The Ghanaian Times reports that the Attorney-General's (AG) Office has requested for the docket on the case involving Lakhiani Jag-Dish, the Indian chairman of Blow Plast Industry Limited, charged with assaulting his worker, John Antwi.

A letter from the A-G's office, dated September 20, 2001, to the police said that it would enable the office to study and take the necessary action.

The prosecutor, Inspector E.Y. Frimpong, presented the letter from the A-G's office to the Accra Community Tribunal on Monday. Consequently, the tribunal, chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Adusei adjourned the case to October 24.

The letter said that the accused had complained through his solicitors to the AG's office, of acts of harassment and blackmail by the complainant, Mr John Antwi.

Lakhiani appeared before the tribunal for the first time on September 17 and pleading not guilty to the charge, was granted a self-cognisance bail to appear last October 8.

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Four more arrested over school robbery

Two more students of the Wesley Grammar School in Accra and two others wanted by the police for their alleged involvement in last week's raid of the school's accounts office have been arrested by the Asokwa Police in Kumasi.

The suspects, Kwadwo Tutu, 17, a final year student, Frimpong Baffour, 17, a second year student, Kwadwo Dankwa, a mechanic and Albert Obeng, a trader were rounded-up at their hide-out at Asokwa at the weekend.

About ¢1.5 million being part of the proceeds realized from the sale of a money counting machine and other items stolen in the raid was retrieved from the suspects.

A police spokesman told the Times in Kumasi on Monday that the suspects were expected to be handed over to the Odorkor Police in Accra later in the day for further investigations and subsequent prosecution.

Tutu and Baffour were said to have teamed up with another final year student of the school, Richard Kankam 17, to break into the accounts office last Thursday and bolted with some items including a Sika Card and a money counting machine.

Kankam, who took custody of the Sika Card was arrested the next day in his attempt to cash some money at the Kokomlemle branch of the SSB Bank using the card.

According to the story, the bank authorities became suspicious and alerted the police when he failed to mention the password for the card so that the money could be cashed for him.

Tutu and Obeng were said to have traveled with the money counting machine and the other items to Kumasi where they sold them with the assistance of Dankwa and Obeng.

Kankam, allegedly told the police, that he and the other students including tutu and Baffour had planned a week earlier to set the school's administration block on fire.

On their arrival at the administration block, they changed their decision and rather opted to break into the accounts office. In the accounts office, they found a safe and a Sika Card and decided to break the safe and steal the money in it.

After a fruitless attempt to break into the safe, they took away the Sika Card, the money

counting machine and other items.

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Three armed robbers freed and re-arrested

The Berekum Circuit Court, on Monday acquitted and discharged three suspected armed robbers who were to be sentenced. They were however, immediately re-arrested by the police and given fresh charges.

They are Isaac Yaw Aboagye alias ‘No bone’, Samuel Antwi also known as Mulato, and Kwaku Kyere. The court's decision to discharge them followed a nolle prosefi entered by the Regional Attorney-General's (AG) Department to discontinue with the case.

Discharging them, the court, presided over by Mr R.K. Asase, explained that the case involved armed robbery but charges preferred against them by the police did not connect any armed robbery.

He further explained that the AG's action was to enable the accused persons to be-arrested for the proper charges to be preferred against them.

They had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime, stealing and attempted rape. The accused persons were said to have stormed the Berekum Holy Family Hospital last June 13.

Aboagye was said to have attempted to rape one of the health personnel. Her resistance to the rape left her with a deep cut in her right palm when she warded off the knife being used by the assailant. The robbers managed to escape with ¢400,000.

The three suspects are now facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime, armed robbery and attempted rape. Their plea was not taken and the court remanded them in prison custody until October 22.

GRi…/

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The Evening News

One thousand workers to go home at Bank of Ghana

The Local Works Union of the Bank of Ghana, backed by its parent body, the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) is bracing up for a labour showdown with the management of the Bank, state daily The Evening News reports.

