related safety issues. Read the full story here
Free SHS Suppliers to Picket at Education Ministry Over GH¢50m Debt
The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) will picket at the Ministry of Education on June 11, 2026, over unpaid debts of approximately GH¢50 million for supplies delivered under the Free Senior High School programme since 2023. Read the full story here
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has temporarily halted new emergency admissions after its Accident and Emergency ward exceeded capacity due to overwhelming patient numbers. Read the full story here
15 dead, 25 injured in head-on collision at Peki-Tsame
At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured following a devastating head-on collision between a container truck and a passenger bus at Peki-Tsame in the Volta Region. The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 June 2026, near the premises of Peki Senior High School, prompting an emergency response from personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Read the full story here
Ghana News
Today’s Newspaper Headlines: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Stay informed with today’s front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, all in one place.




















Ghana News
Is the UN Losing Its Legitimacy? Ghana’s President Says Permanent Security Council Bias ‘Eats Away’ Trust
The continued exclusion of Africa from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council is not merely a procedural flaw but a structural imbalance that is systematically eroding the credibility of the multilateral system, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama warned on Monday.
Speaking at Chatham House, the London-based international affairs think tank, Mahama argued that the UN’s primary decision-making body risks becoming untenable as a steward of global peace and security if it fails to reflect the demographic and political realities of the 21st century.
“This is not nearly a procedural anomaly,” Mahama said. “It is a historical injustice and a structural imbalance that undermines the credibility of the multilateral system itself.”
The president’s remarks come as the UN Security Council (UNSC) remains composed of five permanent members (P5) – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – all of which were Allied powers in World War II.
Africa, home to 54 UN member states, the largest regional bloc in the organization, holds no permanent seat and only three non-permanent seats that rotate every two years.
Mahama noted that the representational gap is poised to become more pronounced as global demographics shift. According to UN population projections, Africa will account for nearly a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.
“This eats away at the trust in the system,” a senior official from the Ghanaian presidency later summarized, reinforcing Mahama’s central thesis that legitimacy in global governance requires equitable participation.
The Ghanaian leader affirmed that his government would continue to advocate for “comprehensive reform” of the UN, including permanent, veto-wielding seats for African nations.
The African Union has long pushed for a common position known as the Ezulwini Consensus, which demands at least two permanent seats for the continent, with the same powers and responsibilities as current P5 members.
However, Mahama’s critique extended beyond the Security Council. He linked the UN’s representational crisis to what he described as parallel failures in the international financial architecture. He argued that debt vulnerabilities across the Global South are not isolated fiscal challenges but structural development constraints that limit investment in health, education, infrastructure, climate adaptation, and industrial transformation.
“The international debt system must therefore become fairer, more flexible and more development-focused,” Mahama said.
He also called for reforms to global taxation frameworks, asserting that developing economies should derive equitable value from economic activity generated within their jurisdictions. A stable international order, he warned, cannot be sustained while prosperity remains structurally unequal.
To illustrate the tangible cost of such inequality, Mahama pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic. African nations, he said, discovered that access to vaccines and essential medical supplies depended not on the urgency of public health need but on their position within the global supply hierarchy. That experience, he noted, directly prompted Ghana to launch the Accra Reset Initiative – a strategic framework designed to move Africa and the Global South from dependency toward resilience, and from passive participation toward active agenda-setting in global governance.
President Mahama concluded by rejecting any characterization of Ghana as a passive observer of the changes reshaping the international order.
“We see ourselves as active participants in shaping a more balanced, equitable, and cooperative international system,” he said.
No immediate response was issued by the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Reform of the council requires an amendment to the UN Charter, which must be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratified by all five permanent members, each of whom holds a veto over their own status.
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