GRi Press Review 04 - 01 - 2000
CEPS makes big swoop
Don't deny bail to suspects...IGP warns police personnel
Separate govt business from party activities
Rawlings at his wits' end!
Fear of coup spoils 31st Dec.
Mercantile Ghana to open Ghana's first container freight shed
CEPS makes big swoop
The Daily Graphic in its top story reports that officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) have arrested nine people at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra for allegedly trafficking in narcotic drugs weighing 4,924 grams with a street value of about $6.6 million (24 billion cedis) within the past fortnight.
The Graphic says that the suspects, apprehended between December 13, 1999 and January 2, 2000, are made up of five Nigerians, one Ghanaian and three Malian women. Most of them had swallowed various quantities of heroin in plastic capsules but the three Malian women were said to have concealed the drug in their genitals and sandals.
The paper quotes Ms Annie Anipa, acting Assistant Commissioner of CEPS, who was briefing newsmen, as saying that most of the traffickers arrived at the Kotoka International Airport from Karachi, Pakistan and Bombay, India.
She said Alas Hameed Adewale, a Nigerian, was the first to be arrested on December 13, for swallowing a quantity of heroin while concealing some in a half pair of socks around the waist. On December 21, 1999, two more Nigerians, who arrived from Bombay, were also apprehended.
The names of the two, who had swallowed approximately 1,170 grams of heroin capsules are given as Prince William Uchze and Dumei Adams.
They allegedly swallowed 54 and 53 capsules respectively. Two more Nigerians, Babatunde Anifawose and Mukhtair Iddris, were also busted on December 27 and 29 respectively for allegedly swallowing a total of 1,895 grams of heroin. The Graphic quotes Ms Anipa as saying that a Ghanaian, Daniel Nartey, who arrived from Karachi on December 31, was arrested swallowing heroin capsules. So far, he is reported to have expelled 68 capsules of the drug weighing 730.9 grams.
The three Malians, who were arrested last Sunday, are, Kamara Ayishetu, 39, Aminata Ibrahim, 37, and Adisa Issifu, 38. Ayishetu is said to have allegedly inserted 386 grams of heroin in her private parts and hidden 708.9 grams in her sandals. Adisa had allegedly inserted 105.6 grams of the drug in her genitals with 727.9 grams in her sandals, while Aminata allegedly swallowed 227.9 grams of heroin and concealed 734.9 grams in her sandals.
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Don't deny bail to suspects...IGP warns police personnel
The Ghanaian Times reports in a front-page banner headline story that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Peter Nanfuri, has warned policemen not to abuse the powers granted them by refusing to grant bail to suspects in order to settle personal scores or do someone a favour.
Mr Nanfuri is quoted as saying that any police personnel found to have acted unlawfully would be given a sack without hesitation. "It is high time the police realised that the law is there to protect the citizens and not to harass them", he is reported as saying.
The IGP was speaking during a panel discussion at the just-ended 51st annual New Year School at the University College of Education, Winneba (UCEW) in the Central Region.
The Times says that in an apparent reference to instances where some police personnel used their positions to arrest people in such cases as debt collection for others, Mr Nanfuri is reported as saying that such actions were wrong.
"You cannot arrest suspects at the weekend and refuse them bail with the excuse that they could not be bailed during weekends. Unless in cases of murder and other serious offences, which may threaten the society, everybody must be granted bail within 48 hours or sent to court", he said.
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Separate govt business from party activities
In its top story, the Evening News reports that participants of the just-ended 51st annual New Year School at Winneba, have called for a distinction to be made between government business and party activity in the run-up to this year's general elections.
The participants were of the view that the excessive use of the advantage of incumbency could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
To this end, they said all political parties must give truthful account of events and assessments of issues. The Evening News says that these were contained in a report issued at the closing session of the weeklong school.
The paper says that the school, held under the theme: "Consolidating democracy in Ghana, the year 2000 elections and beyond", was attended by about 304 participants, including traditional rulers, businessmen, educationists, farmers, soldiers, trade unionists and civil servants.
