Govt to take over Quality Grains Co
Supreme Court strikes out Amidu’s writ
Rehabilitation of works on ‘Job 600’ – Supplier absconds with $300,000
SFO blames Ato, Peprah
…While scandal woman attempts to trap Kufuor
Time up for Konadu
I’ll demystify Government – Kufuor
River patrols to start
Abortion Doctor in Court
Nkrumah’s son dares Kufuor
Togolese Patients Dodge Bills
Woman Dips daughter’s head in boiling soup
Miss Legon prises
Govt to take over Quality Grains Co
The Government is to make an application early next week for the formal take-over of the Quality Grain Company Limited at Aveyime, the state-owned Daily Graphic reports.
The legal take over would regularise the government’s position on the actual ownership of the company, Nana Akufo-Addo, the Attorney-General, announced at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday.
The company, which was established in 1995, reportedly failed to comply with the provisions of Investment Code.
The President has subsequently directed the Minister of Agriculture to submit proposals for the development of the sector, once the government has taken over, he said.
Nana Akufo Addo said through the state’s intervention, the company, which has been bedevilled by losses and other improprieties, will regain its values and serve its intended role.
The loans and facilities granted to the company meant that it was in fact a contractor to the government, which guaranteed the loans it was granted for the execution of the project, he said.
He said the company does not fall into the category of an investor either by itself or part of a joint venture either with a Ghanaian private entity or the government, a situation, which infringes on the country’s investment laws.
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Supreme Court strikes out Amidu’s writ
The Daily Graphic says the Supreme Court in a majority decision on Wednesday struck out a writ filed by Mr Martin Amidu, former Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, seeking an injunction to restrain President J.A. Kufuor and four others from continuing to violate the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
The court, presided over by the acting Chief Justice, Mr Justice E.K. Wiredu, held that the writ filed by Mr Amidu had no merit in law. It also held that it has no jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Nana Akufu-Addo contended that the action was improper in so far as the issues at stake were concerned and urged the court not to entertain it.
In his writ of summons, Mr Amidu challenged the appointment of Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Ms Elizabeth Ohene and General Hamidu as Chief of Staff, Presidential Adviser for Public Affairs and National Security Adviser respectively by the President.
According to Mr Amidu, the appointment of these persons by the President without consultation with the Council of State was in violation of the Constitution and the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463).
The Attorney-General, on his part, contended that in exercising his Executive authority, the President is not amenable to suits and referred to Article 57 (4) of the Constitution to buttress his point.
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Rehabilitation of works on ‘Job 600’ – Supplier absconds with $300,000
The Graphic in another story says rehabilitation works on the State House, popularly called ‘Job 600’, stands the risk of running into serious problems following the misappropriation of $300,000 by one of the suppliers to the project.
The whereabouts of Mr W. Parti, Managing Director of Electrovetta, a company contracted to supply lifts for the project, is not yet known.
The government has, therefore, decided to engage the services of the International Police (Interpol) to track down the supplier to enable him to account for the money.
The project has also suffered a jolt following the misapplication of $12.5 million being first instalment of the $25 million funding provided by the World Bank to the Ministry of Finance, a few years back.
This came to light when the Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, inspected the progress of the work in Accra on Wednesday.
The project, which started about eight years ago, involves the conversion of the existing rooms into offices for Members of Parliament and Parliamentary committees. It was expected to be completed within 18 months.
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SFO blames Ato, Peprah
Investigations by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the Quality Grain scandal has implicated the former Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie, and former Finance Minister Mr Kwame Peprah, as having indulged in fraudulent activities by assisting an unregistered company to acquire state funds, The Ghanaian Times reports.
Mr Peprah was cited to have approved and executed loan agreements in favour of the Quality Grain Company Ltd without parliamentary approval, while Nana Ato Dadzie supervised the granting of such loans.
The investigations also cited Alhaji Ibrahim Adam, a former Minister of Agriculture, for introducing Miss Renee Woodard, Chief Executive of the company, to the Finance Ministry and also using his office to acquire land in Aveyime for the cultivation of the rice farm.