At the centre of the looming confrontation is management's decision to undertake a restructuring exercise, which will see as many as 1,000 workers of its labour force of 2,500 going home. The rationale behind this restructuring, a credible source said, is the Bank's ever-growing expenditure.

The source said proposal submitted by the authorities indicated that under the restructuring exercise, management intends to do away with non-core sectors like, transport, maintenance and non-clerical areas.

The first phase of the programme is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next-year. Redeployment package proposals for the staff to be affected have been submitted to the Local Union.

When management and the Local Union met for the first time on the issue last Tuesday, at the Bank's Annex Boardroom, management had a taste of what is in store for them according to the Evening News.

The workers team led by, Mr Gilbert Awinongya, acting Deputy General Secretary of the ICU was surprised to learn that management had not informed the sector Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Employment and Manpower Development, over such a sensitive issue.

Mr Van Lare Dosoo, First Deputy Governor, who led the management team, admitted the lapse and promised to straighten up things before the next meeting, which, though slated for last Friday, could not come on.

The paper quotes its sources as saying that the workers are not in the least convinced with the "over-expenditure" explanation given by the management for the restructuring exercise. They have, therefore, called for a comprehensive expenditure situation report of the Bank to enable them know for themselves which segment of the workforce is the cause of the over-expenditure.

"We want to avoid a situation where restructuring normally affects the lower ranks, leaving intact, the top bracket which creates the over-expenditure,” he said.

GRi…/

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The Chronicle

NPP misapplying state funds - Tony Aidoo

Dr Tony Aidoo, head of the Research Department and former NDC Deputy Minister of Defence, has stated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is misapplying state funds in the name of the presidency.

According to The Chronicle, Dr Aidoo, speaking on a GTV programme “Kweku On-on-One” last Sunday said the government spent ¢1.5 billion to renovate the private residence of the President, Mr J.A. Kufuor, but gave conflicting sources of funds for the renovation works. He added that for the 20 years that ex-President Rawlings stayed at the Castle, such a huge amount was not spent to renovate the edifice, which even doubled as his residence and official office.

Dr Aidoo also claimed that some journalists in the private media were paid by the NPP for its propaganda campaign against the NDC and this contributed his party's defeat during the last elections.

Dr Aidoo added that he was a victim of mal-administration at the University of Cape Coast where he lectured for almost a decade and had to resign because the authorities there could not tolerate his outspokenness against their mal-administration at the university.

On why he has stoutly defended ex-President Rawlings over the past decade, Tony Aidoo said he is fond of defending the ex-President because he is a man of principles.

He revealed that, as an Ashanti who grew up in Kumasi, he knows President Kufuor very well but that does not mean, he should take a blind stand against injustice in the society.

Dr Aidoo told his host, Kweku Sakyi Addo, that most of the leading men and women of the NPP who are today shouting at the roof-tops about democracy, ran away from the country when the times were rough but people like him (Aidoo), choose to leave lucrative jobs in London and come back home to help rebuild the nation.

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NDC is dying in Volta Region

The activities of the once buoyant National Democratic Congress (NDC) are gradually grinding to a halt in the Volta Region, which the party, in their good days proudly dubbed its 'world bank' because it garnered the greater percentage of its electoral votes there.

The Chronicle says it is a situation that should give Dr Obed Asamoah and Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, frontliners in the NDC reorganization crusade sleepless nights.

The party in the region is reportedly smarting under huge debts some of them from the high profile national delegates congress at Ho, which among other things, endorsed former Vice-President Atta Mills as the party's flagbearer for the 2000 elections.

Eighteen months after the extra-ordinary national congress, sawn timber bought for the erection of the Presidential dais and band stands have not been paid for, though reports have it that money was released for the purpose. Canopies and chair bills have also not been fully settled.

Party officials are forced into playing hide and seek as a result of persistent demands by the creditors for the payment of these bills running into several millions of cedis.

The former Volta Regional Minister, Col. Charles Kofi Agbenaza, ex-DCE, Capt. Kofi Nfodjo and the Regional Secretary, Yao Kumah Adanu, were responsible for the purchase of the boards and hiring of canopies and chairs.

