Partly burnt AK 47 riffles found at Ya Na’s palace
Ghana -Netherlands relations have improved
Ghana strives to meet criteria for monetary union - Aliu
Create agencies to implement ECOWAS
decisions - Chambas
NPP Youth League challenges Kofi Wayo
Committee to probe Taifa killings
Information Services to sell three million pictures
Partly burnt AK 47 riffles found at Ya Na’s
palace
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 21 June 2002- A soldier on Thursday identified four partly burnt AK 47 rifles retrieved from the Ya-Na's palace during the Yendi conflict at the sitting of the Wuaku Commission in Sunyani on Thursday.
Police investigators exhibited the riffles at the sitting. Sergeant George Cobbina, an armoured car driver from Recce of the Third Battalion in the Liberation Barracks in Sunyani testified as the 35th witness of the Commission.
He explained to the Commission that the rifles were retrieved when a team of soldiers was dispatched to rescue the Ya-Na from the Gbewaa Palace on the morning of Wednesday, 27 March.
Sergeant Cobbina recounted that on Sunday, 24 March, the Commander of the Yendi Military detachment dispatched two soldiers and an information officer to announce the imposition of a curfew from 6 pm that day. When five soldiers were sent at 5:45 pm to join some Policemen to enforce the curfew order, the Yendi Divisional Police Commander told them that the curfew had been lifted and they, therefore, returned to the barracks, he said.
Sergeant Cobbina said on the morning of Tuesday 26 March, the battery of the Mowag failed to work after routine check had been done and a report was made to the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Billa. He said after the battery had been sent for re-charging, the military sought for a spare one from the Yendi District Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Habibu Tijani, to bring the vehicle back on the road.
Sergeant Cobbina said gunshots were heard in town at about 8pm that day but when military men were sent to monitor the situation, nobody was found with a riffle. He said at dawn on Wednesday he went to the electrician to collect the armoured car battery but he realised that the electrician had travelled so the DCE's assistance was sought to break the workshop for the battery to be retrieved, the Soldier said.
Sergeant Cobbina said when he came back to the barracks he was instructed by the Commander with four others and an elder of the Ya-Na to go and bring the Chief from the palace. He told the Commission that because the combatants were firing "we had to shut all the windows of the Mowag before we reached the palace".
Asked by the counsel of the Commission, Mr George Owoo if the palace was on fire when they got there, Sergeant Cobbina replied in the negative. He, however, said that when his colleagues and the elder of Ya-Na, who accompanied them to the palace, returned they informed him Cobbina that they were told that the Ya-Na had gone out of the palace.
Later in a cross examination, Sergeant Cobbina stated that although the gunner on the Mowag wanted to fire a warning shot the gun did not work. He said a close examination on the gun showed that the firing pin was bent. Sergeant Cobbina said that after the search for the chief at the palace did not yield any result they returned but the Commander asked them to go back to the palace to conduct another search for the chief.
He said this time they were accompanied by the Yendi DCE on the orders of the Commanding Officer. Sergeant Cobbina told the Commission that it was on the second visit that they saw the palace on fire and when a search was conducted, they could not find the chief but they were able to retrieve the four AK 47 rifles.
In an answer to a question by leading counsel for the Andanis, Mr Charles Hayibor, Sergeant Cobbina said although he did not get out of the car "since in such situation, drivers are expected to be in their seat", he saw two dead bodies in front of a house near the palace.
Asked to describe the bodies that he saw, he said they were all wearing smocks with one wearing black trousers and the other in green trousers. At this point when Mr Hayibor wanted to know from the soldier about the purpose of operation gong-gong in Yendi, Sergeant Cobbina replied that it was meant to keep peace and order in the area.
When counsel asked how long it took the military to collect the battery and finally reaching the palace, Sergeant Cobbina replied that it took them between one-and-a-half and two hours. Answering further question, witness said that although the DCE got down when they got to the palace, he could not tell whether he entered the palace or not.
He said the failure of the battery was "a normal occurrence" and should not be interpreted as a deliberate act on the part of the Military. Sergeant Cobbina added that since he was sent to Yendi on 31 January 2002 the gun, which failed to fire, had never been used.
