GRi Press Review 11 - 09
- 2003
Five persons in shady cocoa deal
C'ttee to investigate ¢700m shoes, socks CEPS purchase
Ghana among diplomats owing £120,000 in parking fines
Pistol on Ghanair flight
Nungua chief returns from exile
"Faceless" group claim responsibility for coup plot
Security personnel warned against aiding smugglers
Boakye Djan objected civilian rule - Mrs Rawlings
¢140m for Speaker of Parliament: The people's voice
NDC has an agenda to misinform - Minister
Five persons in shady cocoa deal
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 11 September 2003 - In a typical 419 scheme shrouded with skulduggery, five persons, including a clerk and a driver of Global Haulage Company have diverted more than ¢270m worth of cocoa.
The cocoa, 435 and 75 bags belonging to two cocoa buying companies, Trans Royal Cocoa and Cocoa Merchants respectively, were to be transported to Tema on a Renault articulated truck.
Their devious scheme was successfully executed through false presentation of identities and fake vehicle number plate to convey the 510 bags of cocoa beans, which they sold to another company at a lesser price.
The five, namely, Alhassan Iddrisu of Global Haulage Company, Peter Asante-Domfeh of Kuapa Cocoa, Gamor Wilson and Nkansah Boateng are presently standing trial at the Juaso Cicuit Court.
Their prosecution at the Juaso Circuit Court, despite the absconding of the driver, Nasiru Moro, was due to the tenacity of the Konongo Divisional Police.
The facts as presented to the Court on 5 March this year, presided over by Judge Osam Duodu indicated that, two men, Frimpong Tawiah and Samuel Asense-Oduro made a report to the Juaso police on 13 February 2003 to the effect that a Renault articulated truck with registration number AS7717E, had disappeared with 510 bags of cocoa beans valued at ¢270,937,000.00
Bearing in mind cases of smuggling with the potential loss of revenue to the country, the police commenced investigations, which took them to the Driver and Vehicles Licensing Division in Kumasi where, a Benz truck with the same registration number and owned by one Charles Osei of Bantama in Kumasi was identified.
On 4 March, the police acting on a tip-off, went to the yard of Global Haulage in Tema and saw a Renault truck with registration number GT9220A parked and loaded with cocoa, which was pointed out to them by Asenso-Oduro as the truck which disappeared with the cocoa.
It was established that one Nasiru Moro, whose name on the Waybill, as written by Alhassan Iddrisu was Seidu Halidu, was traced to Ashaiman but bolted upon seeing the law enforcement agents.
Investigations found out that the loaded cocoa on the truck had been purchased at Suhyen near Koforidua in the Eastern Region and sent to Tema on 15 March.
Having arrested Alhassan Iddrisu, he led the police to Juansa near Agogo in the Ashanti Region and pointed out one Peter Asante-Domfeh, a cocoa keeper of Kuapa Cocoa as the one who bought the cocoa at a lesser price of ¢225m.
Caught in the web of the police, the name of Gamor Wilson and his brother in-law, Nkansah Boateng came up, where the latter also implicated one Amos Paa Brown in Ashaiman and Iddrisu. An amount of ¢37.8m was found and retrieved from them when a search was conducted on them.
Four of the five accused were remanded in prison custody when they were arraigned before the Circuit Court on 18 March. Through investigations, Frimpong Tawiah and Samuel Asenso-Oduro who had earlier claimed to be agents of Global Haulage were exposed as the District Managers of Cocoa Merchants Ghana Ltd and Trans Royal Cocoa respectively stationed at Juaso.
According to the Konongo Divisional Police Crime Officer, ASP P.S.K. Osae, there have been subsequent adjournments. The last adjourned date was 15 August and it is still pending awaiting final determination. - Chronicle
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C'ttee to investigate ¢700m shoes, socks CEPS purchase
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003 - Following the Chronicle newspaper's publication about a suspected ¢700 million shoe deal at the Customs Excise Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ministry of Finance has set up a committee to investigate the allegations.
