Police investigate attempted robbery of Ex-President's bodyguard
Most accident victims die for lack of first aid
Benjillo's wife wants his cars
Kufuor urges Italian Companies to set up branches in Ghana
President urges Ghana Navy to reduce piracy
Two policemen interdicted for losing weapon
Accra (Greater Accra) 25 October 2001 - The Police Criminal Investigations Department on Wednesday began investigating an attempted armed robbery at the residence of Warrant Officer Patrick Kuntor, former Aide de Camp to former President Jerry Rawlings.
Mr Kuntor's house at Haatso, near Madina, was on early Tuesday invaded by armed men who, after an exchange of fire fled. Mr Kuntor said at about 1:30am on Tuesday, he heard his watchman shouting for help and screaming that he was being murdered after which he heard an explosion.
When he opened his windows he saw four men trying to tie up the watchman so took his gun and fired into the air to scare off the attackers.
He came out of the house through another door and he met another group of four robbers with white bands on their heads in the form of turbans.
Mr Kuntor said the robbers fired on him and he fired back, adding that he believed he hit one of them in the arm. Another shot was fired by one of the attackers who was lying under his car and he fired back.
According to him the attack was well organised. The gang numbered about 20 with three of them carrying weapons. Their ages ranged between 22 and 36 years and they were using what he believed were locally manufactured weapons.
The gang succeeded in carrying their wounded colleagues away. Police said they collected three nine-millimetre empty shells at the residence. Mr Kuntor said he does not believe there was any foul play on behalf of any state institution.
Meanwhile, a police source has described the incident as crime of opportunity, where the suspects may have wanted to use the victim's absence for about two weeks at his farm at Wenchi to rob his residence.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East Region) 25 October 2001 - About 80 per cent of accident victims die on the way to hospital due to the lack of basic first aid, Noble J. Appiah, Acting Executive Director of the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) said on Wednesday.
He said this grave situation raised the need for the training of personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service in basic first aid.
Mr Appiah was opening a three-day workshop on "Accident Data Collection" for 50 MTTU personnel from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions at Bolgatanga.
It was organised jointly by the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) and the NRSC with funding from the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA).
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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 October 2001 - Three years after the conviction of George Mensah Bonsu, alias BENJILO, on charges of drug trafficking, his wife is demanding the release of his three cars confiscated to the state.
Mrs Grace Adu Bonsu has written to the Attorney General demanding the release of a Nissan Pathfinder with registration numbers GR 4833 J, GMC Tiphoon Station Wagon GR 7474 J and Mercedes Benz 300 GR 3548 J.
The Ghana News Agency says it learnt at the Attorney General office that the police have been requested to probe the claim and to ascertain the true owner of the vehicles.
Another investigation at the Police Narcotics Unit, however, revealed that only one of the vehicles was registered in the name of Mrs Adu Bonsu.
This was the Station Wagon that was transferred to her in 1993 by Azumah Nelson, former WBC super-featherweight champion.
The other two were registered in the names of BENJILO Fabrics Limited and Mike Mishio/Mefix Spare Parts Ventures of N0 1 BENJILO Street, New Achimota.
Mr Ernest Maayeb, Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of the Narcotics Unit, confirmed that police are investigating Mrs Bonsu's claim of these two vehicles.
"We have everything on record as at the time of BENJILO's conviction and the seizure of his properties."
Mr Maayeb said if the claimant has any new documents then this has to be investigated. The documents on the confiscation of BENJILO's properties have since been with the Attorney General's office.
BENJILO, a popular fabrics dealer, was sentenced in 1998 to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for trafficking in narcotic drugs.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 October 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor left Accra on Wednesday evening for Madrid, Spain, to attend a conference on "Democratic Transitions and Consolidation" slated for October 26 and 27.
The two-day meeting, which is at the invitation of His Majesty Juan Carlos I of Spain, is being organised by the Spanish Foundation for International Relations and Foreign Dialogue in conjunction with the Gorbachev Foundation.
The President is being accompanied by the Foreign Minister Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister at the Presidency and Mr Daniel K. Owusu, Ambassador at Large.
Briefing journalists at the Airport, Kwabena Agyepong, Deputy Government Spokesman said about 20 world leaders especially those who have gone through smooth transition are expected to attend the meeting to be chaired by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
The Spanish Prime Minister Jose Marion Aznu is expected to open the meeting. While in Spain the President will hold bilateral talks with the Spanish government on a wide range of issues.
