Paul Osei-Tutu in Accra, reviews the Ghanaian press. The stories have not been verified and therefore
we cannot vouch for their accuracy.
The Daily Graphic in a lead story headlined: 4 to die, reports that a special court comprising
three High Court judges, yesterday sentenced four persons to death after finding them guilty off treason.
The paper says Alexander Ofei, a technician, Kwame Ofori-Appiah, a cleaner, Sylvester Addai Dwomoh, a teacher
and John Boakye, a student nurse, were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the Government of Ghana in 1994.
The four were resident in London until their arrival in Ghana. The Graphic says the court presided over by
Mr Justice P.K. Owusu-Sekyere, however, acquitted and discharged the fifth accused person, Emmanuel Osei Kofi,
a driver, for lack of evidence. The trial of the five accused persons began on October 28, 1997. The Graphic reports
that in discharging Osei Kofi, who wept for joy after the verdict, the court described him as a simple-minded
illiterate who happened to be trapped into the group of coup plotters. The paper quoting the prosecution, says the
convicts met on several occasions in Lome, Abidjan, Tema and Kwashieman in Accra, in July 1994 to conspire in
an attempt to overthrow the government through violent means. Mr Justice Owusu-Sekyere ordered that a total of
1,942,000 cedis and 1,600 pounds sterling, found on the convicts at the time of their arrest, should be paid into
government chest while five mobile phones seized from them, be given to the Ghana Police Service.
The court, the Graphic says, also directed that a quantity of grenades seized from the convicts be given to the
Ghana Armed Forces.
Reporting on the death sentence passed by an Accra High Court on four persons, the Ghanaian Times in a front
page lead story, says four people were yesterday sentenced to death by an Accra High Court for attempting to
overthrow the government in August, 1994. The paper names the four who were convicted for treason as Alexander
Offei, a technician, Kwame Ofori-Appiah, a cleaner, Sylvester Addae-Dwomoh, a teacher and John Boakye, a
student. It says the court acquitted and discharged Emmanuel Osei Kofi, a driver, for lack of evidence because from
the circumstances of the case, his guilt could not be established.
The court is reported to have described Osei Kofi as a witness of truth, a simple-minded illiterate driver who fell
into an unfortunate group. The Times says after he had been freed Osei Kofi bowed, knelt down with hands raised
and uttered some silent prayers, while the convicts remained sad and worried.
The paper says Mr Justice P.K. Owusu-Sekyere who read the judgement, said the defence of the accused could not
be true in the face of overwhelming and credible evidence adduced by the prosecution.
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A centre spread headline of the Ghanaian Chronicle says:
Sekyere East NDC demands District Chief Executives head for saying party is unpopular. The accompanying story
says a district chief executive's personal assessment of the NDC that the party shall always remain unpopular in
Ashanti, has attracted the wrath of party executives who want the District Chief Executive, Mr Kwame De Graft
Adjei, out of office. Mr De Graft Adjei is said to have told Mr Kwaku Afram Boateng, an executive member of the
party in the Asokore Effiduase constituency that there was no need making people accept the NDC in the region
against their will because NDC is unpopular. According to the Chronicle the District Chief Executive is alleged to be
undermining the policies of the government and his outright disregard for the party executives,
want him removed from office.
Anim Densu granted bail State Attorney clashes with judge, says the Free Press in a front page headline.
The paper reports that Edward Anim Densu, former East Akim District Chief Executive, who is accused of shooting
to death two persons at Adasewase, a village near Anyinam in the Eastern Region, has been granted a 50 million-
cedi bail with two sureties by the Koforidua High Court. The Free Press the granting of bail resulted in a serious
dispute between the judge, Mr Justice Twum and the State Attorney.
According to the paper the dispute arose around two issues. First, the State Attorney expressed misgivings about
the way the judge began to read his ruling at a time when she (State Attorney) had been called to her chambers
from the court room by a policeman. Before she could enter the court room from her chambers, the judge had
started reading the judgement. The second reason for the State Attorneys objection was that there had been no
prior application for the suspects trial bail after the resumption of the legal year and that ordinarily, counsel for the
accused person should have applied at an earlier date before the bail could be granted or otherwise.
NPP swings into action Kufuor to tour regions from next month, is the front page banner of the Crusading Guide.
The paper says the NPP is after all, not resting on its oars. Very serious planning towards crowd-pulling campaigns
and adoption of result-oriented strategies to unseat the NDC government in the year 2000 elections, have quietly
occupied the attention of the party ever since the flagbearer was elected last October.
According to the Crusading Guide, this was disclosed by the partys Director of Communications, Mr Adu Kwabena-
Essem, at the NPP head office in Accra. Mr Kwabena-Essem is reported to have said that to prove to members,
supporters of the party and the world at large, that the NPP is very much alive and ticking. He said Mr J.A. Kufuor,
NPP Presidential candidate, would be introduced to the electorate from region to region, beginning from March.
Whenever the Presidential candidate and the team move out of a particular region, leaders of the party in the
region will sustain the campaign by going from town to town and village to village, he is quoted as saying.
According to Mr Kwabena-Essem, a campaign committee is being set up to ensure an effective and sustainable
campaign towards victory in the next general elections.
In a front page story the Graphic Showbiz says Madam Grace Omaboe, popularly known as Maame Dokono, may
be doing a good job by exposing perpetration of social vices on her programmes Odo ne Asomdwee, on Choice FM
every Monday but there are obviously others who are not happy with her. The paper says those who are not in
favour of what she is doing and are trying to put a stop to what she has set out to do.
According to the Graphic Showbiz for exposing the deeds of witches, jujumen , rapists, unscrupulous land guards,
child molesters, wife-beaters, among others, has earned her numerous threats and even physical abuse. Maame
Dokono is reported to have complained that she is at risk as she has received threats on many occasions. People
call on phone to rain insults on me. Some also tell me they will kill me, burn down Choice FM.