GRi Newsreel 28 - 11 - 2002
Prosecute
Economic Management Team - GCPP
President's
Special Initiative is profit oriented
Accessing
private capital is a new area - J.H. Mensah
Roads ministry
wants an increase fuel levy
London hosts AIDS seminar on Ghana
¢242bn
spent on mass cocoa spraying
Ignore
Kwesi Botchwey - Dan Lartey
Taylor
Woodrow to invest in Ghana
Moslem
delegation calls on Kufuor
New Deputy
Commissioner sworn into office
Prof Akosa
serves on Prisons Council
Utilities
Commission to ensure consumers interest
Police
boss commends the government
Reconciliation
Commission not a ‘Father Christmas’
Tsikata's
case adjourned again
Ex-soldier
pleads for forgiveness
Prosecute
Economic Management Team - GCPP
Accra
(Greater Accra) 28 November 2002 - The Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP)
on Wednesday called on the government to prosecute members the Economic
Management Team for causing financial loss to the state over outcome of the
controversial International Financial Consortium (IFC) loan.
"The Economic
Management Team has failed, cost the nation a huge financial loss and exposed
their gross incompetence in international financial transactions and must
account for it," Mr Dan Lartey told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an
unsolicited telephone call after the government's withdrawal from the
International Financial Consortium loan negotiations.
Yaw Osafo-Maafo,
Minister of Finance on Tuesday told Parliament that Government had come to the
conclusion that it would be in the national interest not to pursue further
discussions and negotiations in respect of the IFC loan approved by Parliament
on July 12, 2002.
Lartey also called on
the Finance Minister, Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr Paul Acquah and the Senior
Minister, Mr Joseph Henry Mensah to resign and apologise to the nation.
"If they fail to act honourably, the government must give meaning to the
concept of "zero tolerance for corruption", and fire them as well as
put them before the Fast Track Court for causing financial loss to the
state," the GCPP Leader stated.
He challenged the
Economic Management Team to tell Ghanaians how much the nation spent on the
transactions - travelling fares, hotel accommodation, allowances for officials
who were involved in the transaction and any other monetary expenditure the
state incurred.
Lartey also urged the
government to reshuffle the Economic Management Team, "as the current team
is not capable of leading the nation out of the economic difficulties".
The Finance Minister
told Parliament that no payment was made in advance, the sovereign guarantee was
neither issued to the Consortium nor to any member of the Consortium by the
government and that the honour of the country was not in any way been
compromised.
Osafo-Maafo said the
implication of the decision was that the additional resources the Government
sought to find to assist with quick improvement of infrastructure development
was no more available to the country under the terms of the loan.
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President's
Special Initiative is profit oriented
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Major Courage
Quashigah on Wednesday said the President's Special Initiative on cassava was
profit -oriented and feasibility studies have to be undertaken to establish the
viability or otherwise for any district to be considered.
He said even though
the PSI was not directly under the Ministry, it was collaborating with the
secretariat in piloting the initiative for four years period. Major Quashigah
said this in an answer asked by Ransford Y. Agyepong, NPP-Suhum on behalf of Dr
William Boakye Akoto, NPP- Birim North as to what plans the Ministry has to
extend the PSI on cassava production to the Birim North District.
The Minister said
currently, the Ayensu Starch Company is operating in zones such as Gomoa,
Agona, Awutu Effutu Senya, West Akim, Akuapem South, Ga district and parts of
Suhum Kraboa Coalta districts. The company was operating also in the Volta
basin zone such as Asuogyaman, Fanteakwa, Akwapim North, Kpando, Amansie West
and East, Adansi East and West, Upper Denkyira and Assin districts.
Dr Mustapha Ahmed,
NDC-Ayawaso East asked when the initiative would be brought to Parliament to
enable members utilise it for the benefit of their people and the Minister said
areas of heavy cassavas production are being targeted and explained that it was
the Secretariat of the PSI that identifies areas to be supported.