Already in Spain is the Deputy Finance Minister, Mrs Grace Coleman, who is negotiating a 100 million-dollar package promised Ghana during the maiden visit of President Kufuor early this year.
The package is expected to go to the tourism, agriculture, fisheries, energy and education sectors.
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Kufuor urges Italian Companies to set up
branches in Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra) 25 October 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday urged Italian investors to utilise the sound economic policies being pursued by the government to establish most of their manufacturing industries in Ghana.
He said with their expertise in the manufacturing sector they could assist the government to reduce the high unemployment rate and in addition further strengthen the cordial relationship between Ghana and Italy.
President Kufuor made the appeal when a seven-member delegation from the Italian media called on him at the Castle, Osu.
Ghana's position as the gateway to the West African Sub-region would guarantee Italian business entrepreneurs access to the available markets of over 250 million people, President Kufuor stated, adding that Ghana needed development partnership that could assist the country to establish training centres to expose artisans and middle level personnel to new technologies in the world.
"We want Italy to know Ghana appropriately to strengthen relationship with us to attract investors. You as media practitioners, have the capability to help educate Italians especially the business sector about the peace, stability and economic progress being made for them to invest. I hope something positive would come out of your visit," he added.
Mr Bruno Liconti of the Espresso Media and leader of the delegation said their visit was to extend the cordial relationship between the Journalists Associations in both countries.
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Sekondi (Brong Ahafo) 25 October 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday asked the Ghana Navy to spearhead efforts to check pilferage and piracy in the country's territorial waters and at the harbours.
They should be extra vigilant especially in areas where oil exploration is taking place, around rigs and other offshore facilities, he said when he commissioned two ships of the Ghana Navy: GNS Anzone and GNS David Hansen, at the Naval Base in Sekondi.
The ceremony climaxed his four-day tour of the Western Region. Anzone is the Nzema word for Shark while GNS David Hansen was named after Rear Admiral David Animle Hansen (RTD), the first Ghanaian Chief of Naval Staff who was present at the ceremony.
President Kufuor pledged the government's commitment to support the Navy to defend the country's territorial waters.
Ms Nancy Powell, United States Ambassador in Ghana, said the US selected Ghana among several other countries for the donation of the ships in recognition of the fact that the Ghana Navy would put them to good use in international peace-keeping.
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Wa (Upper West) 25 October 2001 - The Upper West Regional Police Command has interdicted two policemen for negligently causing the loss of an AK47 rifle and 20 rounds of ammunition to an unidentified person.
Inspector Daniel Dorkpoh, Regional Police Public Relations Officer mentioned them as Sergeant David Karikari, 55 and Constable Shaibu Osman, 29 both stationed at Wa.
The two policemen allegedly lost the weapon while on snap-check duty on the Wa-Tumu road on Monday night. They reported the next morning that their rifle had been taken away by an unknown person.
Inspector Dorkpoh said the Police administration has taken a very serious view of the incident and efforts are being made to retrieve all illegal weapons from the public.
It warned that any policeman who allows a service weapon to get into the hands of private persons would be dealt with severely.
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Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) 25 October 2001 - About 15 armed robbers wielding an AK 47 riffle and locally manufactured pistols last Sunday attacked and robbed the Reverend Emmanuel Kwaku Ofosu, Nkawkaw Area Apostle of the Church of Pentecost at Nkwakaw.
They took away 4 million cedis, 300 dollars, 10 pounds sterling; two double-barrel shotguns, a mobile phone, a wristwatch and a travelling bag containing his passport with a 5-year US visa.
The Nkawkaw Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent (Mrs) Rose Atingah told the Ghana News Agency that the robbers jumped over a fence wall, tied the hands of the watchman to a tree, forced the doors to the house opened and ordered the Pastor to hand-over the dollars he had received from the son in the US.
She said they assaulted the Pastor and his family before taking the money and the items away but they left behind one of the locally manufactured pistols.
In another development, three armed robbers also attacked and robbed one Abdul Razak Abdulai, a cola dealer at the Nkawkaw Zongo, who had recently returned from Nigeria.