An amount of ¢20 million meant for "chop-bar" keepers in the Ho township to provide food for the teaming supporters of the NDC who invaded the regional capital for the congress was diverted.

Kumah Adanu, Regional Secretary of the NDC, said monies ranging from ¢200,000 to ¢500,000 were loaned to some selected traditional caterers however, the Chronicle found out that Goldfinger, a restaurant jointly owned by Capt. Nfodjo and his wife, was paid ¢4 million, while the GPRTUC also received ¢5 million to provide vehicles to convey NDC supporters to the North who were said to be stranded at Ho.

The result of these disclosures of malfeasance on the part of some regional officials of the party is that the mass of the party's following have become apathetic with some vowing never again to allow themselves to be used and fooled. “Monkey cannot work for baboon to chop”, one Ward Chairman of the party in the Ho East constituency reportedly told the Chronicle.

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Star witness begins testimony

The Star witness in the Quality Grain trial, Mr Theophilus Cudjoe, Deputy Executive Director in charge of investigations at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on Monday stunned lawyers, journalists and the court crowd when he entered the Fast Track High Court with a big box full of documentary evidence to begin his testimony.

Cudjoe who initiated the investigations into the Quality Grain case, three years ago, which had resulted in the hauling of two former ministers and four other ex-top government officials to court was accompanied by an officer carrying the box packed with documentary evidence to testify in court.

Those on trial are Mr Ibrahim Adam, Dr Samuel Dapaah, former Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Kwame Peprah, former Minister of Finance, Dr. George Sipa Yankey, former Director of Legal Sector, Private and financial institutions divisions of the ministry of Finance.

GRi…/

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The Statesman

'I didn't say so' - Ag Chief Justice

The Statesman says in an exclusive interview with the Acting Chief Justice, Justice E.K. Wiredu, in his private chambers at the Supreme Court on Monday, judicial service head categorically stated he was not accurately represented by the Daily Graphic in its report on what he said about his views on the Criminal Libel Law.

"I did not say that I was not in favour of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law. I used the word ‘regret’. I said that I regretted that the criminal libel law had been repealed and because no mechanism had been put in its place it was, therefore, subject to abuse."

In light of media reaction to his stance on the repeal of the criminal libel law, Justice Wiredu, according to the paper, assured the media in particular, that the issue is not whether he regrets the change in the law or not adding that, "a judge's cardinal duty is to enforce the law as he finds it and not as he would like the law to be."

He said although the Supreme Court held in the then leading case, Republic v Tommy Thompson that the Criminal Libel Law was not inconsistent with the Fourth Republic constitution, that case has now lost its authority, owing to the repeal, and will more be followed by the law courts in Ghana.

The Acting Chief Justice is, however, of the opinion that the imprisonment sentence provisions in the old law helped to make media practitioners more circumspect and responsible. According to him, under the current law, a defendant in a libel case would only risk going to jail if the defendant deliberately refuse to pay damages when he or she has the capacity to pay.

He fears that civil libel laws alone may not be enough to protect innocent members of the public from being defamed.

GRi…/

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Ghana Palaver

The "Nduom advises Nduom" story confirmed

Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration, true to his style, has engaged five consultants from his own firm, Deloitte and Touche, West Africa, "to provide services" at the Poverty Reduction Unit, under his Ministry, writes the Ghana Palaver.

The paper says its investigations have revealed that the five are paid in foreign currency and at a fee only known to Dr Nduom. And to ensure absolute secrecy and confidentiality, Dr Nduom has brought down his own secretary from his private firm to work directly under him at the Ministry.

The appointment was made without passing it through the Civil Service Commission and in total disregard for the laid-down procedure. To pamper his men, Dr Nduom has given his official Nissan Patrol vehicle to one of the consultants and has applied for and received a new car.

The Palaver carries that with the transformation of the Ministry into a wing of Nduom's Deloitte and touché, the top civil servants are virtually being marginalized, a situation, which is leading to an exodus of some of the frustrated ones.