Modestus Ahiable, NDC-
Ketu North asked when would the production of starch actually start and the
Minister said the secretariat has already taken delivery of some machinery and
production is expected to start by March next year.
In another
development, Major Quashigah said the Ministry was in consultation with the
Ghana Export Promotion Council on issues relating to the development of ginger
as an export commodity. He said the two organisations are gathering
specifications on quality standards required by the international market for
the split dry ginger and also exploring the possibility of using solar dryers.
Major Quashigah said
this in reaction to a question asked by Godfred Otchere, NPP- Ayensuano on
behalf of Mr James Adusei-Sarkodie, NPP- Atwima Nwabiagya as to whether there
were any plans to revamp the ginger industry as an export crop to earn foreign
exchange for the country.
The Minister said
information gathered indicates that the variety being widely cultivated in the
country by the farmers is more acceptable in the split and dried form rather
than in its fresh state.
Major Quashigah said
earlier attempts by the Ministry at promoting dried ginger for export failed in
the Nkawie District because of the relatively high cost of running the diesel
operated mechanical dryer and that rendered the venture uneconomical.
He said as soon as the
needed information was gathered and ready, farmers would be exposed to the
technology as a way of boosting the ginger trade.
Okyere asked whether new
varieties could not be developed for export and the Minister said it was the
manner of being dried and not the varieties but the Ministry would find ways of
assisting farmers to process the crop.
Victor Gbeho, Ind.
Anlo said since the export of ginger was highly competitive would the Minister
consider consulting other friendly exporting countries and research
institutions to assist and the Minister said the advice was worth trying.
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Accessing
private capital is a new area - J.H. Mensah
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior Minister, said on Wednesday that
accessing private capital for public sector activity is a new area of endeavour
for government and this requires tact, patience and skill to achieve.
He told delegates at
the on-going Commonwealth-Ghana Investment Conference in Accra that as a public
sector operation, finding private capital was slow and difficult to get.
Mensah, who is the head of the government's Economic Management Team, said
these notwithstanding, Ghana requires huge assistance to attract the right kind
of investment to meet the development aspirations of her people.
He outlined areas that
must attract the attention of investors as telecommunications and
infrastructure, which he described as "quite weak" and does not
measure up to what the President expects to propel the economy on a fast lane.
"Our infrastructure is not what it should be. You will learn that you must
dial about five times before you get your call through and our roads are
wretched."
Mensah said these key
areas should attract investors and make them willing partners to the country's
drive to play a major role in the sub-region. He noted that Ghana's financial
sector has come a long way, but needs capital injection to support her
development plans.
Mensah said Ghana has
immense resources, but unfortunately has lost ground in their utilization.
"I hope you as investors would link up with your colleagues here,
especially in agriculture, services and banking. "Do not just make
intentions, but firm commitments that will effect comprehensive change in the
economy. The government is committed to providing the material support.
The three-day
conference is being organized by the government of Ghana in association with
the Commonwealth Business Council and the Ghana Investment Centre. The
conference, which precedes the annual meeting of Commonwealth Heads of States
of Government, is the fourth and last this year, having been held in
Mozambique, Nigeria and Malta.
It is bringing
together potential foreign investors, government ministers and Ghanaian
business leaders to explore opportunities in financial services, mining, and
infrastructure development, information technology and agro- industries.
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Roads
ministry wants an increase fuel levy
Kumasi (Ashanti
Region) 28 November 2002 - The Ministry of Roads and Transport has asked
Cabinet to develop a more systematic increment regime in fuel levy to
strengthen the capacity of the road fund to sustain road maintenance in the
country.
The ministry also
requested for an increase in fuel levy by an equivalent of two US cents in 2003
and that this should be reviewed upwards by one cent annually from January 2004
until the target of 9.5 cents was achieved.