They took away 4.5 million cedis, 30,000 CFA, 30,000 Naira and personal effects. No arrest has been made in both developments but the Police are investigating.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 October 2001 - Ghana on Wednesday called for increased investment in children as a way of reducing poverty and arresting the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs who made the call at a flag-hoisting ceremony in Accra to mark the 56th milestone of the United Nations (UN) said the world has fallen short of its obligations for children not because they were too ambitious but because of insufficient investments.
Ghana is celebrating the anniversary on the theme: "The United Nations at 56: Creating a peaceful and secured world for our children: Ghana's Initiative."
Owusu-Agyemang said although the world body has made some strides in the development of children, more than 10 million children die each year from preventable diseases.
Over 150 million still suffer from malnutrition while the sale and trafficking of children remain a matter of deep concern to the world.
He pledged Ghana's commitment to advancing the course of children in concert with the international community. "I believe we can do it and we must do it". On the positive side, Owusu-Agyemang predicted that this year, three million fewer children would die than a decade ago.
Polio has been brought to the brink of eradication through immunization and salt iodisation while net school enrolment among children has increased.
He said some 63 countries achieved the goal of one-third reduction in mortality among children under five and more than 100 countries reduced it by one-fifth.
The Foreign Minister reiterated Ghana's message of congratulations to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan for winning the Nobel Peace Prize and "so ably leading his organization to receive the prestigious prize."
He also congratulated officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police Service who have distinguished themselves in UN peacekeeping missions and enhanced the country's image in the comity of nations.
In his message read by Mr Alfred Fawundu, UN Country Representative, Secretary-General, Annan expressed the hope that the prestigious prize conferred on him and his Organization would encourage the world body to tackle its task with greater determination.
"I know as we move forward we can rely on the cooperation and support of you, the peoples of the world. The UN is you and we exist to serve you."
He urged the organization to stay true to its mission and work harder to alleviate suffering in every part of the world. "As the world confronts a new challenge, old ones remain. The United Nations is more central than ever to creating a better safer world for all," he added.
Mr Alfred George Thompson, President of the Ghana United Nations Students and Youth Association (GUNSA), urged the UN to convene an emergency session of the General Assembly to deliberate on the current dimension of terrorism and bio-terrorism with the view to making the world peaceful.
Mr Thompson also called on the government to prohibit the use of children including babies by their destitute parents to beg for alms.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 October 2001 - Ghana is to host the annual general meeting of the African Business Roundtable (ABR) on November 7 to map out a strategy for regional economic growth.
The high profile three-day meeting will bring together three African Heads of State, top business executives and experts to evolve plans to step up Africa's economic development through the private sector.
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Executive President of ABR, announced this at a meeting with Vice President Aliu Mahama at the Castle, Osu, on Wednesday.
He said Presidents Fredrick Chiluba of Zambia, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo and Joachim Chissano of Mozambique are expected at the meeting.
The OAU Secretary-General Amara Essy, Omar Kabbag, President of the African Development Bank as well as decision makers and experts from the United States will also attend.
Alhaji Tukur said bilateral and multilateral agreements to facilitate intra-African trade and business outside the continent would be signed at the meeting.
He said the objective of the ABR, founded 10 years ago under the auspices of ADB with the support of former US President George Bush is to "serve as an open window through which the private sector in Africa can do business with themselves and the outside world."
"We mobilise small and large businesses to trade, undertake joint projects such as roads and in the communication sector, to create wealth for our people, improve the quality of lives of our people and alleviate poverty for peace and security," he said.
Alhaji Tukur said the efforts at achieving African unity and integration, initiated by Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his compatriots, should be rekindled with a focus on breaking barriers that impede economic integration.
It was in recognition of the pioneering role Ghana's first president played, he said, that the annual conference is to be held in Ghana.
He said ABR is collaborating with the International Chamber of Commerce to galvanise private sector operators and strengthen their capacities to build the economies of the continent.
Alhaji Tukur appealed to the Vice President to use the platform created by 'Ghana's fast-track integration with Nigeria to attract other countries in the sub-region to join efforts at the continental level.
Alhaji Mahama said the objective of ABR was in line with Ghana's development programme that seeks to strengthen the private sector to facilitate economic growth.
Ghana would, support ABR efforts to bring development for the benefit of Africans, he said and urged ABR to encourage African business people to invest in Ghana, saying: "We need them to come and stay here and work with us. Their investment would be safe because we believe in the rule of law, good governance and the creation of wealth to alleviate poverty."
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