Already, a senior member of staff, on secondment from the Ministry of Finance, has left for further studies. Another frustrated officer from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, is packing up to return to his base. A third official, whose office has been taken away from him and given to one of the consultants, has also served notice to leave for further studies.

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Ghana Palaver now dares Kwadwo Afari & Co

The Press Secretary of the New Patriotic party (NPP), Mr Kwadwo Afari, according to the Ghana Palaver, had threatened taking the paper to court for repeating what he had earlier stated, in his defence over the confusion that surrounded the organization of the press conference by his Party chairman, Mr Harona Esseku last week.

The press officer had maintained that he was not to blame for the "change in direction" of the topic of the conference. Indeed, he had claimed that the chairman had changed the original text of the approved speech and had inserted his own ideas.

After the paper’s publication, a fuming Afari was on air, denying every word of his, and threatening fire and brimstone.

The Palaver says it has now come to light that there were indeed, two speeches, as claimed by the press secretary, who called his chairman, a liar. One was read and the other, published in Tuesday October 9, 2001 issue, shelved.

“Book no lie” the paper adds and demands to know when Afari is going to file his suit against the 'Ghana Palaver'.

The paper recalls that Mr Kwadwo Afari, apparently queried for his "insubordination" and his sharp exposure of his Chairman as a liar, quickly came on air to state that he was not even aware that there had been two speeches.

His "master", Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the Party, who also boycotted the press conference, in protest against the changes in the original speech, also claimed an alibi for his absence - he was out to attend to equally important party matters, perhaps more important than the Chairman's function.

GRi…/

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Crusading Guide

Police refuse ¢30m bribe

The Crusading Guide carries that contrary to the perception that all policemen easily succumb to bribery overtures, the Police personnel of Agona Swedru have refused a bribe offer of ¢30 million.

George Biney, the Assemblyman of Mahodwe electoral area at Agona Swedru in the Central Region, is reported to have offered a group of policemen a sum of ¢30m million to drop a case of "possession of wee", against him.

According to sources, Assistant Police Superintendent Patrick Akolgo led an Operation upon a tip off, to arrest George Biney who was said to have been keeping a large amount of ‘wee’ in his house.

George was said to have offered ¢20 million initially to Akolgo to drop the case when the latter and his men found 300 wrapped pieces of leaves and an unwrapped quantity as much as the size of a sack in the former (George's) room.

When Akolgo refused to take the ¢20 million offer, George desperately topped it with ¢10 million (making it ¢30 million).

This, however, could not entice a resolute Akolgo to succumb. He was heard to have shouted "even if you give us ¢100 million we shall not take it".

This was when George had called Akolgo aside, pleading to him to have mercy on him and consider his (George's) political career.

George was said to have indicated that his ambition of moving from the position of an assemblyman to that of a Parliamentarian and further up was at stake, and therefore, was prepared to do anything, to protect his image.

A cross check with Assistant Supritendent Akolgo confirmed the bribery allegation.

Meanwhile George Biney also known as Brebuo and two other accomplices, Yaw Ayittey also known as Jomo and Kwabena Abbam were last week arraigned before court on a charge of "possession of leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp".

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Ghanaian sitcoms set for international market

"Accra FM" and "From America With Love" are upcoming television sitcoms set in Accra and the first to be developed in Ghana, by Ghanaians but targeted at the broader international market.

"We have an extra-ordinary amount of material in Africa that can allow us to compete in the international market", remarked Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM), the series creator and executive producer.

"The missing link has always been our inability to understand the appropriate genre that will allow our productions to compete internationally", he added.

KSM believes that his training and education in the United States exposed him to the complexities of the business of International Television syndication.

"Hear him: if we can repackage our material, we can gain access into that lucrative market. We need to convince the Executives of International Television Programmes Syndicates that we understand their audience and we are able to communicate in a genre they can relate to", he said.

In a rare breakthrough, Jon Inwood, a Los Angeles based independent Satellite signal distributor has reviewed and approved a proposal submitted by Sapphire GH LTD, driven by Kweku, to create world class African content for the international market. The proposal includes the financing and distribution of "Accra FM" and "From America With Love"

The two-year agreement is an opening for Sapphire to penetrate into a market, which until now has been dominated by American and European material.