The committee is the second to be constituted after the first one was formed on the 5th of last month and dissolved. The 31 July, front-page issue of the Chronicle published that officers of CEPS had raised eyebrows over the cost of shoes and socks supplied to them.
The paper reported that 1500 pairs of shoes were supplied to officers at ¢450,000 a pair, while the same quantity of socks were supplied at ¢35000 per pair thus a total of ¢727.5m involved in the whole contract.
The CEPS Commissioner, BRIG Richardson Baiden, said that the first committee was dissolved because the minister preferred an independent committee to investigate the allegations.
Speaking in an interview, he said that," The minister wanted an independent committee to look into this and therefore the committee has been recomposed, the ministry has written to us that the new institutions on which they are going to draw the membership of the newly composed committee are the Accountant General Department, the Attorney General Department, Auditor General Department and Ministry of Finance".
He said the chairman of the new committee who has been given the mandate to finish his work by the 26th of this month comes from the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
The first committee, which dissolved, had the following as its members, the chairman, James Quarshie (MOF), Daniel Acquaye (Internal Revenue Service) and Secretary Alex Bonti (Vat Service). The committee was supposed to have submitted its report to the commissioner by 20 August.
Chronicle investigations showed that the new committee had been tasked to
investigate the following, examine the manner in which the contract to supply
came to be awarded, whether the laid down procedures for the procurement were
followed, whether the CEPS got the best bargain, the role of the members of CEPS
purchasing committee, sanctions to be prescribed for any breaches of due
processes in procurement, any other matters which in the opinion of the members
would be relevant to the enquiry among others.
Among those to appear before the committee were, the Deputy Commissioner in
charge of Information Technology, Mrs. Comfort Boahene-Osafo, Deputy
Commissioner in charge of Duties, LT Col (RTD) Ashiagbor, Ag. Assistant
Commissioner in charge of Legal, Mrs. Novisi Aryene.
Others were, Chief Collector in charge of stores, Ms. Gertrude Ampaw, Chief collector in charge of Purchasing, E. A. Okyne, Chief Collector in Charge of Accounts and Budget, Isaac Crentsil, the Senior Collector in charge of Administration, Ms. Patricia Cofie.
The rest were, Chairman of the Senior Collectors, Christopher Larweh, Assistant Collector in charge of Purchasing, companies and suppliers who bid for the contract, namely, Yorkshell LTD, Elsbury LTD and Hold Variety& Distribution Agencies and any other(s). - Chronicle
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Ghana among diplomats owing £120,000 in parking fines
London (UK) 11 September 2003 - Ghana is one of the diplomatic missions in the UK owing more than £120,000 in unpaid parking and traffic fines. The UK Foreign Office has revealed the United Arab Emirates tops the table of foreign states failing to pay, with 323 outstanding fines totaling £12,830.
According to the latest figures it is followed by Libya, which has 226 outstanding fines worth £8,940 and then China (195 fines at £7,790) and Egypt (97 fines worth £3,790).
Other culprits include Ghana, France, Algeria, Morocco and the Ukraine. A total of 60 countries have 11 or more unpaid fines, owing £107,680 between them.
Last year the diplomatic missions faced fines worth £173,180. After writing to all missions and international organisations in April, offering the chance to either pay up or appeal, the Foreign Office received £52,200.
The figures also showed that 20 serious offences allegedly committed by individuals from among the 20,000 protected by diplomatic immunity were reported to the Foreign Office last year. A "serious offence" is any that could normally result in a jail term of 12 months or more. - Ananova
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003 - With 11 September 2003 some two days away, sensibilities of passengers travelling aboard aircraft, seem to have been heightened, by the memory of the harrowing experience, that the American people went through, on 11 September 2001.
With the anniversary only a few days hence, it appears that the memory of the 2001 bombing of the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, triggered of panic amongst passengers aboard Ghana Airways Flight-GH 563/2, who became apprehensive, when they realized that one of their number, had a pistol hidden on his person. The Aircraft was flying from Robertsville Airport in Monrovia, Liberia, en-route through Abidjan to Accra.
