Electoral Commission urged to open registration centres
Ex-Chief commits suicide after attempt to kill concubine
Jobless man enjoys friend's pay for two
years
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March 2002 - The opening of the voters register exercise began throughout the country on Friday. The exercise will enable the Electoral Commission (EC) to receive applications from prospective voters and also undertake a thorough cleaning of the existing register.
The exercise, which commences at 7 am and ends at 6 pm daily, including weekends, is to be undertaken at designated centres in each of the 5,000 electoral areas throughout the country.
According to Miss Comfort Adzabgre, the officer in charge of the Original World Ministry at the Abeka Martket, turnout at her centre, which is serving six electoral areas was very encouraging. Mr Jacob A. Nelson of the Roxy Cinema Centre told the same story. He said as early as 10.am when the exercise began, more than 50 people had turned for fresh registrations. – Daily Graphic
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March 2002 - The Voters Register opened throughout the country on Friday with a call on the Electoral commission (EC) to open more registration centres.
This, according to some members of the public, will facilitate the process of registration of people who have turned 18 since the last registration exercise in the year 2000. The members of the public made the call in a random interview conducted by the Graphic during a visit to various polling stations in Accra.
Out of the 15 polling stations visited in the metropolis, only four were registering prospective voters who had formed long queues at the time the Graphic team visited the centres.
The exercise, which is to help voters to check their names on the electoral register and get names of the dead deleted, will end on March 31st. Young people, who turned out in their numbers to register, attributed the long queues to the fear that the registration materials will be exhausted before the end of the exercise.
Some of the registration officers also attributed the queues to the limited number of polling stations. At the Osu Castle Area in Accra, all the two polling stations in the area were not opened, compelling the prospective voters to go to the centre at the Kinkawe Chief’s Palace.
According to the registration officer, Amanda Aryee, the station now serves almost half of the Osu township. At Kaneshie and Bubuashie, the picture was not different as only one polling station near the Kaneshie Kingsway building was serving the people.
Touching on some of the problems encountered, Mr Yeboah said some minors also tried to register but were prevented from doing so. Reacting to the view that the logistics would be exhausted before the end of the exercise, Mr Yeboah said the EC has enough logistics to cover the 10-day exercise and assured prospective voters not to panic.
The Nima, Maamobi and Kanda registration centres had long queues of prospective voters waiting for their turn to register. Party agents were also at the various polling stations- Daily Graphic
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) 23 March 2002 - A twenty-five year-old pastor, who allegedly raped his 50-year-old mother-in-law after offering her a bottle of coke and meat pie laced with drug, has been arraigned before a Sunyani high court.
The accused, Pastor Frank Frempong, founder and leader of Sunyani-based Jordan Prayer Ministry, who pleaded not guilty to the offence, will reappear before the court, presided over by Justice Baffoe Bonnie, on April 4.
Prosecuting, Mr B. Cab-Beyuo, chief State Attorney, said in January 2000, Pastor Frempong entered into holy matrimony with one of the victim's daughters who thereby became his mother-in-law. He said on August 9, 2000, the victim fell sick and she sent for Pastor Frempong to come and convey her to the hospital. Mr Cab-Beyuo said on his way to his mother-in-law's residence, Pastor Frempong met his wife and her sister on their way to the market.
He said the pastor enquired from them whether their mother was at home and alone. When they replied in the affirmative, he told them that he was going to wait for them in the house.
The prosecutor said when Pastor Frempong entered his mother-in-law's bedroom, he engaged her in a conversation for sometime and later offered her a bottle of soft drink and meat pie suspected to have been laced with a drug.
He said no sooner had the woman taken the pie and the drink than she became drowsy and weak and consequently fell asleep. Mr Cab-Beyuo said Pastor Frempong allegedly took advantage of the victim's helpless condition and raped her.
He said the victim claimed she saw Pastor Frempong having sexual intercourse with her but she could not resist it because of the state in which she was. According to Mr Cab-Beyuo, after the act, Pastor Frempong sneaked out of the house before the victim's daughters returned home.
He said when the victim's two daughters entered the house, they found their mother very weak and when they asked her what had happened to her, she felt too shy to disclose her ordeal to them. Mr Cab-Beyuo said when the woman attempted to get up to have her bath, she fell down and collapsed.
He said on August 11, 2000, Pastor Frempong resurfaced, took the victim to the Sunyani Government Hospital for treatment and later shelved the Out-Patient's Department (OPD) identity card.
The prosecutor said five days later, Pastor Frempong took the sick woman to a prayer camp in Kumasi for a four-day spiritual healing. He said on her return from Kumasi, the victim who was traumatised by her bitter ordeal invited the Rev Matthew Owusu-Ansah, a priest of the Sunyani Anglican Church and disclosed her nightmarish experience to him.
