Journalist jailed 30 days for contempt

Ruling on Convention Party on December 22

Policemen before tribunal for stealing tyres

Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99

Kofi Safo, a reporter of the "Exciting Rainbow Sport", was on Thursday sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment in hard labour for contempt by a High Court in Accra.

Safo, who pleaded guilty, was in addition fined 500,000 cedis or go to jail for three months.

In the dock with him was the Managing Editor of the paper, Bob Aryee, who was also fined one million cedis or in default go to prison for three months for the same offence.

The court, presided over by Mr Justice Richard Apaloo, found them guilty of publishing an editorial which contained abusive, offensive and scandalous words about a high court judge, Mrs Agnes Dordzie.

In June, this year, Mrs Dordzie gave judgement in a case in which 14 directors of Accra Hearts of Oak were each fined two million cedis after they had been found guilty in a contempt case.

The 14 persons appealed against the conviction and sentence but while the matter was pending, Safo wrote an editorial using abusive and scandalous words against the judge.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99

A High Court in Accra will on December 22 give its ruling on whether to set aside an injunction it placed on the Convention Party (CP) from holding its national congress this year.

The court gave the date after both counsel for plaintiffs and defendants had completed their submissions.

The court on 18 November restrained the party following an ex-parte motion filed by 12 members of the party against its National Executive for non-compliance of the party's constitution before holding the congress.

The National Executive, therefore, filed an application before the same court asking it to set aside the injunction because the 12 members have no "locus standi" to take the party to court.

Mr James Ahenkorah, attorney for the CP, urged the court to set aside the injunction because the applicants did not exhaust all the processes for resolving matters affecting the party as contained in the CP constitution.

Besides, Mr Ahenkorah said the 12 persons did not disclose all the facts leading to the holding of the congress to the court before they were granted the order.

Captain Nkrabea Effah-Dartey (Rtd.), counsel for the applicants, objected to Mr Ahenkorah's submissions and urged the court to dismiss the application because it is "unmeritorious".

Counsel submitted that the party's executive violated the constitution, which states that certain conditions, such as vetting of presidential candidates and submission of audited accounts before holding the congress.

He urged the court not to set aside the injunction until the defendants have complied with conditions set out in the statement of claim by the plaintiffs.

GRi../

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Tamale (Northern Region) 17 Dec. '99

Two serving policemen and an ex police inspector have been arraigned before a Tamale circuit tribunal charged with stealing five heavy duty lorry tyres.

The three, ex-police inspector Samuel Amoaful, chief inspector Alex Wowolo Lartei and general constable class one M.A. Boahen have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to steal and stealing.

In the dock with them was Shaibu Sulemana, a vulcaniser who is facing a charge of dishonestly receiving stolen items.

The policemen were each granted two million cedis bail with one surety while the vulcaniser was granted one million cedis bail with a surety. They are to appear again on January 10, 2000.

The prosecution told the tribunal chaired by Mr. Stephen Teye that in early 1998 the first accused ex-inspector Amoaful who was in charge of the police workshop, removed five heavy duty lorry tyres from a broken down police service vehicle at the workshop.

At a later date when chief inspector Lartei took over supervision of the workshop, he together with the ex-inspector and constable Boahen conspired and stole two of the tyres.

They sold the tyres to the vulcaniser for 200,000 cedis and shared the money among themselves.

An eyewitness to the act reported the case to the regional police command and after investigations the accused persons were charged with the offence.

GRi../