Dr Anane said these at
the opening of this year's annual donors Conference at the Georgia Hotel in
Kumasi on Wednesday. The two-day conference was being attended by diplomats,
Ghana's development partners, Members of Parliament under the theme, "Accelerating
economic growth through road infrastructure development and maintenance".
Dr Anane said the
total financial outlay required for this year's maintenance programme under the
Road Sector Development Programme was ¢1,342bn. The expected contribution from
the road fund was ¢465bn that represented about 34 per cent of the funds needed
for maintenance.
The Minister said the
contribution was based on the expected increase of the fuel levy from ¢230 per
litre to ¢305 and said the government could not effect the increment due to the
simultaneous hikes of tariffs for the utilities.
Dr Anane told the
conference that preparation and procurement procedures at the ministry, its
agencies and at the level of the Central Tender Board have all been sanitised
and been fast tracked.
He said from next
year, his ministry would carry out financial, technical and procurement audit
on all activities undertaken under the RSDP and to report to their development
partners. This, he said, would re-assure them of the country's commitment to
ensuring transparency procuring goods and services and the award of contracts.
Dr Anane said there
was a correlation between the incidence of poverty and poor road network. He
cited that the Upper East Region with 88.2 per cent of the population living
below the poverty line had 65 per cent of its road network in poor condition.
He said the focus of
the road sub-sector was therefore to increase investment in road infrastructure
in the region, where poverty levels were high to enhance movement of goods and
services from production centres to marketing centres.
Marts Karlson, the
World Bank Country Director, told the donors to ensure that they fulfilled
their promises and pledges made towards the country's development agenda. He
said the pledges they should be translated in concrete terms to bring
improvement to the road sector thereby reducing poverty.
Karlson praised the
government for good governance and good policies that had led to macro-economic
stability and its strong commitment to promoting private sector-led growth. He
called for a comprehensive approach to road infrastructure development and said
this was necessary in view of the fact that between 60 and 70 per cent of the
country's food supply was by road transport.
The World Bank Country
Director said the expansion; improvement and development of the road network
should be balanced with the capacity to maintain them.
Sampson Kwaku Boafo,
Ashanti Regional Minister, hoped the conference would provide the platform for candid
and dispassionate discussion of the performance of the road sector to
facilitate the development.
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London hosts AIDS seminar on Ghana
London (UK) 28 November 2002 - A one-day seminar on HIV/AIDS in Ghana will be held at the Chancery, Ghana High Commission, 13 Belgrave Square, SW1X 8PN on Saturday 30 November 2002.
The theme for the seminar, being organised by the Homecoming Steering Committee (UK and Ireland) in collaboration with the Ghana High Commission, London is “What needs to be done to arrest the high incidence of HIV/AIDS in Ghana?”
The seminar is aimed at sensitising the Ghanaian community in the UK on the magnitude of the AIDS scourge.
The programme, which will be facilitated by Rev Adu Gyamfi, chairman of the Committee and Owusu Ansah Boafo, a Medical Sociologist, will also field presentations from Dr Tubonye C. Harry, a Consultant in HIV/AIDS medicine, Mrs Mary Owusu of the Paediatric unit of the St. Georges Hospital in London and Ms Victoria Manford, a Ghanaian consultant in the UK.
Rev Adu Gyamfi told a press briefing that the seminar would, among other things, deliberate on measures being pursued by the Government to combat the AIDS scourge and ways of mobilising financial and material support of Ghanaian residents in the UK to supplement Government efforts in the fight against the disease.
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¢242bn
spent on mass cocoa spraying
Kwameseikrom (Brong
Ahafo) 28 November 2002 – The National Chief Farmer, Nana Ahyna Kpayiri has
disclosed that the government has spent ¢242bn on this year's cocoa spraying
exercise.
He was speaking at an
anti-cocoa smuggling rally organised by the Brong-Ahafo Regional Branch of
Ghana Cocoa Coffee Farmers Association at Kwameseikrom in the Jaman District of
the Region.