Yahaya, the 33rd witness and the Kula-Lana, who testified earlier, narrated the encounters, communication and consultations between the DCE and the DISEC on one hand and the Ya-Na and his elders on the other, on Saturday 23 March and
Sunday 24 March which culminated in the lifting of the curfew by Mr Prince Imoro Andani, the former Northern Regional Minister.
He said on the morning of Monday, 25 March the Ya-Na summoned his elders and informed them to go ahead with the celebration of the fire festival. The Kula-Lana, however, added that the Ya-Na charged the elders to warn their people not to intrude to the area of the members of the Abudu Gate in the course of the celebration.
He said not long after the elders had gone, the Abudus started firing towards the Ya-Na's palace, so the Ya-Na summoned the elders again and ordered that the celebration of the festival should be stopped.
Hostilities continued till Tuesday evening, witness said and mentioned that one Issah Abdulai and Mahama Yakubu were hit in the waist and thigh, respectively, by gunshots. He said upon the instruction of the Ya-Na he took the two to the Yendi Government Hospital around 4 pm on Tuesday.
The Kula-Lana said the firing intensified on the Wednesday morning and whilst at the hospital, he head an unusual sound of a drum and that prompted him that something unpleasant had happened. When I came out, I saw people running helter-skelter while others said that the Ya-Na had been killed, so I fled to Tamale.
Yahaya replied to a question by the leading counsel for the Andanis that he had since gone to Yendi once for the purchase of four bags of corn for his family. When a counsel for the Abudus, Nana Obiri Boahen, asked if he found out the reason for the curfew from the DCE, witness retorted that that was the right of the Ya-Na to do so.
That was why for three times on the Sunday the Ya-Na sent for him (DCE) to come and explain to him (Ya-Na) but he did not show up, witness said. He responded in the affirmative when the lawyer asked if the DCE accompanied the Ex-Minister to the palace.
Following a series of questions by Nana Boahen, witness appeared provoked and emotionally charged and the Commission's chairman, Justice Isaac Newton Wuaku, intervened and asked him to exercise patience.
When counsel submitted that one Diba was not a native of Yendi but came to Yendi purposely to fight in defence of the Ya-Na, witness fumed in reply that the Ya-Na did not mean to be at war with any party, else, as the overlord of the Dagbon state with number of chiefs under him, they would have all come to fight for him.
When counsel for the Abudus also advised him through the interpreter to exercise patience since the Commission's work was a fact-finding one, he replied "it is I who has been killed not the Ya-Na, because he meant everything to me and his death has affected me ever since".
At the turn of Issahuku Wumbei, a security guard at the Yendi branch of the Northern Regional Rural Integrated Programme (NORRIP), he told the Commission that whilst at work on 24 March he was informed by his son about the imposition of a curfew.
He said he became worried when the night watchman, who was supposed to relieve him, failed to come in time but when he finally did, he was told that the former Regional Minister had lifted the curfew.
Wumbei, the 34th witness of the Commission, said when he went back to work the following morning he heard sporadic gunshots and at about 0900 hours some residents of the town, including his family, ran to his workplace (NORRIP), which was about 800 to 900 metres away from the Ya-Na's palace to seek refuge.
Wumbei said his boss, Mr Bob Bodinam, who is the caretaker of the place, asked him to compile a list of the displaced persons, who numbered 70. He continued that the "refugees" stayed in the guesthouse of NORRIP for three days during which they were fed from the food stock of the establishment.
He explained later that NORRIP was a non-governmental organisation, which was supported by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Regional Integration. Wumbei said that although he compiled the list of the displaced, he did not know all of them and that they all stayed at the guesthouse throughout the three days.
The witness, who said he belonged to both gates, could, however, not identify anybody among his list of the displaced from the Andani Gate. He told the Commission that he would be surprised to hear that one Yusif Laftee, who stayed at the NORRIP guesthouse from 25 March to 27 March, was spotted elsewhere during the period. The compiled list of the "refugees" was later tendered in evidence by counsel for the Commission, Mr George Owoo.
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Ghana -Netherlands relations have improved
By Kojo Yankah, at The Hague
The Hague (Netherlands) 21 June 2002- Ghana has been selected to receive concentrated bilateral aid from the Netherlands because it had fulfilled the criteria of good governance, sound macro-economic and social policies and poverty level.