Obviously terrified, one of the passengers, according to information reaching The Independent, informed one of the Flight Attendants that a man suspected to be an Army Officer had an object suspected to be a gun concealed on his waist.
The man was dressed in camouflaged military attire. The Flight Attendant, investigations revealed, then informed a superior officer (Purser) on the aircraft, of the information passed on by the alarmed passengers.
The Purser, our investigations revealed, then relayed the information to the Pilot, who requested that the Purser verify the truth or otherwise, of the report.
The Purser, this paper was reliably informed, mustered courage and confronted the said Army Officer, who according to information The Independent is privy to, is one Major Otoo. He acceded to the request from the Purser that he hand the pistol over to him.
"The Major however was very cooperative in handing over the pistol to the Purser", a passenger told this paper. The Pilot, we established, then advised the Purser to keep the pistol till arrival at the Accra International Airport.
Further checks at the Ghana Airways offices in Accra have established that there was no Marshal on the said aircraft, hence the decision by crew in charge of the aircraft to keep the pistol.
Some of the passengers who this paper spoke to wondered why the security at the Departure Hall at the Robertsville International Airport in Monrovia did not detect that the military officer had a pistol concealed on his body.
The Independent found out from further investigations that Major Otoo is a member of Ghana's contingent to the ECOMOG peace-keeping operations in Liberia. It was not immediately known why the military officer was returning to Ghana. - Independent
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Nungua chief returns from exile
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003 - The chief of Nungua in the Greater Accra, Nii Odai Ayiku IV, has returned from a self-imposed exile, with a clarion call on his people to unite and forge ahead in development.
Nii Ayiku, who spent 20 years in exile in the United Kingdom, also stressed the need for the people to pick up the pieces and marshal human and material resources for accelerated development. He was speaking at a well-attended press conference at Nungua, near Accra, on Tuesday.
Nii Ayiku expressed the belief that although there were differences, some of which were major, with a spirit of compromise and sacrifice, the people could achieve reconciliation. He entreated the people to immediately commit themselves to the settlement of all issues, using the time-honoured method of consultation and dialogue, rather than public exchanges of claims and counter-claims.
He conceded the fact that his long absence from the town had created some divisions among the people and described the situation as sad and anti-development. - Graphic
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"Faceless" group claim responsibility for coup plot
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003 - A faceless group calling itself the National Resistance Front (NRF), is claiming responsibility for a recent coup plot, which was published by the "Independent" newspaper.
In a handwritten letter signed by a certain Captain John West dated 8 August 2003, it claimed that, there has never been any action carried by those soldiers and warned that any attempt to use these people as those behind the coup will be resisted.
According to the "Independent", the Front in June 2003, made certain demands, which were sent to the "Ghanaian Chronicle" newspaper for publication but it refused to and rather sent it to the Security authorities.
The "Independent stated that, the story is published for its news value whilst it makes arrangements to hand over the original copy of the letter and the envelope in which it was posted to the national security authorities. - Independent
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Security personnel warned against aiding smugglers
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003 - The Minister for Defence, Dr. K. Addo Kufuor, has advised personnel of the security agencies to desist from condoning and conniving with coco smugglers. He said that any security personnel caught aiding smugglers would be dealt with severely to deter others.
Dr. Addo-Kufuor sounded the warning in an address read on his behalf at an awards ceremony for 454 purchasing clerks of OLAM Ghana Limited, a cocoa buying company. He said that measures have been instituted to ensure security alertness on the borders.
He said the fight against cocoa smugglers should be a shared responsibility among the security agencies, farmers and those living around the border towns.
Dr. Addo-Kufuor revealed that between 2001, it was estimated that the country lost over 50,000 tonnes of cocoa as a result of smuggling. The major concern now, he said should be to ensure that the enemies of the state would find it an arduous task in operating that way.