The Attorney-General and minister of Justice, Nana Akuffo Addo, who disclosed these at a press conference in Accra, mentioned Dr. Samuel Dapaah, Chief Director of the Agriculture Ministry, as having also been implicated by the investigations.
Dr Dapaah, together with Dr George Sikpah-Yankey, Legal Advisor at the Finance Ministry, were said to have facilitated the granting of loans and helped transfer the monies involved into the personal account of Ms Woodard, respectively.
Although the SFO investigations have not in any way been focused on them, the Minister of Justice expressed the belief that former President Jerry John Rawlings and his Vice, Professor John Ata Mills, should be held responsible for having authorized or sanctioned actions leading to the loss of over 20 million dollars to the state.
He stressed that the investigations were still ongoing and that those found guilty would be dealt with according to the law.
The company was incorporated in the country in July 1995 and although had not registered with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, proceeded to demand and act on rights accorded investors for four years.
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…While scandal woman attempts to trap Kufuor
The elusive Miss Renee Woodard, also know as Miss JR Cotton, the brain behind the infamous quality grain scandal, tried pulling a fast one on the NPP Government early this year when she wrote a letter to Major Courage Quality requesting for protocol arrangement to present ten bags of rice to the President J.A. Kufuor.
According to the Chronicle, the letter which bore the letter head of Rice Management Technology Incorporated, 1485 Spyglass, Hill Drive, Atlanta, Georgia rather than Quality Grain Limited also requested for press coverage for the presentation which by JR Cotton’s calculation would have meant the new government had accepted her tactical investment drive.
This revelation came to light when the Attorney General and minister for Justice, Nana Akufo-Addo and Major (rtd) Courage Quashigah, Minister of Food and Agriculture, jointly addressed the press on the quality grain issue.
Nana Akufo-Addo slammed the past government for guaranteeing loan running into millions of dollars to Quality Grain Company Limited, a company that arguably only exists in name and has never won a contract to grow rice at half the quantity the Ghana Government expected of it.
He observed that contrary to impression created by the NDC Government through media hypes, Miss Cotton was not an investor as it became evident she was only in partnership with others to get the lucrative contract, adding that Quality Grain Company Limited was not even registered with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.
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Time up for Konadu
One thing leads to another and in this post-Rawlings Administration, many things have been so clothed in secrecy that it is difficult to find out who did what, how and when, says the Ghanaian Voice.
But with the arrest and interrogation of Dr. Barnafo by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) it seems time is up for certain things that happened during the last regime to come up.
It is believed that Dr. Barnafo, Mr Expert in dirty fixing of deals for the former first lady, during his interrogation at the offices of the BNI broke down and spilt the whole beans.
It is believed that it is because of some of the revelations of “Mr Dirty fixer” that miss Sherry Aryeetey, Miss Georgina and Mr. Agbodo of the DIC were invited for questioning.
The Ghanaian Voice says it gathered that some of the revelations hinged on the known and the unknown properties of the December 31st Movement.
Mr. E.A. Agbodo we are told also offered insight into how some properties of the December 31st Movement were acquired and how they were paid for.
Of special interest to the investigations was the GNTC properties, their mode of acquisition and who are using them now.
“Mr Dirty fixer” is the main man behind the AZZURIC WATER DEAL.
He occupies the second floor of a new elegant property that has taken roots from the former Kanda GNTC.
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I’ll demystify Government – Kufuor
Prez John Agyekum Kufuor has said that his government means very well and will move to demystify government, the Independent reports.
Prez Kufuor said this when a high-powered delegation of the Ghana Journalists Association composed of the national executive and a cross-section of senior editors from both the state-owned and private media called on him last Tuesday.
According to Prez Kufuor, allowing equal access to the Castle to pressmen and by extension to the general public was his way of bringing government to the people and demystifying government.
The media he said should have access to the government and to the Presidency.
“We are going to demystify government. We mean well and want the public through the press to know what we are doing”.