The Director-General of Regional and Consular Policy of the Dutch Foreign Ministry, Mr P. P. van Wulften Palthe told the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu ll at a meeting in The Hague on Tuesday. The Asantehene is on a royal visit to the Netherlands.
Mr van Wulften Palthe said The Netherlands was involved in supporting the health and environmental sectors in the country adding that Dutch structural bilateral support for Ghana had increased from around five million Euros in 1999 to 33 million Euros in 2002.
This was in addition to Balance of Payments support of 80 million Euros provided Ghana to compensate for the economic downturn as a result of worsened commodity prices and the hike in that of oil in 2001. "This is a sign of our government's commitment to the development of Ghana", the Foreign Ministry official said.
On future collaboration, Mr van Wulften Palthe said Holland was looking forward to Ghana's finalisation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy to enable the Dutch Government to give bilateral support to Ghana' priority areas.
He praised the local Ghanaian community as hard-working and friendly and saying, "Ghana has very good ambassadors in its community in Holland'. Otumfuo Osei Tutu expressed satisfaction with the warm relations between Ghanaians and the Dutch and expressed the hope that Holland would continue to address some of the concerns of the Ghanaians when they came up.
After the briefing session, Otumfuo was given the opportunity to address a meeting of all Dutch non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in Ghana. He thanked them for the support they were giving to various communities in Ghana and said that such forms of assistance went a long way to supplement government efforts.
The Asantehene asked them to support the World Bank's new initiatives to build partnerships between governments and traditional leaders. He elaborated his own vision for the new role of chiefs in nation-building and invited NGOs to expand their areas of operation in Ghana in general and Asanteman in particular.
Most of the 16 NGOs represented at the round-table expressed interest in Otumfuo's projects in capacity building, health, education, and environment. Otumfuo Osei Tutu later in the afternoon was the Keynote Speaker at the Business Forum of the Netherlands African Business Council (NABC).
Speaking on the theme: "Doing Business In Ghana", Otumfuo elaborated on the operations of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the various benefits and guarantees available to investors and advised that in order to avoid some of the frustrations encountered by investors they should learn more about Ghana and also about their own partners.
"We should learn to remove obstacles before we advance in any ventures", he told the Dutch business community. Later in the afternoon, Otumfuo and his wife Lady Julia were given an hour and a half private audience at the Palais Huis Ten Bosch with her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands. Otumfuo's official visit has received considerable press coverage in the Netherlands.
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Ghana strives to meet criteria for monetary
union - Aliu
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 June 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Thursday said Ghana was implementing strict financial disciplinary measures to meet the convergence criteria set for the attainment of a second single monetary currency for West Africa.
Vice President Mahama, who was opening the Eighth Convergence Council of Minister and Governors of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) in Accra, urged stakeholders in the financial and public sectors to embrace the discipline requisite for the achieving of the criteria.
More than 100 delegates including Ministers of State, Governors of Central Banks, experts and representatives of partner institutions such as the African
Development Bank and International Monetary Fund are attending the meeting, which started on Monday.
Ghana, Nigeria, the Gambia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, which are working towards the adoption of a second monetary unit, are by 2003, to achieve single digit inflation and have a foreign exchange reserve that would cover their imports for not less than three months.
Additionally, their budget deficit to their Gross Domestic Product should be less than five per cent, while their Central Banks credit to their governments should be less than 10 per cent of the previous year's tax revenue. None of these countries have fully met the convergence criteria. Though, the Gambia achieved these last year it has slipped.
Vice President Mahama underscored the importance of achieving a single monetary unit and asked members to work together towards the objective, saying the trend in other parts of the world had proved that a single currency would facilitate commercial dealings for traders, travellers and promote economic and political integration.
"We need to work together with our neighbours in West Africa to pool our resources to create a larger regional market for the benefit of our people," he said. "Integration is about larger markets, increased trade, significant domestic and foreign direct investment, more jobs and a higher standard of living for our people."
Vice President Mahama appealed to the European Union and other regional bodies with a single currency to give WAMZ technical support, adding, "It is unnecessary for West Africa to re-invent the wheel."
The Vice President called on West African governments to commit themselves to the New Partnership For Africa's Development (NEPAD) Initiative, whose objectives, he said, were in line with those of WAMZ in the pursuit of regional integration. He called on members of WAMZ to support Ghana's bid to host the Central Bank of the monetary union. Nigeria and Guinea have also proposed to house the Central Bank.