He said the Ministry appreciated the enormous efforts made by OLAM in paying a bonus of ¢1bn to farmers with the aim of discouraging cocoa farmers from selling to smugglers who offer them prices higher than the guaranteed price fixed by the government.
The Minister commended OLAM for supporting government in setting up a trust fund named Anti Cocoa Smuggling Trust Fund, which had the objective of assisting in anti-cocoa smuggling. - Times
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Boakye Djan objected civilian rule - Mrs Rawlings
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003 - Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has revealed that after the June 4, coup, Major (rtd) Boakye Djan was niggling that he was against the handing over to civilian rule.
According to Nana Konadu, soon after the announcement that there was going to be a handing over to civilian rule, Boakye Djan, stealthily, came to her when Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings was in Cuba and asked her to convince her husband that the handing over of power to civilian rule would cause confusion.
"Soon after the announcement that there was going to be a handing over, Boakye Djan came to see me in the house and said that this handing over that they are going do would cause confusion. At that time Rawlings was in Cuba."
"He said that they needed to hold on to power for a while because things were scattered and that the country had to get stable before handing over. I remember telling him that, now you are not afraid to come to me. I said that because when things were hot I stopped him one day and he swerved and sped off."
The ex-First Lady made these revelations during The Chronicle's interview with Ex-President Rawlings a couple of weeks ago. Nana Konadu added that Boakye Djan told her that he had spoken to Joshua Hamidu and that Hamidu was also in agreement that they should put the hand over on hold, a claim that she said later turned out to be false.
"I asked whether it was right and my husband said that I was not in the fire", she added. The ex-First Lady also noted that Boakye Djan was always complaining that he was not happy that even though he was the AFRC spokesman, Joshua Hamidu, was the one handling all the issues and doing a lot of the talking.
But Ex-President Rawlings said that he could understand the position of Boakye Djan to put the hand over on hold because things were hot in those days.
He, however, added that the purpose of the insurrection was not to hold on to power but to clean the system and hand over to civilian rule. "That is why the handing over had to take place" But Boakye in a separate interview with The Chronicle said that he never kicked against the hand over but rather he was the one who led the hand over.
"I was the one who led the handing over. The Generals had run foul of the law and we wanted to hold them accountable; that is why we staged the coup. Tell Rawlings and his wife that I know how to fight but I don't know how to hide and that is why I, Boakye Djan, in spite of what I have done and what I have not done, I haven't been arrested and put into prison before," he said.
According to him, he is a democrat and that even as a cadet officer he realized that the country's democracy and constitution at that time could not be taken for granted.
Boakye Djan said that the AFRC finished their job and even had sometime left so he saw no reason why he would have said that it was not ripe for a hand over to civilian rule.
J J's PAKISTAN TRIP AND THE COUP
Speaking about his trip to Pakistan around the time the uprising was being planned, the ex-President told The Chronicle that in the heat of the tension in the country and in the middle of the maneuverings to execute the coup, he was posted to Pakistan on an instructors' course.
He said on his way to Pakistan he passed through Switzerland to monitor events from there, adding that before he left, he gave his money to the RECCE 'boys' who shared it.
"I was monitoring the situation in Switzerland because the situation was too hot. Some of our guys were picked up in the course of planning. I am not an adventurer, there was a very volatile situation in the country," he said.
He said as a result of the cold in Pakistan, he suffered a severe pain in his arm and could not have any flight lessons so he reported ill and asked to be brought back to Ghana to accomplish his mission of stemming the tide in the country.
Asked if he reported ill just to get the opportunity to come back to Ghana to stage a coup, Rawlings said that was one of the reasons. He added that he had left behind a wife, a family and a beloved country that was waiting to explode. Rawlings said at that time one Brigadier W. W. Bruce Konuah was the head of the Ghana mission in Pakistan.
He recollected that he briefed Brigadier Konuah about the turbulent situation in Ghana at the time and the fact that he needed to come back to play his role in salvaging the country. Rawlings said when he was finally allowed to fly back to Ghana, he was seen off at the airport by Brigadier Konuah and the immediate past Chief of Staff, Brigadier Akafia. He said the two officers gave him hope that they appreciated the trouble that was looming in the country.