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Rawlings at his wits' end!
The Crusading Guide reports that the President, Flt Lt. Jerry Rawlings, has underscored that the policy of paying Ghanaian security personnel who go on peacekeeping operations both their home salaries and a portion of their external allowances, was indirectly responsible for the recent coup in Cote d'Ivoire, which toppled President Henri Konan Bedie.
The President is reported to have made this assertion in a speech he delivered at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra, as part of activities to mark the 18th anniversary of the 31st December coup d'etat.
The paper recalls, however, that some Ghanaian security personnel on United Nations peace missions had on several occasions, complained that just a paltry sum of money was often given them out of their external allowances.
The Crusading Guide says that the Deputy Minister of Defence, Dr Tony Aidoo, had had the occasion to even travel to the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, where he tried to explain the situation to the whole world.
The Deputy Defence Minister is said to have also used a Northern Regional tour of military installations to explain the situation to the troops. President Rawlings is quoted as saying, "you and I have indirectly contributed to what has taken place in Ivory Coast. I'm not saying you are guilty.
I just want to be analytical and to be factual". According to him, when the Ivorian soldiers marched in on their Head of State and demanded their home pay in addition to what was being offered to them on their external operations.
"The President tried to explain to them that this was not done" he said adding, " He cited other Francophone countries, Burkina Faso, Senegal, etc".
According to the Crusading Guide, President Rawlings maintained that the Ivorian leader had told his security personnel that they could only receive one salary for a job that they were doing and that that was what they had been seeing about United Nations operations - whether in Gabon or wherever it was.
President Rawlings is said to have submitted that the Ivorian troops and security personnel had at the back of their minds not what pertains in Burkina Faso or Senegal. "They had at the back of their minds what prevails in Ghana. In Ghana we pay you your total salaries which they don't pay their people; in addition to that, you collect a portion of your Middle East allowances", President Rawlings is quoted as telling the troops on parade.
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Fear of coup spoils 31st Dec.
In its lead story, the Guide says that the pomp and pageantry traditionally associated with the celebration of the outlawed 31st December Revolution, was marred last Friday by fear of a coup to topple the NDC government.
The paper says that the abandoning of the traditional route march in Accra and the absence of arms and other military hardware during the celebration, was not by accident.
According to the Guide the 'precaution' was based on security reports that following the successful coup in Cote d'Ivoire, there had been infiltration in the armed forces to follow the Ivorian line by derailing the cherished democratic governance in Ghana.
The paper says that this revelation was amply brought to the fore at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra, when President Jerry Rawlings delivered his address.
The Guide says that the celebration was low-keyed to forestall any attempt by a few misguided gun-totters to hold the nation to ransom and tarnish the good image of the armed forces.
The paper says that the parade itself was drab, devoid of the usual enthusiasm from soldiers. The 'men in green' did not respond to questions posed by the President, which ordinarily, would have attracted a lot of cheers and shouts.
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Mercantile Ghana to open Ghana's first container freight shed
The High Street Journal in an inside page story says that the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) begins year 2000 with a sigh of relief from port congestion as freight forwarding giants, Mercantile Ghana, a subsidiary of Maersk Line, has concluded plans to open a container freight shed at Tema.
The paper says that the concept of a container freight shed, which is new in Ghana and the first in the West African sub-region, will accommodate all sea freight group age cargo that come into Ghana. Mr Adams Ayarma, manager of Mercantile Ghana, is reported as saying that the concept would enable the ports to run efficiently on government revenue. He said that the groundwork for the establishing of this gigantic project started three years ago through the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).
"Permission was not just granted for the start immediately, we had to scale certain hurdles, which included the technical know-how and security equipment available at the shed", he is quoted as saying.
Explaining the operational aspect of the container freight shed, Mr Adam is reported as saying that all cargo that come in Maersk Line vessels, will immediately by escorted to the terminal by CEPS officials for checks. He said the shed is now fully set for a take-off in mid-January.
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