The rally was aimed at
sensitising farmers in the area of the negative effects that the smuggling of
cocoa, fuel and other local products to neighbouring countries had on the
national economy.
Nana Kpayiri
emphasised that smuggling greatly affected the Government's repayment efforts
by COCOBOD to repay international loans contracted under the "forward
sales" term of reference and advised against the practice.
The National Chief
Farmer, who is also Chief of Awiabo, near Axim in the Western Region noted that
the Government recognised the important role cocoa farmers play in national
economy.
"The government
will do everything possible to rekindle the interest of cocoa farmers to enable
the nation to recapture her former status as the world's leading cocoa producer".
The recent campaign
against cocoa smuggling by the Minister of Defence and the Chief Executive of
COCOBOD at some of the nation's border towns testify to this fact, Nana Kpayiri
said.
He called for the
payment of cocoa farmers for their produce through passbook/cheque system to
qualify them for bank loans.
The National Chief
Farmer commended the Omanhene of Enchi for his recent pronouncement that his
traditional council would confiscate the farm of any cocoa farmer caught
smuggling the produce and asked traditional rulers in the Jaman District to
emulate the Enchi Omanhene.
Nana Tutu Abban III,
Central Regional Chief Farmer, complained about some cocoa farmers who absented
themselves during the recent cocoa spraying exercise.
Such absentee farmers
make much noise against the exercise, he said, and advised cocoa farmers to
ensure their presence to supervise spraying agents for effective work in the
next spraying exercise.
Nana Abban advised
cocoa farmers in Brong Ahafo to encourage their children to go to school so
that their brilliant and needy students could qualify for government
scholarships.
On farmers' bank
loans, he said investigations had proved that cocoa farmers who received cash
for the sale of their cocoa did not get bank loans and advised such farmers to
shift from that "cash-down" payment practice to the "bank
cheque" payment to attract assistance from the banks.
Victor Hyde, Acting
Brong-Ahafo Regional Immigration Commander who said he had been familiar with
the Kwameseikrom border-post for 12 years, called on chiefs and people in the
area to assist security agencies in checking smuggling in the area.
Daniel Dalle, Deputy
Superintendent of Police (DSP) in-charge of Jaman District, asked cocoa farmers
on the Ghana-Cote d'Ivoire border to alert the police of the activities of
smugglers.
Alex Narh Okunor,
Brong-Ahafo Regional Commander of Custom, Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS)
announced that his outfit had instituted an award for any informant whose
tip-off would cause the arrest of a cocoa or fuel smuggler.
The CEPS officer said
the informant would be given one-third of the cost of the confiscated
commodity. In a welcoming address, Nana Agyei Damoah, Brong-Ahafo Regional
Farmer, appealed to the National Chief Farmer to include cashew farmers in the
Region in the Association.
He said most farmers
at Kwameseikrom and Sampa had embraced cashew cultivation and needed assistance
to boost their morale.
Nana Damoah announced
that his outfit had formed a "burnt cocoa farmers association", aimed
at assisting farmers in the region to replant burnt cocoa farms and appealed to
the National Chief Farmer to help the Association to acquire cocoa seedlings to
ensure the success of the purpose for which it was formed.
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Ignore
Kwesi Botchwey - Dan Lartey
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - Dan Lartey, Founder and leader of the Great
Consolidated Popular
Party (GCPP) has said that Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, an aspiring flag-bearer of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) failed the nation when he was the Minister
of Finance and Economic Planning and did not therefore deserve to be a
President of the country.
Lartey called on
members of the NDC and on all Ghanaians to ignore Dr. Botchwey's bid for
flag-bearership of the NDC and future bid for the presidency.
Popularly noted for
his domestication paradigm during the 2000 elections, Lartey said, "as
finance and economic planning minister in the PNDC-NDC era for about 15 years,
Dr. Botchwey was largely responsible for the current economic woes of the
country."