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation, said the adoption of a single currency should be considered as only a part of the overall goal of achieving integration, which was key to reducing poverty in the sub-region.
"Let me remind you that no region in the world can be compared favourably with West Africa when it comes to natural resources; gold, timber, oil, diamonds, bauxite, phosphate, the sun, water bodies and human resources," he said.
"What we need is the ability to manage them well to the benefit of the 250 million people, who live in the Sub-Region. Good leadership and a determined effort at integration will help us to succeed," he said.
The decision to adopt a West African Monetary Zone as part of the ECOWAS effort to introduce a Single Monetary Zone by 2004 was made at a meeting of Heads of State of six West African countries two years ago in Accra. Liberia and Cape Verde are yet to formalise their membership of WAMZ.
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Create agencies to implement ECOWAS
decisions - Chambas
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 June 2002- The Executive Secretary of Economic Community of West African Sates (ECOWAS), Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas on Thursday appealed to member states to treat their obligations to the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) as integral part of their national issues.
He called for the creation of the appropriate governmental agencies with directives for implementing specific ECOWAS decisions under WAMZ and addressing policies towards satisfying the agreed convergence criteria of the zone.
Dr Chambas, who made the appeal at the eighth session of the WAMZ Convergence Council Meeting in Accra, reminded members of the ECOWAS Parliament of their role towards regional integration process, especially on the need to surrender the sovereignty of their countries.
He said this was necessary for the success of the monetary union and called for the intensification of national education on the monetary integration and trade liberalizations by actively involving the general public, civil society organizations, the private sector, the youth, students and trade unions.
Dr Chambas noted the role of ECOWAS member states in co-ordinating and implementing the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) in the sub-region. He said it would serve as an opportunity for accelerating and strengthening of the monetary integration process, especially through the implementation of the Economic Governance of WAMZ as a component of NEPAD.
The Executive Secretary commended the effort of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), in seeking the co-operation and contribution of relevant external partners such as the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of England and the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management.
In a speech read for Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry, he said the gradual transformation of West Africa into a single market in which goods, capital and services could circulate freely should serve as enough incentives for the realization of the aims of WAMZ.
He urged members to strive harder to achieve the laudable objectives since the alternative would lead to marginalization of the Sub-Region in the global environment. Dr. Apraku: "If we fail to achieve monetary integration, with the attendant harmonization of our economies, then we would have failed to combat poverty and its attendant social evils and the freedom to economic advancement our people enjoyed in times past."
The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, delivered the keynote address, while Mr Mohammed B. Daramy, Acting Chairman of the Convergence Council and the
Deputy Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone opened the meeting.
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NPP Youth League challenges Kofi Wayo
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 June 2002- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Youth League has thrown a challenge to Mr Kofi Wayo, a leading member of the party, inviting him to a national debate on his criticisms of the NPP government and also his stand on national issues.
In a letter, copied to the press, Mr Alex Quartey, General Secretary of the League, said the decision to call for a debate stemmed from Mr Wayo's previous invitation to Mr Kan Dapaah, Minister of Energy, for a debate. The letter said the decision to debate Mr Wayo stemmed from the League's desire to point out the flaws in arguments advanced by him.
It said Mr Wayo did not seem to understand the classic spirit of the liberal ideology of the NPP and what the potent energy, inherent in all individuals could do for national development. The letter appealed to Mr Wayo to accept the invitation and to defend his populist views.
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Committee to probe Taifa killings
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 June 2002 - Defence Minister and acting Minister of
the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, has instituted a three-member independent
inquiry to investigate the circumstances that led to the gunning down of four
alleged armed robbers at Taifa, near Accra. The decision to set up an
independent inquiry was taken after the minister had conferred with the Chief
of Defence Staff, Lt Gen. Seth Obeng; the Inspector-General of Police, Mr
Ernest Owusu-Poku, and the Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative
Justice, Mr Emile Short.
The members are Prof Ivan Addae-Mensah, the Vice-Chancellor of the University
of Ghana (Chairman), Chief Supt Patrick Timbilah of Police Headquarters and
Commander S. K. Darbo of the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces.