"It is a fantastic opportunity. I have been working on this for three years now. This is not in anyway a victory for Sapphire, this is a victory for Ghana," Kweku said.

The worldwide Sitcom syndication distribution network is a multi-billion dollar industry and KSM believes that Africa must carve out its share of the market.

"With the right approach, revenue from syndicating television programmes internationally can top that from cocoa and other exports. We need a more concerted effort. GTV and TV3 are sitting on a Gold mine" KSM concludes.

GRi…/

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Graphic Sports

Ban alcohol sales at Ho Stadium-RAG

The Volta Regional branch of the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) has called for the immediate ban on sale of alcoholic beverages around the Ho Sports Stadium during football matches, reports the Graphic Sports.

This has become inevitable in view of the numerous cases of hooliganism and rowdyism recorded among soccer fanatics and club officials who misbehave during local football matches.

This was contained in a press release after an emergency executive meeting and signed by the Regional Chairman of RAG, Mr C.E.P.K. Gadotor at Ho in the Volta Region.

The release cited the recent crowd hooliganism and the subsequent assault of class one referee Frank Fudzi of Denu during division one league match between Voradep FC and Home Stars FC at the Ho Stadium.

The match ended in the 82^nd minute following an attack on the referee and club officials for apparently sending off a player of Voradep FC.

The release also asked the authorities concerned to beef up security at the stadium during matches and urged for the speedy completion of the stadium wall project now to prevent disgruntled fans from scaling over wall to the stadium.

The Graphic Sports says its investigations revealed as many 25 drinking spots of various types of liquors open for sale to the general public during matches.

GRi…/

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Daily Graphic

Passport scandal- one officer dismissed and two others interdicted

One senior officer of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has been dismissed and two others interdicted for their alleged involvement in an alleged trading of United Nations (UN) passports while on UN mission in Lebanon, reports the Daily Graphic.

The two senior officers whose names are being withheld are currently under close arrest while the dismissed officer's name was given as Major Ben Akibatey.

Close sources to the GAF Headquarters said the three officers took fees and illegally offered their passports and those of some junior personnel to Lebanese and Ghanaians searching for greener pastures in Lebanon to enable them cross the border from Lebanon to Israel.

The source said those involved in the alleged scandal gave their passports and ID cards to unauthorised people, led them to cross the border and then took their documents back.

It said overtime, the activities of the group became known to the Israeli authorities who complained to the UN Headquarters that people, claiming to be its peacekeepers cross the border and thus get involved in all kinds of activities.

The source said the UN became vigilant and started monitoring personnel on its mission to ensure that any such person caught in that act was arrested and brought to task.

Subsequently, on September 25, 2001, a group of people using passports and ID cards of soldiers serving with the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL), were arrested trying to cross the border from Lebanon to Israel.

When they were arrested, it was found out that their passports and ID cards bore different names. When they were screened, it was realised that two of them, suspected to be the leaders were military personnel from Ghana serving with UNIFIL.

It said they were immediately handed over to the Commanding Officer of the Ghana Battalion at Al Qaranis in Lebanon and subsequently repatriated to Ghana.

The source said Major Akibatey had earlier been arrested for the same offence and was therefore, repatriated, court-martialed and dismissed from the GAF.

When contacted the Director of Public Relations Department of the Ghana Armed Forces, Lt Col. Worlanyo Nibo, confirmed the story but failed to give the identities of the other officers involved.

Members of Parliament to get $20, 000 for new cars

Each of the 200 members of Parliament (MPs) is to be given $20,000 to buy a new car to enhance the discharge of their parliamentary duties.

A reliable parliamentary source, which disclosed this to the Graphic on condition of

anonymity said this follows the greenlight given the deal by the Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Marfo.

The source disclosed that the agreement contained in a letter from the Finance Minister to the Majority Leader, Mr J.H. Mensah, pegged the ceiling on the amount to be advanced to each MP as $20,000.