He said Dr. Botchwey
literally sold the Ghanaian economy to the suspicious multi-lateral
organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
others who are currently the perpetrators of the economic slavery of this
country.
"Under Kwesi
Botchwey, the Ghanaian economics run into more problems than ever. What was
more serious, Botchwey abandoned his party and the entire nation for so-called
personal reasons at a time he was needed to clean the mess he had
created."
Lartey said it was
high time Ghanaians grew above political triviality and took a careful look at
the present and the future in the light of the past before making political
decisions.
"We cannot just
sweep our recent past under the carpet and leave our future at the mercy of
potential deserters who only bid it fit to desert the masses for parochial
reasons when the going gets tough".
He observed that the
ruling government was only continuing in the fashion of the past government,
saying that it was unfortunate for President John Agyekum Kufuor to be running
around the globe begging for crumbs to better the Ghanaian economy.
Lartey said President
Kufuor and his government should have learnt from the experience of the NDC
government that running around for foreign investors was not and would never be
the best solution to the economic problems of this country.
"I still stand by
my domestication paradigm that we have what it takes as a nation and as a
people to better our economic situation," he said. "If we stop for
once and took a look at the internal resources and the local private sector we
would be making a good start."
He lauded the Presidential
Special Initiatives (PSI) as a good start, but was quick to point out that the
various programs must be ran hand in hand with readily available resources if
the PSI was to succeed.
Lartey compared the
PSI to the Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) program during the late Kutu
Acheampong's era, saying that in those days, "I was responsible for the
entire program and I ensured that whilst the farmers were producing raw
materials, the industries were also well resourced to process them into exportable
products."
"At the time we
were successful in feeding ourselves as a nation and we cut down on our import
expenditure drastically - I keep saying that I and my party still have what it
takes to give Ghanaians a better life when given the mandate to lead this
nation in the 2004 elections," he said.
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Taylor
Woodrow to invest in Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - The management of Taylor Woodrow Construction, a British
firm, is to invest about $20m in Ghana within the next two years.
Andrew Wyllie,
Managing Director of the Company, who announced this said the investment, which
would be in the mining and private sector was based on the confidence the
Company had in Ghana's future.
Wyllie on a visit to
Ghana to inspect projects being undertaken by the Company said this when he led
a three-man delegation to pay a courtesy call on President John Kufuor at the
Castle, Osu.
He said part of the
investment would be used for training and improvement in the technology being
used in the country.
President Kufuor
commended the Company, which had been a development partner in the country for
some time now, for the confidence it had in the government's policies and
programmes.
He said the Company
had offered a lot of employment for the youth and expressed the hope that the
new investment would enable more people to be employed.
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Moslem
delegation calls on Kufuor
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - President John Kufuor has said that the government would not
discriminate or victimize anyone on ethnicity, religion or political
affiliation.
He said his government
had respect for people and their rights was God-fearing and perceived anyone as
equal before the law. "Government will not discriminate or victimize
people because of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation," he said
when a delegation from the Moslem Community in Nima and Maamobi who called on
him at the Castle, Osu.
He reiterated
government's commitment to ensure development in all parts of the country and
improve upon the living standards of Ghanaians and unite with the people from
neighbouring countries.
President Kufuor asked
the people to be wary of those determined to sow seeds of discord between them
and the government and urged them to report such people to the law enforcement
agencies.
He appealed to them to
use their month-long fasting period to pray for peace, harmony and tolerance
among all religions in the country to ensure that peace prevails for effective
development in Ghana.
Ben Braimah, a
spokesman for the delegation, said the victory of the NPP in the 2000 election
was a testimony of the confidence President Kufuor commands in the party and
the country.
He pledged their
unflinching support to the government. Among those present were Vice President
Alhaji Aliu Mahama and some Ministers of State.
