Foreign Minister testifies in contempt case
Self-styled evangelist face tribunal over Indian hemp
Foreign Minister testifies in contempt case
Accra (Greater Accra), 6th August 99
Mr James Victor Gbeho, Foreign Affairs Minister, on Thursday told a circuit court in Accra that he was not in the country when the "African Observer", a New York-based newspaper, in 1996, wrote that the government was dealing in cocaine.
He said he could, therefore, not remember whether the government immediately issued a statement in connection with the publication.
Mr Gbeho was giving evidence in a case in which, Eben Quarcoo, former Editor of the "Free Press", and Kofi Coomson, Editor-in-Chief of the "Ghanaian Chronicle" are charged with making publications likely to injure the reputation of the country.
The Minister was summoned to give evidence at the instance of the defence.
Cross-examined by Mr Martin Amidu, Deputy Attorney-General, Mr Gbeho said he read the publications in the "Free Press" and said it could not be true.
He said certain parts of the story were exaggerated, other parts were clearly "untrue and sensational in presentation."
Mr Gbeho explained that the publication contained "inaccuracies and fanciful representations that had nothing to do with what actually happened."
He said a government statement issued on the matter represented the true "state of affairs of drug trafficking involving Frank Benneh, a former diplomat in Geneva.
Hearing continues on August 12.
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Self-styled evangelist face tribunal over Indian hemp
Kumasi (Ashanti), 6th August 99
The Ashanti Regional Tribunal on Thursday granted a five million-cedis bail with one surety to Thomas Quarshie, a self-styled evangelist who preaches around Kejetia Lorry Park, for possessing dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Quarshie's plea was not taken and the tribunal, chaired by Mr K. K. Yanney, adjourned the case to November four.
Police Inspector Dickson Akatse, Head of the Police Narcotics Unit in Kumasi, said Quarshie and two others, Daniel Opoku and Kwame Agyare, were arrested by the Police Narcotics Unit in Kumasi last Monday for allegedly using some young boys to confess in order to lure people to their sermon and donate more to them.
Inspector Akatse said Miss Monica Agyeman, a trader and mother of one of the children, reported to the unit that the men refused to allow her to take his son away.
He said some policemen were detailed to the scene and the three men were arrested. A search on them revealed a wrapper of some dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp on Quarshie.
Inspector Akatse said when the 12-year-old school boy was interrogated, he told the police that he attends school at Old Tafo in Kumasi and went to Kejetia last Saturday to look for his mother.
He said the suspects saw him and informed him that they had got two other children, both aged 13, and that they were going to use them at their church.
Inspector Akatse said the boys were taught what to say to the public in order that they would make more donations and were promised that the money that accrued would be used to buy clothing for them.
He said the boy consented and was given 1,000 cedis to buy what he wanted and left.
Inspector Akatse said according to the boy, the three accused persons coached him to say that he was a "wee" smoker and an armed robber who has repented through the prayers of the accused.
He said on August two, the boy was allegedly given another 1,000 cedis to use 200 cedis to buy "wee" and keep the remaining for his personal use, adding that it was Quarshie who directed him to where the Indian hemp could be bought.
Inspector Akatse said the boy was in the process of confessing when his mother appeared on the scene.
He said the three who preached around the Kejetia Lorry Park, hold their church service on Sundays at the K.O. Methodist School under the name Mount Zion
Ministry.
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