THE BANDAGE
According to the Ex-President, the popular claim that the bandage, which he spotted on June 4, was as a result of an injury he sustained when he was being released from custody was not true.
He said it was rather an injury he sustained after vaulting from a military vehicle when he and his troops came under fire in between 5BN and the RECCE.
"King Boso was the one who was driving that vehicle. I vaulted to the left of the vehicle and a bullet rocked where I was and one of our men was killed. It was not my nail, it was my palm," he said. - Chronicle
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¢140m for Speaker of Parliament: The people's voice
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003
CHOICE FM PHONE-INS
Ø There is nothing wrong with the Speaker of Parliament going on holidays but the $15,000 tax payers money being spent on this is too much for a HIPC country like Ghana.
Ø The NPP government accused the NDC of sending ministers and officials abroad for medical treatment, even when it was the former First Lady. Now that the NPP is in power, they are doing worse than what they accused the NDC of doing.
Ø No one should complain about the $15,000 given to the Speaker of Parliament for holidays overseas. The amount is even inadequate for a Speaker who is the third in command of the country.
Ø President Kufuor and his team should be sensitive to the plight of Ghanaians, by using the taxpayers' money judiciously. The ordinary worker cannot make ends meet on his take home salary, but the taxes they pay are used to take care of the Speaker of Parliament.
Ø According to the NPP manifesto, they would discontinue the practice of state officials being sent abroad for medical treatment. But after taking power, $69,000 was spent on the Speaker of Parliament for medical treatment in the USA. Another $15,000 has been given to him for an unofficial holiday in Ireland.
ADOM FM PHONE-INS
Ø All the suffering Ghanaians are going through are the making of the former
NDC government. It was during their term that school fees shot up to their
current level. They should not put the blame on the NPP government.
Ø The NDC government encouraged SSNIT to use workers' contributions to build
affordable flats for workers. Instead of workers benefiting form this, ministers
and activists of the NDC bought the flats for their relatives and girlfriends,
leaving workers' to rent private homes at exorbitant prices.
Ø The NDC used state funds to send a party chairman who got burnt at Takoradi for medical attention in the UK, so why should they accuse the NPP for sending a Speaker of Parliament for treatment overseas? Who is more important? The party chairman or the Speaker?
Ø No one can claim that the NDC did not do anything for the country. What we are blaming them for is the misappropriation of public funds for their party and personal use. How much did they leave in the national coffers?
Ø The NDC should feel ashamed that what they couldn't do in 20 years the NPP has done in three years. The NDC wasn't concerned about farmers and now that the NPP has addressed their problems, they feel uncomfortable.
Ø Ex-president Rawlings is accusing President Kufuor's government of being the worst ever in Ghana. He should tell Ghanaians what makes the NPP the worst government.
Ø Ever since Rawlings took power during the PNDC era, Ghana's economy has never grown. Prices of foodstuffs shot up, with people queuing to buy uncooked kenkey. So what is Rawlings talking about?
Ø The NPP government has been the most transparent government Ghana has had. Let us commend the Minister of Finance, Hon. Yaw Osafo-Maafo for the able manner he has handled the HIPC funds, and making it known to Ghanaians.
PEACE FM PHONE-INS
Ø The government should see to it that Ghana Telecom and SCANCOM, operators of Spacefon, come to terms, so that subscribers will benefit from their services. Spacefon users are not receiving calls from GT lines.
Ø The "Kafo Didi" demonstration should rather remind the NDC of the suffering Ghanaians went through when they were in power. We had to queue for bread and even uncooked kenkey. Rawlings should not accuse the NPP government of bad governance.
Ø There are officials in the country who have been trained in waste management, but are doing nothing to help rid Accra of the refuse that have been scattered around the city.