Nana Akufo-Addo, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice reiterated the commitment of the Kufuor government to open governance and jokingly said that in line with this philosophy of giving access to the press, some of them were “literally living and working at radio stations”.
He said that the repeal of the criminal libel law will get priority attention at the next session of Parliament which begins on May 8, 2001.
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River patrols to start
The Accra Mail says Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister for Works and Housing has announced that the government will soon purchase speedboats and a helicopter to patrol the Volta, Densu and other major rivers to check the pollution of water bodies.
He said the patrolling would be done along the banks of rivers to prevent farmers who farm close to the water bodies to desist from the practice which adversely affect plant and animal life in the river basins and often result in the rapid drop in the water levels.
Mr Bartels was speaking at a forum on ‘National Water Policy’ that was organised under the auspices of the Water Resource Commission and the Ministry of Works and Housing Accra.
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Abortion Doctor in Court
Five people including a medical Assistant and two nurses on Tuesday appeared before a Kumasi Circuit tribunal for the second time on a provisional charge of murder.
They are alleged to have murdered Fati Saeed, 24 on April 15 this year and dumped her body at Keninkrono, near the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi.
According to the Daily Guide, the Tribunal chaired by Mr. V.C. Senu, this time granted them 20 million cedis bail with two sureties each, to three of them who were refused bail at their first appearance last week.
They are Mr Yakubu Mensah, 53, a medical Assistant of Bosomtwi Clinic at Akorem, a suburb of Kumasi, Grace Opoku 43, and Mercy Serwah Bonsu, 26, both nurses at the clinic.
The rest, Ruth Akwaah, 19, a cleaner and Amama Ali 20, a sweeper were last week granted a 10 million cedis bail with one surety each.
The facts of the case according to Chief Inspector, Kwaku Afesi are that on April 15, 2001 a about 2.40am an informant who is a car-washer spotted a female adult, later identified as Fati Saeed lying in a supine position, half naked and dead.
Without hesitation, the informant reported the matter to the Tech police who upon visiting the scene transferred the case to the Regional police CID for investigations.
In the process, a man by name Salim Saeed from Makessim in the Central Region came to identify the deceased (Fati Saeed) as his daughter.
Upon further investigations it came to light that the deceased was pregnant and as such decided to abort the Foetus.
On April 13, she attended the Bosumtwi Clinic at Akorema suburb and was admitted. The following day, a relative whose name was not given by the prosecution visited the clinic and found the deceased on admission bleeding from her female genitals.
The prosecution said as she the relative, claimed to know her, a nurse who was later known as Mercy Serwah Bonsu told her not to inform any body about her (deceased) admission, but she ignored the advice and informed the relatives. Later when the relatives came to the clinic, they were told that the girl had been discharged.
Unfortunately, she was found dead with the body half undressed and dumped at a car ashing bay at Kentinkrono near KNUST.
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Nkrumah’s son dares Kufuor
President J.A. Kufuor has been dared to remove all vestiges and landmarks of coups d’etat from the country, set standards and revive the spirit of nationalism for the socio-economic and spiritual development of Ghanaians, carries the Crusading Guide.
In an interview with The Crusading Guide, Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, son of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, said if Ghanaians believe that coups d’etat were the bane of the development of their country, then they should resolve never to have anything to do with coups and should also not honour coup makers.
Sekou charged President Kufuor to pluck the necessary courage and take the lead to remove all indications in the Ghanaian society that point to the glorification of coup makers.
He said Ghanaians will be making mockery of themselves and sending wrong signals to their young ones if ex-President Rawlings is allowed to keep the ex-gratia award he paid himself through the former chief of Staff, and is also granted the benefits of an ex-President as stipulated by the 1992 Constitution.
“In fact, Rawlings does not deserve any ex-gratia awards and benefits as an ex-President because he committed high treason by overturning the legitimate will of Ghanaians through a coup d’etat, and as a result inflicted pains on individuals as well as our national psyche”, Sekou declared.
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Togolese Patients Dodge Bills
More than 500 Togolese patients who attend the Volta Regional Hospital abscond without meeting their hospital bills after receiving treatment, The Ghanaian Democrat reveals.
