The Ghanaian Chronicle

World Bank bares teeth at Ghana

Public Agenda

AMA suspends demolition

The Ghanaian Democrat

Govt. not against private press – Mahama

Graphic Sports

Kofi Jantuah in remarkable win

Africa Sports

Steve Dotse fights for world crown on Saturday

The Statesman

Rogue U.S. investor unmasked

Daily Graphic

Goasohene files petition against two state-owned media

The Crusading Guide

BNI & Co. dragged to court…Over contempt

Ghanaian Times

Driver kills two while running from trouble

The Ghanaian Chronicle reports in its lead story that the Government of Ghana, last week, refunded 360,000 dollars (about 900 million cedis) to the World Bank which was demanded by the bank due to the government’s failure to follow the bank’s procedures.

According to the paper, failure to follow the bank’s procedures is an explanation for misapplication of funds. The Chronicle says the payment came ten months after the World Bank had written to the government in August last year, for the money, after the bank’s officers in Ghana had detected a "mis-procurement" of items during a routine auditing of funds allocated to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture through the Ministry of Finance for the implementation of a 29.06 million-dollar National Livestock Services Project being jointly financed by the World Bank and the Ghana Government.

The bank is contributing 22.45 million dollars through an International Development Assistance credit, while the Ghana Government had pledged a counterpart fund of 5.35 million dollars.

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The paper says in what appears to a stay of execution, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has quashed its decision to eject about 30,000 people from Old Fadama, near Agbogbloshie in Accra. The Assembly has also rescinded its decision to demolish their houses and markets before May 15.

The Public Agenda says the decision was taken last week following a general meeting at the Assembly’s headquarters. According to the paper the implementation of the demolition plan has, however, only been suspended and would be carried out eventually.

It says indeed, the AMA has asked the executive committee, including the Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Addokwei-Addo, to review the plan which should have led to the demolition of houses and the evacuation of people.

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In its lead story, the Ghanaian Democrat says there is no deliberate attempt by the government of the NDC to throw the private press out of business. Rather, it is the determination of the government to encourage the both the private and the state-owned media to play their role to ensure the survival of democracy in Ghana.

The paper quoted the Minister of Communications, Mr John Mahama as stressing these points in an address on the occasion of this year’s "World Press Freedom Day", in Accra.

The paper says Mr Mahama who was reacting to rumours from certain quarters that the government has placed an embargo on the placement of advertisement in ‘opposition’ private newspapers, pointed out that it was not true that there was a unit in the Ministry that goes through newspapers to ensure that ministries and other government agencies are not critical of the government.

He is reported as saying that the government was fully aware of the important role the private press is playing in the development of the Ghanaian society.

According to the Democrat, the Minister therefore called on ministries to place advertisement in any newspaper of their choice. Mr Mahama, the paper says, however, pointed out that if a newspaper is too sensational and subjective in its reporting, it may scare away prospective advertisers and advised the media to uphold the truth always.

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The Graphic Sports in a front page story, reports that Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) ‘Boxer of the Year’, Kofi Jantuah, scored his most remarkable victory in the United States when he knocked out highly-rated Puerto Rican hard-hitter, Daniel Santos in Las Vegas, last Saturday night.

The paper says the end came in two minutes 53 seconds of the fifth round when the referee, Jay Nady halted the proceedings after Santos had been decked and was trying unsuccessfully to beat the count.

According to the Graphic Sports, the United States-based Ghanaian Commonwealth welterweight champion, accepted the fight at a week’s notice but was right on top of Santos, the fifth contender to the World Boxing Organisation (WB) crown.

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The paper reports that Ghana’s Steve Dotse, African bantamweight boxing champion, makes the biggest move in his career when he fights for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight crown on Saturday, May 15, against the American champion, Tim Austin. According to the Africa Sports, the news was broken to the paper by Baba Sumaila, the trainer of Nana Yaw Konadu and that the fight will take place at the Miami Boxing Arena and will be the main bout of the night.

The paper says Steve Dotse, like Nana Yaw Konadu, is managed by Don King with whom he has sealed a four-year deal.

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In this banner headline story, the Statesman says the current eagerness to attract investors to boost Ghana’s economy and African-Americans to retrace their steps back to Africa, has its clear risk as the exposure of Ahveeshadia Ben Visrael, an African-American, has revealed.

The story says a burly bearded Rastafarian, Ahveeshadia, who was recently reported to have raped his housemaid, had a child by her and shirked responsibility has been exposed as a ‘smooth con-man’ operating under a variety of names.