A release signed by the Minister of Defence, Dr Addo-Kufuor, and issued in
Accra yesterday said the Ghanaian public will appreciate that the fight against
armed robbery and general indiscipline is an important national exercise. “It is
a fight that the people of Ghana cannot afford to lose as it will undermine
national security and expose the people of Ghana to many dangers”.
It said, in this regard, the government will like to show its appreciation to
the security agencies for their courage, commitment and valour. “Nonetheless,
in a democratic dispensation, human and constitutional rights of the people
should be protected at all times.”
The statement gave the assurance that the incident at Taifa will be thoroughly
investigated by the committee and that anybody found to be wilfully involved in
the death of the alleged armed robbers will be made to face the full rigours of
the law. It, however, indicated the firm commitment of the government to
continue to wage war against armed robbery and general indiscipline to rid the
nation of undesirable elements.
Last week Friday, four suspected armed robbers, including a taxi driver, were
shot dead by a joint police/military team at North Taifa, popularly called
Burkina. Members of the Taifa Watch Committee, however, denied the claims by
the security agencies that the four persons were armed robbers. They claimed
that the four Livingstone Adzigbli, Yaowofe Cephas, Amidu Alhassan and Nana
Asante were members of the Watch Committee.
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Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 21 June 2002- The Techiman Traditional Council has set up an 11-member technical committee to protect the banks of the Atwerodaa Stream and the River Tano to save the "sacred fish" from extinction. The committee, headed by Mr David Yaro, District Co-ordinating Director, is tasked to demolish all unauthorised structures along the two water bodies.
Members of the committee include a representative each from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Techiman District Building Inspectorate Division, the District Engineer, Survey Department, Environmental Health Division, and the Urban and Traditional councils.
Osabarima Dotobibi Takyia-Ameyaw II, Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, who announced the formation of the committee at Techiman on Wednesday, said the move had become necessary due to the tragic death of the sacred fish in the water bodies. e expressed the hope that the committee would work hard to adopt measures to protect the water bodies and the sacred fish, which had become a tourist attraction.
Mr Isaac Osei-Antwi, District Chief Executive for Techiman, said the District Assembly had liaised with the Department of Game and Wildlife to help protect crocodiles in the Tano River.
The assembly he said had formed a committee to work with the technical team to demolish all unauthorised structures along the Atweredaa stream. Joseph Edmund, Acting Regional Manager, Environmental Protection Agency, advocated an integrated planning for the two water bodies.
Members of the Traditional Council and the technical team later visited the banks of the Atweredaa stream and urged support from the government and the two Members of Parliament for the area to help develop the sites into tourist centres.
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NGO to assist virgins acquire
education
Tamale (Northern Region) 21 June 2002- The Youth Action on Reproductive Order (YARO), a local non-government organisation, has initiated measures to assist 90 virgins in junior secondary school in Tamale to enable them to complete their education.
The President of YARO, Mr Benin Hajei Douri said the package, which involved the provision of text books, school bags and the payment of school fees for the girls, was aimed at encouraging them to maintain their virginity until they got married.
He said the measure, the first of its kind in the region was also to protect girls in the Tamale Municipality from falling prey to men, who took advantage of their economic plight, and lured them into sexual activities.
Mr Douri was speaking at a day's workshop organised by YARO for students and teachers of schools in Tamale on Thursday, He appealed to parents to protect their children from HIV/AIDS since according to him men targeted young girls because they were believed to be free from the disease.
The girls were drawn from 15 junior secondary schools in the town and were between the 12 and 17 years old.Mr Douri said periodical test would be conducted on the girls to ascertain their virginity and other health status.
He asked the girls to maintain their virginity till they got married, saying "you stand a better chance of living to see the future and good things are yet to come on your way." Mr Douri warned the girls that the day they would 'break' their virginity could be the start of a journey to HIV/AIDS.
He said the HIV/AIDS situation in the country was alarming and suggested to the Ministry of Education to make it compulsory for pre-senior secondary school and pre-tertiary students to present HIV/AIDS test certificates before admission. The girls were taken through personal hygiene, general knowledge on HIV/AIDS, the effects of victims of the disease on the society.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 June 2002- Mr Kwadwo Afram Asiedu, Deputy Minister of the Interior, on Thursday said the Ghana Refugee Board was to be reconstituted to enhance the implementation of the UN Refugee Convention and that of the African Unity.