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New
Deputy Commissioner sworn into office
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - President John Kufuor has directed the Commission for Human
Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to show a strong sense of conscience
and morality and dispense their decisions without fear or favour.
He said the CHRAJ,
which is primarily concerned with administering justice, has now assumed a role
of the Ombudsman for the voiceless in the society.
President Kufuor made
the call when administering the oaths of office and secrecy to Miss Anna
Bossman, a lawyer, as the Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ at the Castle, Osu.
"You are expected
to bring to bear on the office your wide education and feeling for
fairness," the President said. Miss Bossman thanked the government for the
offer to serve the nation and pledged to administer justice without fear or
favour and uphold the oaths taken.
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Prof
Akosa serves on Prisons Council
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - President John Kufuor on Wednesday sworn-in Professor
Agyeman Badu Akosa, a medical practitioner as a Member of the Prisons Service
Council at a brief ceremony at the Castle, Osu.
He administered the
oaths of office and secrecy. President Kufuor said Professor Akosa who had
worked in the public service for a long time and had a reforming mind should
endeavour to assist in reforming the Prisons Service.
He said, "you
should put your experience at the disposal of the Service for the benefit of
the country". Professor Akosa, who is also the Director of Health
Services, said he was aware of the peculiar health needs of the Prisons
Service.
He pledged to work
assiduously to help improve, not only the health needs of the Service but their
total welfare as well. Present at the ceremony was Vice President Alhaji Aliu
Mahama.
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Utilities
Commission to ensure consumers interest
Dodowa (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) on
Wednesday said it would not sacrifice consumer interest at the whims of utility
service providers either private or government.
"Consumers must
appreciate the need for cost reflective but efficient tariffs. That is the
surest way to ensure sustainable utility service provision."
Stephen Adu, Executive
Secretary of the PURC said this at a public forum at Dodowa aimed at monitoring
services of utility providers in the Dangme West District.
He said the PURC was
determined to ensure that inefficiencies by the utilities were not passed on to
consumers. Adu said in arranging tariffs, critical analysis was done in
considering the ability of consumers, most of who were low-income earners.
Joseph Opare-Djan,
Public Relations Manager, PURC reiterated that the commission was under
statutory obligation to protect the interest of consumers and it would not
relent in that direction.
He noted that the
forum was also to educate consumers on utility service provision. Many
consumers in their contributions expressed dissatisfaction at interrupted
supply of both water and electricity services in the area and even throughout
the district.
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Police
boss commends the government
Winneba (Central
Region) 28 November 2002 - The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Nana Owusu
Nsiah has expressed his administration's appreciation to the government for
providing the Police Service with a good number of service vehicles.
He has, accordingly
charged personnel of the Service to reciprocate the gesture by giving of their
best to save life and property.
The IGP made the
commendation in a speech read on his behalf by Assistant Commissioner of Police
(ACP) P.K. Ampewuah on the occasion of the passing out of 81 General Police
Recruits after four months of intensive training at the Winneba Police Training
Depot.
Ampewuah, who is also
the Central Region Police Commander charged the personnel to turn a new leaf,
learn to live above reproach to have the moral justification to subject others
to discipline.
The recruits, all
drivers, form the first batch of 400 to be recruited to handle the newly
brought service vehicles to help combat armed robbery and other social vices.
They were taken
through topics like criminal law, law of evidence, police service instructions,
physical education and tae-kwando drills.
ACP Ampewuah, who was
also the reviewing officer, congratulated General Recuit Martin Boama for
emerging as the overall best recruit.
He was also adjudged
the best in academic, best behaved and best marksman. The ceremony, though
short but impressive during which various skills were exhibited, was witnessed
by officials of the Police Service from Accra, Ho, Koforidua and Takoradi.
Others include the
District Chief Executive for the area, Captain Steve Kwame Armah (Rtd), Nana
Ghartey VII, Omanhene of Effutu Traditional Area, and Branford Adu, Member of
Parliament for Okere.