The prosecutor said in order to avoid disgrace, as the news of the rape case was spreading, Pastor Frempong rather sued his mother-in-law at a Sunyani high court for defamation. He said consequently, the victim reported the rape incident to the Sunyani Police, leading to the arrest of Pastor Frempong. After investigations, he was charged with rape before the court. - The Mirror
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Obuasi (Ashanti Region) 23 March 2002 - An ex-chief of Anwiaso in the Adansi West district of Ashanti, Nana Kwankye Sarfo Ababio, 51, has committed suicide, after a failed attempt to kill his concubine. The ex-chief shot himself after pouring acid on the woman at their residence at Obuasi on Friday morning.
The victim, Madam Fumwaa, 45, an Obuasi-based tomato seller, was rushed to the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) Hospital, where doctors immediately referred her to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, for emergency care.
The Graphic gathered that the ex-chief, also known as Akwasi Amoah, had lived with the victim in her 12-room house for the past two years. Family sources could not give any reason for the incident. It was learnt that the deceased and Madam Fumwaa were seen eating together the previous evening before they retired to bed.
The sources said at about 2 a.m. on Friday, they heard shouts for help from the woman’s room. They said when they rushed to the house to find out what was happening, they met Fumwaa outside her room.
According to the sources, she asked for cold water to be poured on her body, apparently to reduce the severe pains caused by the acid that had been poured on her by the deceased.
They said while their attention was on the woman, they heard the boom of a gun and when they rushed to the room, they found that the deceased had shot himself in the ribs with a locally-made pistol.
Their beddings, which looked black because of the acid, was soaked in blood. Meanwhile, the body has been deposited at the KATH mortuary for autopsy while the Obuasi police are investigating the incident. – Daily Graphic
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Gomoa Fetteh (Central Region) 23 March 2002-A fisherman described by the police as a known rogue who has been terrorizing tourists at knife-point at Gomoa Fetteh beach in the Central Region, has eventually been grabbed.
Kweku Tawiah is notorious for snatching bags, cameras and other items from visitors to the beach resort has been arraigned before the Swedru Circuit Court. Mr P.K. Richardson, the presiding judge stated that, Tawiah's activities are inimical to tourism and investment in the country.
He has consequently sentenced Tawiah to five years imprisonment with hard labour. Tawiah aged 32, pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing and was convicted on his own plea.
In the same dock with Tawiah was John Kwesi Mensah, a photographer of Nyanyano charged with dishonestly receiving stolen items from Tawiah. He pleaded not guilty, and the court granted him a ¢5 million bail with a surety to be justified.
According to the prosecution, there had been several reports about Tawiah demanding cash and other things from foreign tourist who visited the beach. It is alleged that each time the tourists refused his demand, Tawiah would snatched their cameras, cash, bags and other items at knife-point, threatening to stab them.
The prosecution said in the morning of September 11, 1999, two Germans who were former students of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital visited Tills Hotel, from where they strolled to the beach. It said on their way back, the visitors met Tawiah who demanded a bottle of mineral water they were holding.
The prosecution said their refusal angered Tawiah who pulled out a knife menancingly to stab them and then snatch their bag containing several items including cash, an Olympus camera and a swimming costume.
It said on September 10, 2000, Tawiah again attacked a German couple and demanded cash from them. After refusal, Tawiah snatched their camera and their bag containing $600, ¢150,000 cash and other valuables.
Tawiah later sold the camera to J.K. Mensah at Nyanyano for ¢80,000 and the later resold it to another person for ¢400,000. The police however, retrieved the camera later. After the theft, the police proceeded to conduct a search in Tawiah's room at Fetteh.
The search revealed most of the stolen items. Those who had fell victim to Tawiah's criminal activities were invited for an identification parade and they all identified Tawiah as the person who had been tormenting them at the beach. - The Mirror
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Jobless man enjoys friend's pay for two
years
Ho (Volta Region) 23 March 2002 - An unemployed man has since 2000 illegally enjoyed the salary of his friend who resigned his post and left to South African to seek greener pastures. All he had to do at the end of every month was to get the friend's pay slip and collect his salary in full at a bank for his enjoyment.
The Ho Police are investigating how the jobless man, Oscar Ben Anku, was able to withdraw the salary from his friend's savings account at the Ho National Investment Bank at the end of every month since the year 2000. Anku is alleged to have impersonated his friend Mark Awuku, a former teacher of Ho-Bankoe E.P. Primary School, and has been collecting his salary until luck eluded him in February this year.
When he went to the school authorities to collect the pay slip it was detected that he had been impersonating Awuku who resigned in October 2000. Briefing "The Spectator" here at the weekend, a police source said Anku and Awuku had been friends for sometime and had been assisting each other.
Awuku decided to travel outside the country and made his intentions known to the suspect who advised him not to relent in his efforts to make it in life. In October 2000, Awuku resigned and left for South Africa. Since then Anku managed to outwit the school authorities and collected pay slips on behalf of his friend, sent them to the bank at the end of every month to collect his salary.