Many after their discharge manage to escape with the view of changing the Franc equivalent of the cedi for payment of their bills.
Briefing the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboah on his working visit to one of the key projects the former government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) left the region, Dr. Godfrey Nyamuame, Senior Medical Officer in charge of the hospital said the most basic problem facing the hospital is lack of beds to accommodate the increasing inflow of patients.
He said at the moment there are not enough beds to carter for patients. Due to this, Dr. Nyamuame said the hospital has been compelled to admit children in adult wards.
He said the hospital has embarked on daily billing of patients to help them meet their bills.
The Regional Minister, Mr Owusu Yeboah however, was not happy with the attitude of Togolese patients at the hospital and called for steps to be taken to avert the situation.
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Woman Dips daughter’s head in boiling soup
Residents of Shiabu, a fishing community near Dansoman in Accra, are still trying to unravel the mystery behind the case in which a 36-year old fishmonger, Gloria Lartey-Larkai, dipped the head of his 18-year-old stepdaughter in a very hot palm-nut soup, the P&P (People & Places) reports.
The victim, Felicia Kotey, was said to have suffered the brutality following an alleged refusal on her part to put salt in a soup she had prepared.
Realising the gravity of the offence, she had committed, Madam Lartey-Larkai was reported to have gone into hiding shortly afterwards, but was apprehended by the police some two days later.
P & P investigations have established that Gloria lives with her husband, their 11-year-old daughter, and the poor victim in a compound house at Shiabu. The victim is said to be the daughter of Gloria’s present husband whose name was given as Daniel Kotey, a mason.
At about 5.30 pm on Tuesday, April 10, 2001, the suspect was alleged to have asked her step-daughter to prepare some palm-nut soup so the rest of the family could take it as supper with a few balls of kenkey.
Gloria was said to have left to see a friend at Dansoman while the 18-year old apprentice seamstress prepared the soup as ordered.
When the suspect returned home some two hours later, she tasted the soup the victim had prepared only to realise that she had forgotten to put in salt.
According to a well-placed source, Gloria was alleged to have gone into the victim’s room fuming with anger and dragged her out into the kitchen. She then asked her step-daughter to take a ladle and taste the soup which was still boiling very hot on the stove.
While the young girl did that, the suspect was reported to have snatched the ladle from her and forced her head into the soup, cursing and insulting her at the same time. The loud screams of the 18-year-old attracted the attention of neighbours who immediately rushed to her rescue.
She was then rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where doctors ascertained the severity of her case. “She was brought here in a very critical condition. In fact, her entire face was severely burnt, and she could hardly see. We therefore had no option than to rush her to the theatre and save her eyes from perpetual damage. So that exactly was what we did,” a doctor at the hospital told P & P.
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Miss Legon prizes
The smiles are gone. Now most of the beauties who participated in the much-publicised and well-patronised Miss Legon pageant held last month at the National Theatre feel rather sour that their full list of prizes have not been delivered.
The JCR of Legon Hall, organisers of the pageant, publicised a mouth-watering package of prizes for participants and winners, which included an Accra-New-York-Accra ticket for the queen, an Accra-London-Accra ticket for the first runner-up and an Accra-Johannesburg-Accra ticket for the second runner-up.
In addition the winners were to receive other priced items such as video deck, television set, fridge, mobile phone, as well as free computer training, free dinners, free beauty care and 200,000 cedis cash for each of the 13 contestants.
Then just before the contest, the organisers went round and told the contestants “Sorry, we could not raise the sponsorship we promised, so we will have to prune down the prizes.” A new prize list was presented to the contestants after the pageant which some of them have described as “distasteful and insulting”.
In an angry letter that Miss Miriam Oduro Kwarteng, the first runner-up, wrote to the JCR President of Legon Hall, she complained that not all her prizes have been given to her 33 long days after the event.
Miriam is particularly disappointed that her original Accra-London-Accra prize as first runner-up has been omitted from the revised list.
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