Speaking on the theme; "Refugee Women, Partnership for Equality" on UN Refugee Day, which fell on Thursday, Mr Asiedu said; "The solution to the problem of refugees in the Sub-Region lies in finding solutions to the problems that led to their becoming refugees in the first instance.
"It is, therefore, our responsibility to come out with measures to at least ease the burden of the refugee, whilst it remains our ultimate goal to find durable solutions to the problem."
Mr Asiedu noted that women, children and the aged often bore the full brunt in every conflict situation, who did not seem to benefit as much as the men when it came to the support provided for refugees. He said women had an important role to play in activities relating to refugees and that they could perform even better than the men if given the chance. "It is, therefore, important to ensure that refugee women are given equal chances as their male counterparts".
The Deputy Minister advocated a greater representation of women on the various Refugee Welfare Councils on their camps. He commended NGOs, which have been assisting with the running of the Buduburam Refugee Camp following the UNHCR's decision to withdraw assistance to the camp in June 2000 as well as communities, which have been hosting the refugees.
Mr Asiedu cautioned refugees in Ghana not to take undue advantage of the hospitality offered them by the country to engage in anti-social activities. He said the law-abiding refugees should report any unlawful activities by their colleagues to the Police to maintain the trust between the refugees and the general populace.
Six UNHCR implementation partners were presented with plaques for their contribution towards the welfare of refugees in Ghana. They were the Assemblies of God Relief Services Development, Ghana; Christian Council of Ghana and the National Catholic Secretariat.
The rest were the World Vision International, Ghana Red Cross Society and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency-Ghana. The celebration, which used to be called Africa Refugee Day, was changed to World Refugee Day following a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly last year.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 June 2002- Mr Jake Obetsebi- Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs on Thursday said the Information Services Department (ISD) would soon digitise more than three million photographs it has since pre-independence days till now for sale. It would be one of the ways of generating revenue for the Department.
The Minister was receiving a three-member World Bank delegation led by Mr Paul Mitchell, Chief, Regional Operations and External Affairs Officer. The visit is at the invitation of the Ministry to help develop a communication project that would ensure information flow within the country.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said; " We need to build a proper archive of all the films and photographs to meet communication needs of Ghana to ensure her continued strive for her to play the leading role of democratic governance in Africa.
He said that could be achieved if only communication, which was an integral part of development, were strengthened. Mr Obetsebi Lamptey said the ISD as an arm of government and responsible for disseminating information was in dire need of vans that would be used to educate the people.
"At the moment we have only 55 vans with only 25 being road worthy. The ideal need would be to have a minimum of 85 vans with each one serving two districts." He said in view of the country's economic conditions, "Government has had to take tough measures and having a proper communication tool is the surest way to develop the country and our problems can be solved through democratic processes".
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said fraud and corruption had become a huge canker within the society, and it was only a vibrant media that could expose all wrongdoings and project government policies.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 June 2002- An Accra Circuit Tribunal on Thursday granted 100 million cedis bail with a surety to be justified to Daniel Poku, a 54 year old typesetter, who was arrested in connection with the leakage of this year's Basic
Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) question papers.
This followed Mr Ekow Baiden, defence counsel's plea to the tribunal to grant Poku bail as his client would not abscond and shall stand trial any time he was called upon. Inspector Emmanuel Boison, the Prosecutor, did not object to the bail and told the tribunal that the investigator informed him that the Attorney
General's Office intended to take over the prosecution.
Poku, who has since 7 June been on remand, was, therefore, granted bail to reappear on 24 July. Poku, a typesetter of Commercial Associates Limited, a printing firm in Accra, had pleaded not guilty to causing the leakage of the examination papers.
The case for the prosecution was that last year, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Ghana, entered into a contract with the printing firm, where the accused worked as a typesetter, to print question papers for the 2002 BECE.
The accused was requested to typeset some of the questions and in the process got access to all the examination questions. He thus took illegal possession of some of the question papers in English Language, Mathematics, Agricultural Science, General Science, Religious and Moral Education, Pre-Technical Skills, Pre-Vocational Skills and Social Studies.
Inspector Boison said, Poku later made photocopies of the examination papers and gave them to his son, one Benjamin Poku, who is on the run, to sell to a number of schools.
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