In February this year, the suspect went to the school wearing the usual confidence on his face, to collect Awuku's pay slip. But the school authorities detected the anomaly and arrested him.
During preliminary interrogation by the police, Anku admitted the offence but said he assisted his friend to the tune of over ¢500,000 to enable him to embark on the trip to South Africa and had to strike a deal with him to enable him to recover his money. Anku has been placed in police custody pending further investigations. - The Spectator.
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Job seeker ends up as sex slave
Tamale (Northern Region) 23 March 2002-A 15-year-old girl who was brought from Gambaga to Tamale by a man to get her a job, ended up as his sex slave. The man, Theodroe Kwame Halekah, 59, a senior official of Ghana Highways in Tamale, and his son, Thywill Kofi Halekah, 26, a student of Tamale Polytechnic, are being held by the police in Tamale for sexually assaulting the girl.
According to Chief Inspector Armah, the victim (name withheld) was brought from Gambaga by Mr Halekah with a promise to get her a job in Tamale. Instead of the job, Mr Halekah allegedly coerced the girl and had sex with her in his house.
Mr Halekah's wife became suspicious about the victim's presence in their home and when she questioned Halekah, it led to a quarrel whereupon Halekah sacked his wife from the house. Following this, Halekah attempted to have sex with the girl again but she protested and there was a fierce struggle.
Furious for resisting him, Mr. Halekah allegedly tied the victim and forcefully had sex with here for three continuous days. When Halekah's son, Kofi came from school and met the girl tied, she begged Kofi to untie her but he refused and also sexually abused her.
Mr Halekah then sent her to work with one Davi (a bar owner). After some days the victim started experiencing abdominal pains so she was sent to the residence of a medical doctor. The doctor advised them to send her to the regional hospital.
The incident was eventually reported to the police by an informant. The suspect was then arrested and the victim sent to hospital by the police. The suspect, according to the police, denied having sex with the victim. He said he was being framed up by the girl. Meanwhile, the police has rejected a medical report on the victim, arguing that it was not convincing since she was bleeding from the private part. - The Spectator
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 23 March 2002 - Stephen Osei, 38, believed to be one of the brains behind the illegal manufacture of firearms at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi and their proliferation in the country, has been arrested.
He is suspected to be a major source of supply of locally-manufactured weapons, especially pistols, to armed robbers and other criminals operating in Ashanti and other parts of the country. The suspect was arrested by the Suame Police last Friday, while manufacturing firearms in his workshop.
Five newly manufactured pistols were seized at the workshop. A police spokesman told the ‘Times’ here on Friday, that about a fourth night ago, the Suame Police, had a tip-off that the suspect was manufacturing firearms on a large scale for sale. Following a close monitoring of his activities, he was arrested last Friday afternoon in the act of manufacturing the weapons. He is expected to be arraigned before court next week on a charge of manufacturing firearms without authority. The Ghanaian Times
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Ashiaman (Greater Accra) 23 March 2002 - Dede Nartey, a 32-year-old unemployed at Ashiaman Christian village, was last Tuesday, granted 5 million cedis bail with a surety for allegedly roasting her seven-year-old Stephen’s hand for stealing groundnuts.
Confusion arose in court over who the boy’s biological mother was. While the prosecution team maintained that the boy is a step-son to Dede, the accused insisted that she is the real mother.
The boy’s father is said to be outside the country. Dede’s plea was not taken. The tribunal chairman, Mr Ringo Cass Azumah, noted that it was important that the boy’s maternal parentage was established.
“I only wish that you are the boy’s biological mother but if it turns out the other way, then this becomes a dirty case,” he stated. Mr Azumah stressed that Dede had no right to mete out the kind of punishment she gave to a seven year-old boy for stealing groundnuts.
Chief Inspector Nutakor, prosecuting, told the court that at 2 pm on March 13, Dede had a report that the boy had stolen some groundnuts. She questioned the boy who denied the charge. Not satisfied with his explanation, Dede held the boy’s left palm over a coal pot with burning fire, causing burns on his hand.
A neighbour reported the incident to the Ashiaman Police the following day, when the boy was sent to the Tema General Hospital for treatment. Counsel for the accused claimed that the boy’s hand was not held over fire but that he accidentally fell and hurt his hand in the fire when his mother was spanking him for stealing.
He pleaded with the court that even if his client carried out the act it would have been a fallout from the culmination of a series of events. “It will take only the devil to deliberately want to hurt her son this way. “If justice takes its normal cause in this case, it would affect the growth, psychological development and strain the mother and child relationship needed for his son’s development,” he pleaded. Counsel suggested that the case be dealt within another social form. The case has been adjourned to April 3. – The Ghanaian Times
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com