The monies, according to the source, are to be paid to three or four Accra-based companies, which will supply the preferred brand of saloon cars to the MPs. The brands said to be preferred by the MPs include Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Toyota Sedan four-wheel drive cross-country vehicles.

The companies including Silver Star Auto, distributors of Mercedes Benz; Mechanical Lloyd Company, distributors of BMW saloon cars and Toyota Ghana LImited, distributors of Toyota saloon cars and cross country vehicles, are understood to have already established contacts with the House and won approval to supply the vehicles.

Mr J. H. Mensah, in an interview confirmed the $20,000 ceiling instituted by the Finance Minister, but explained that the arrangement was still tentative and, therefore subject to review.

He said that the latest list of prices quoted showed prices in excess of the $20,000 to be given to each MP for the purchase of the cars. This he said called for a realistic decision to be made on the matter, taking due cognisance of the state of the nation's finances.

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Supt Awuni Burgled

A group of armed men believed to be robbers last week burgled the private car of the Director of the Ghana Police Public Relations Directorate, Supt Angwubutoge Awuni, at his residence at Dunkunu, a suburb of Accra.

This was after an attempt to break into his room had failed. Supt Awuni had earlier been issued with several death threats on phone.

A source at the Police Headquarters, which disclosed this in an interview said since Supt Awuni returned from Kumasi, he has received anonymous calls warning him to "remain silent if he wants to live a happy life".

It said Supt Awuni did not take the initial caller seriously until it was followed with another death threat by the same caller and this compelled him to report the matter to the "appropriate quarters".

It disclosed that upon hearing the case the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku, ordered immediate police guard to protect the residence of Supt Awuni.

When contacted Supt Awuni confirmed the story and added that on September 30, after appearing on a programme on Metro TV, he got home late, only to realise to his dismay that some armed men had attempted to enter his house.

He said he later discovered that the radio and side mirror of his Opel Cadet saloon car had been stolen. According to him, on October 1, the anonymous caller called again and warned that, "if you do not stop what you are doing we will kill you".

Mr Awuni said the latest caller left the warning message with his colleagues in the office.

The Odorkor Police Commander, Mr William Jib Kwanair, corroborated the burglary story and added that it is being investigated. He said so far no arrests have been made.

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German visa contractor arrested

A fifty-two year old German national has been arrested by the Kpeshie Divisional Command for being in possession of 16 Ghanaian passports.

The suspect, Neibler Siegfried, who is also the Director of Sikori Mining Company at Dunkwa was arrested at Teshie Nungua Estates when he allegedly defrauded an Accra businessman of $5,000 and £1,000 under the pretext of securing him a United States visa.

According to the Divisional Commander, Chief Supt. Rose Kotoe, in August this year, Jude Osei Tabi, a businessman who was looking for visas for five members of his family was introduced to the suspect who agreed to help him.

She said Neibler then collected $1,000 for each passport and an additional £1,000 for two other passports to enable him to acquire the visas for him.

The Divisional Commander said after collecting the money and the passport from Jude, Neibler started playing a hide and seek game with him.

Chief Supt Kotoe said on Friday, October 5, 2001, at about 3:00 pm, Jude met Neibler at Nungua and raised an alarm and he was arrested.

When his briefcase was searched, seven Ghanaian passports were found and when a search was conducted in his home, more passports were retrieved.

Investigations revealed that Neibler has been in the country since 1995,and although he claimed to be the director of the mining company, he has no resident permit.

The Kpeshie Divisional Command has appealed to any member of the public who has given his/her passport to Neibler to contact the station and assist in investigations.

Two companies to recycle waste in Ghana

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has reinforced its support for companies, which have expressed interest in recycling waste by approving proposals from two companies to enable them to undertake pilot projects in the country.

The companies are U2 Company Limited and Shaw- Taylor Company Ghana Limited, all based in Accra.

These companies will establish waste recycling plants in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.

They are expected to recycle plastic waste, coconut husks and human waste into energy and other useful materials.

GRi…/

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