Editor opens defence in sedition case
Court gives judgement in UST-VC case on July 23
Editor opens defence in sedition case
Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99 -
Eben Quarcoo, former Editor of "Free Press", on Tuesday said his story, that "the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government was dealing in drugs and intended to use the proceeds to purchase arms", was based on a similar one in the "African Observer", published in New York.
Quarcoo said he cross-checked from the Editor of "African Observer", Mr Steve Mallory before publishing the story in January 1996. He said the Editor, told him that the story was true, but he did not tell him his source of information.
Quarcoo was opening his defence in a case in which he is charged with publishing a story likely to injure the reputation of the Government.
On trial with him at an Accra Circuit Court is Nana Kofi Coomson, Editor-in-Chief of the "Ghanaian Chronicle".
Both published in their papers that the Government was dealing in drugs and that it was using the proceeds to purchase arms and ammunition to destabilise the country should it lose the 1996 general elections.
They have pleaded not guilty and each of them is on a 10 million cedi bail.
Quarcoo, who was being led by his attorney, Mr Akoto Ampaw, said after he had cross-checked from Mr Mallory, he contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clarification, but he could not get the sector Minister.
He said it was an officer at the Ministry, who preferred to remain anonymous, who told him that Mr Frank Benneh, a former Counsellor at the Ghana Embassy in Switzerland and who was mentioned in the story as a front man in the drug deal, had been arrested.
Quarcoo said he was influenced to believe the story because of the arrest of Benneh and the Government's refusal to have him tried in Geneva for the drug offence and rather brought him to Ghana for trial.
He continues his evidence on June 14.
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Court gives judgement in UST-VC case on July 23
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10th June ’99
Judgement would be given on July 23 in the case in which Professor Albert Owusu-Sarpong, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has sued the UST and its Council over the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor.
Mr Justice Gilbert Mensah Quaye made this known on Wednesday after counsel for Prof. Owusu-Sarpong and the KNUST had completed their submissions.
Both lawyers made references to the 1992 Constitution and agreed that the court has jurisdiction to try the case.
They were of the view that none of their references called for matters relating to the enforcement or interpretation of the Constitution.
Sometime last year, Prof Owusu-Sarpong filed a writ at the court to seek a declaration to enforce the KNUST and KNUST Council's convention for the appointment of a vice-chancellor.
This was after the KNUST Council was alleged to have decided to vote on three short-listed candidates, who had applied for the vacant post after the tenure of office of Professor Eugene H. Amonoo-Neizer.
The three candidates were, Prof Owusu-Sarpong, Prof. J. S. K. Ayim, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Prof. George Wereko Brobby, dean of the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of the KNUST.
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