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Reconciliation
Commission not a ‘Father Christmas’
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - Victims of alleged violations of human rights abuses in
stipulated unconstitutional regimes under consideration by the National
Reconciliation (NRC) will not automatically be compensated when they filed
complaints.
The Investigation
Department would thoroughly investigate their petitions and its finding would
be presented to the Commission's Legal Affairs Secretariat and it would move
from there to the Commission for a final decision and the kind of compensation
to given.
Christian Appiagyei, a
member of the Commission gave the explanation in Accra when the Commission
organised a seminar to sensitise members of the Greater Accra Civil Servants
Association on the work of the Commission in Accra.
He said the focus of
the reconciliation exercise was not just to dispense compensation but also to
offer victims a platform to tell their painful stories.
The outcome of the
Commission's work, Appiagyei said would provide justice, strengthen
accountability and also provide a basis for apology and restitution. He gave
the assurance that the Commission would focus on the specified periods and
called on Ghanaians to co-operate with it to accomplish its statutory mission.
Dr Araba Sefa Dede,
Head of the Commission's Counselling Department said the department offered
counselling to victims who requested it.
She said the
department had dealt with cases of trauma, anger, rage, depression and anxiety.
Dr Sefa-Dede said the individual as well as the nation needed healing and noted
that trauma on the whole, negatively affected the development of societies.
She said counselling
helped victims to come to terms with their confessions; and added that
forgiveness to perpetrators also helped victims to free their minds to live
normal lives.
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Tsikata's
case adjourned again
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - Proceedings at the trial of Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief
Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) were on Wednesday
adjourned to Thursday 5 December at the instance of the prosecution.
Osafo Sampong,
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who asked for the adjournment, told the
Fast Track Court that the next prosecution witness had just arrived from a trip
outside the country and could not be available.
With no opposition from
defence counsel, Mrs Justice Henrietta Abban, an Appeal Court Judge sitting on
the case as an additional High Court Judge, obliged and adjourned proceedings
to Thursday 5 December.
This is the second
time in two weeks that the case was being adjourned by the court as a result of
the prosecution's inability to produce its next witness.
At the court's sitting
on Tuesday 12 November, Sampong said the next prosecution witness had travelled
outside the country and asked for a fortnight's adjournment.
Mrs Justice Abban
granted the request and adjourned the case to Wednesday to enable the
prosecution to call its next witness.
Tsikata is being tried
for allegedly causing financial loss of more than 2.3bn cedis to the state. He
is charged with four counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state.
Additionally, he is
accused of intentionally misapplying an amount of 20m cedis belonging to GNPC
to acquire shares in Valley Farms, a private limited liability company. Tsikata
has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and is currently on a self-cognisance
bail of 700m cedis.
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Ex-soldier
pleads for forgiveness
Accra (Greater Accra)
28 November 2002 - Ex-Corporal Matthew Adabuga who said he participated in the
31st December 1981 Revolution has asked for forgiveness for the role he played
during the revolution.
"I will plead
through you to the people of Ghana, particularly, those who were directly
victimised by our bogus 31st December Revolution, to accept our
plea, against the backdrop of our tender ages at that time," he said at a
new conference in Accra.
"Even I, who was
the most senior amongst them, was only 24 years, and at that age it was easy
for Flt. Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, to deceive and manipulate us.
"I am not by this
suggesting in any measure that we are not to blame. I only realised that we
were all misled and that all that we stood for was nothing but vanity."
Flanked by Major Esah
Mohammed (Rtd), Major Antwi Boateng (Rtd), Captain Ben E. Duah, (Rtd),
executive members of the Association of Victims of Revolutionary Injustice, Cpl
Adabuga said he and his younger colleagues who are dead or alive were truly
sorry for their roles.
He said even though he
has visited the offices of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to tell
his story, he preferred to make an open statement to all about his deeds.
GRi…/
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