The Statesman says variously responding to names like Luctrice Curtice, Leonardo Curtis, N.D. Harring and Omodele McCowan, the burly 150-pound-plus African-American, who arrived in Ghana about three years ago, and was welcome with open arms as a ‘money-man’ with lots of dollars to invest, is a common crook, after all.

According to the paper, investigations spanning several weeks since the reported rape case which is now under examination by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), revealed that Ahveeshadia, between 1983 and 1993, served time in the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the United States for making phoning articles, credit cards and bank drafts.

The Statesman says when he was released from jail, he headed for Ghana, robed as an investor and registered the ‘Life Westland of Eden’ as a company on September 27, 1996, and was issued a certificate to commence on October 2, 1996. The Statesman says Ahveeshadia operated the company as a vegetarian restaurant and set up a shop each at

Adenta, near Accra and Paloma Arcade in Accra. According to the paper, life for him since then, has been one of adventure and fun while his numerous victims swore and cursed after being ‘smooth-talked’ into parting with thousands of dollars.

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In a front page news report, the Graphic says the Omanhene of Goaso in the Brong Aahafo Region, ‘Krotwiamansa’ Adjei Ampofo, has filed a petition at the National Media Commission against two state-owned media orgainsations, for publishing and broadcasting defamatory reports about him during the installation of the new Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace recently.

The two media organisations are the New Times Corporation and the Ghana Boradcasting Corporation (GBC). The Goasohene, who is also a member of the Council of State, is quoted as saying that he has instructed his lawyers to institute legal action against the two media organisations if the National Media Commission fails to act on the petition by May 14. IN the petition, Krotwiamansa Ampofo said he has given the Commission up to May 14, since "I cannot allow the story to get stale before appropriate action is taken on it".

The paper says the two media organisations carried reports which said the Omanhene brutally assaulted his queenmother, Nana Yaa Akyiaa, who attempted to prevent him from swearing an oath to the new Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, because the Omanhene had shown disrespect to the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, by refusing to respond to his invitation on three occasions.

The two organisations, the paper says, also stated that Krotwiamansa Ampofo wept after assaulting Nana Yaa Akyiaa, who was earlier referred to by the Ghanaian Times and the GBC as Nana Kusi Buadum Acheampomaa, the current queenmother of Goaso.

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According to the Crusading Guide, the Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and Chief Inspector Frank Agbenyega, have been sued for contempt of court.

The paper says an ex-parte application in the name of ex-Captain James Owoo for an order of attachment or committal for contempt was granted by an Accra High Court presided over by Mr Justice Apaloo on May 3, this year. Friday, May 14 has been fixed for the hearing of the application.

The paper quotes Mr Akoto Ampaw, counsel for Capt. Owoo, as stating in an accompanying affidavit that his client was forcibly abducted from Sierra Leone to Ghana by the leader of the Ghanaian contingent in the West African peace-keeping Force (ECOMOG) in Sierra Leone, to face a provisional treason charge.

The Crusading Guide says Mr Akoto Ampaw is seeking that the respondents be attached by an Accra High Court and committed to prison for contempt of court for

"Willfully disobeying the orders of an Accra Circuit Tribunal of competent jurisdiction". According to the paper, the ground for seeking relief was that the Director of the BNI and Chief Inspector Agbenyega (who was responsible for investigations into the case of treason as well as bringing the accused to and from court), "blatantly and willfully refused to comply with the orders of an Accra Circuit Tribunal, remanding the applicant to prison custody on March 29 and April 13, this year".

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The Ghanaian Times in a back page story, reports that Bernard Babia, a driver of a company tipper truck, in attempt to avoid a superior officer who had spotted him on the road with passengers on board the vehicle, decided to speed away from his boss.

In the process, Babia drove two of the passengers to their death and left the other ten occupants of the vehicle seriously injured. The Times says Babia driver of truck with the registration GT. 1917 P, belonging to FWAL, contractors of the Ho-Sogakope-Fume road project in the Volta Region, and the ten passengers, are on admission at the Ho Government Hospital.

According to the Times, while driving from Taviefe to Ho yesterday, Babia picked passengers along the route, contrary to his employers’ regulations.

The paper says during the journey, he realised that a vehicle belonging to one of the engineers of the company was trailing behind him. To avoid being queried, he chose to speed away, and upon reaching a sharp curve, near a Limb Fitting Centre at Ho, the truck veered off the road and ran into the fence wall of the centre.

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