Ø The rate at which ex-president Rawlings' name is always mentioned in the newspaper and airwaves will not do Ghanaians any good. As a former President, he should be accorded due respect, and we should also allow him to have his peace.
Ø "When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers". The misunderstanding going on between Ghana Telecom (GT) and Spacefon is not benefiting users of Spacefon as GT has cut links from Telecom to Spacefon users.
Ø Do the NDC remember that their chairman, Dr. Obed Asamoah, hid ¢300 million under his bed, which was stolen by his security guards? Why are they now hungry? They cannot use the "Kafo Didi" demonstration to deceive Ghanaians that we are hungry.
GOLD FM PHONE-INS
Ø Journalists in Ghana should be very careful. If ex-President Rawlings has
not done anything at all, he at least ruled peacefully.
Ø It saddens my heart that the Finance Minister told journalists that the Speaker of Parliament had taken 15 thousand dollars on holidays while the government has failed to solve the frequent strike actions by lecturers and doctors.
Ø I have realised that the NPP want to cause more damage to our economy. How can a Speaker of Parliament take such a huge sum of money for medical treatment abroad? It is this same NPP, which said during their election campaign that they were not going to take their officials abroad for medical treatment. This shows that they are like the NDC.
Ø The NPP is not different form the NDC. Politicians will always remain politicians. They are definitely repeating the mistakes of the NDC.
Ø No reporter or journalist hates Rawlings but it is history that is judging him. Rawlings did a lot of wrongs that he has to pay for. He killed so many people and has caused pain to many families.
Ø Baby Ansaba should continue the good work. Nobody should criticise him. Ex-President Rawlings should never be defended because he has caused pain to so many people. He should be monitored in all his deeds. He killed people because he claimed they were rich. He should also be monitored in all his dealings.
Ø It is very bad that our Speaker has travelled with such huge money for treatment while Ghanaians are suffering. The NPP has deceived Ghanaians. They told us that they were different but they are the same.
Ø We voted the NPP into power because we needed a change. In the same way we voted the NDC out of power we shall vote out the NPP if they fail Ghanaians. - Information Service Department
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NDC has an agenda to misinform - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 September 2003 - The Deputy Minister of Information, Asamoah Boateng has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of embarking on an agenda of misinformation to counter the exposures of corruption, brutalities and disregard for human rights that the generality of Ghanaians, high and low, experienced under the PNDC/NDC administration.
Boateng was reacting to the pronouncement by ex-President Rawlings in Kumasi to climax the NDC "Kafo Didi" demonstration. Rawlings is reported to have said in Kumasi, for the second time, that the NPP government is the worst government in Ghana's history.
The Deputy Minister said Ghanaians could no longer be deceived. "How can one compare the refreshing breeze of freedom, justice and the growth opportunities in the NPP administration to the brutalities and envy of the Rawlings' administration?" he asked.
"Take any three years of long period of the PNDC/NDC administration and you would see a trail of brutalities, torture and corruption. Surely you cannot compare this sordid record with the two and a half years of NPP's serene and purposeful administration," he added.
He said that when Rawlings and his NDC demonstrate and criticize the NPP government, they should know that they are shamefully exposing themselves to public ridicule and that Ghanaians are very wise to determine whose government is the worst so far in Ghana's history.
The deputy minister debunked the assertion by the ex-president that the NPP government is recruiting its sympathizers in the various security agencies through the "backdoor and forming its own security agency". "The assertion is false because, recruitment in the security agencies are advertised and any one who meets the requirement was at will to apply." he declared.
"He (Rawlings) did form his own military apparatus thus he has the feeling the NPP government is going to do likewise; but it is absolutely the opposite" he said.
According to him the government has tried to ignore certain pronouncement from Rawlings and the NDC in order to concentrate on its agenda of reversing the mess of the NDC government and improving the lot of Ghanaians.
The deputy minister said it was heartening the NDC has realized the essence of democracy- its true meaning and the application of freedom of association and speech- but called on them to be truthful and realistic in the application of the principles of democracy- Ghana Review International
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