Ministries, others misused ¢74 billion
Agbodo makes 4th appearance in court
Bread could cause cancer and impotence
English tutors reject SSS textbooks
New Times Corporation dismisses reporter
involve in blackmail case
Security measures for Sunday’s match
Malaysian in ritual at Tema Shipyard
Another 31st DWM woman before court
President suspends transfers at Bank of Ghana
On-line payment to be introduced soon
Certificate for 120 exporting firms under
ECOWAS scheme
Four arrested over telephone deal
Police hunt for three armed robbers
Trouble brews for Justice Wiredu
Remove VAT on drugs - Pharmaceutical body
Panic in Ghana
There would be entertainment at Kumasi Stadium
Ministries, others misused ¢74 billion
Official Audit Report for the year 2000 has
revealed that some Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) misappropriated
funds to the tune of ¢74 billion, according to The Evening News.
Prominent among them were, Ministries of
Tourism, Foreign Affairs, Education and the Interior, a source close to the
Auditor-General's Department told the paper that the funds were misappropriated
between 1998 and 2000 although it declined to release details.
It was however confirmed, according to the
Evening News, that the report has been made available to the Parliamentary
Finance Committee for study. When Parliament reconvenes, the Report would be
among the major issues that the house would discuss.
More…/
Agbodo makes 4th appearance in court
Mr Emmanuel A. Agbodo, the former Chief
Executive of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), will make his
fourth appearance before an Accra Community Tribunal on Friday October 12.
Agbodo together with three others, are facing
provisional charges of stealing and fraudulently causing financial loss to the
state.
The other accomplices are, Ernest Ekong,
managing director of Goldcity Communication Group Limited (GCGL), Angelo Lassey
and Siegfried Sedziafa both employees of the DIC.
Agbodo and Ekong made their first appearance
before the tribunal early last month and were granted bail in the sum of a
120,000 - dollar each with a surety to be justified.
Angelo Lassey and Sedziafa are on the run and are
being sought for by the security agencies with assistance from the INTERPOL. When
Agbodo and Ekong appeared before the tribunal on Wednesday, their pleas were
not taken because the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case.
The accused persons allegedly defrauded the
state of ¢15 billion which was discovered during a special audit requested by
the Office of the President and the National Security into transactions between
DIC and Goldcity, which were suspected to be fraudulent.
The investigations revealed that between May
and December last year, Agbodo, then Chief Executive Officer, authorised over
¢18 billion to be paid to Goldcity Communication as amount meant for
consultancy and advertising services rendered to the DIC by the latter.
GRi…/
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Rats, cockroaches annex Doctors' flat at Komfo
Anokye hostel
Mice and cockroaches are said to have taken
over the sleeping quarters of 25 junior doctors of the Komfo Anokye Teaching
Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
The Daily Guide says the doctors who virtually
live in squalor at the abandoned Kumasi City Hotel, are said to be demoralised
by the free rein that the rodents (mice) and the crawling insects (cockroaches)
seem to have in running to and fro around their beddings and other belongings.
The ownership of the City Hotel building is
currently the subject of litigation in two High Courts, one in Accra and the
other in Kumasi.
The doctors have therefore made an appeal to
the Ministry of Health to come to their aid either by relocating them or
fumigating the hotel building to make the place habitable for them and also to
save them from being afflicted by a bubonic plague-a disease caused by rodents.
The Daily Guide says it discovered the plight
of the junior doctors when it paid a reconnaissance visit to Kumasi at the
weekend where it also found that doctors of the hospital face acute
accommodation problems.
GRi…/
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Bread could cause cancer and impotence
Consumers of bread are at risk of getting
cancer and other diseases including male impotence, according a report
published by the Weekend Agenda.
The paper
says disturbing findings of a research work carried out in certain parts of the
Brong Ahafo Region and northern Ghana indicate that some bakers there are using
potassium bromate which scientists have identified as "carcinogen"
(something which can cause cancer) in their flour to prepare bread.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the use of
the chemical compound is widespread even in Accra. The Ministry of Trade and
Industry had banned its use in 1997, following tests conducted by the Ghana
Standards Board and the Environmental Protection Agency, which linked the
bromate, a form of yeast making break expand unusually, to cancer.
The discovery of the compound in bread in the
country reached alarming proportion in 1996. Potassium Bromate in itself is
said not to be a bad substance except when used in excessive quantities and
following the public outcry, the Ghana Standards Board asked the country's
flourmills to put the required quantity during the preparation of the flour.
“This was to prevent the bakers from abusing
the system but because it helps the flour to expand, the bakers bought them
under cover and added more to their flour," said Kofi Amponsah Bediako,
Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Standards Board.
GRi…/
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English tutors reject SSS textbooks
The Ghanaian Times reports that the Ghana
Association of Teachers of English (GATE) has criticized the prescribed English
textbooks for Senior Secondary School as unsuitable for the teaching of the
course.
The association has, therefore, gone into a
deal with two publishers, Longman and Sedco Publications, to produce more
suitable substitutes for the subject.
Eddi Adika, vice President of the association,
announced at the fourth annual National Delegates Conference at Tamale on
Thursday and added that “I am happy to inform you that book one has been
written out and presented to Longman for the final print out by the beginning
of the coming academic year”.
Adika said that members of the association
should no longer sit down and complain about difficulties and problems related
to the teaching of English in schools, instead, they should take up the
challenge and introduce innovations.
He appealed to the government to supply schools
with supplementary readers at reasonable prices to imbibe the culture of reading
among school children.
More…/
New Times Corporation dismisses reporter
involve in blackmail case
William Fayorsey, a reporter of the ‘Ghanaian
Times’ has been summarily dismissed by The New Times Corporation, publishers Ghanaian
Times, Evening News and Spectator (NTC), from the service of the corporation
with effect from Friday September 14, 2001.
A statement from the management of the corporation
said his dismissal followed the completion of investigations into allegations
of blackmail leveled against him.
The statement issued in Accra on Thursday said
it found Fayorsey’s conduct unacceptable and a breach of both the Ghana
Journalists Association (GJA) Code of Ethics and Article 25 of the
corporation’s Collective Agreement.
Fayorsey was said to have between August 23 and
25, met an Indian Managing Director of Blowplast, over his (Lakhiani’s) racist
attack against one of his employees, and the two engaged in discussions on the
possibility of killing the story in exchange for money.
The corporation said what management cannot
condone is the fact that Fasyorsey not only refused to decline a monetary offer
but demanded money over and above what he was initially offered in exchange for
a credible story.
Fayorsey had initially denied having demanded
money from Lakhiani until the tape was played to him, at which time he claimed
he did so, acting as an undercover agent. The NTC management said it found
Fayorsey’s conduct unacceptable.
More…/
Security measures for Sunday’s match
Hooligans harbouring any intentions of throwing
Sunday’s titanic clash between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak,
slated for the Kumasi Sports Stadium, into disorder are sure to face a
comprehensive resistance from security personnel, writes Ghanaian Times.
The paper says this follows what seems like
very exhaustive measures put in place by the National Sports Council (NSC) and
the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinating Council (RSCC) to forestall any
nasty scene.
The Times says information reaching it indicates
that 200 policemen, 100 military men and 10 Military Police men will be
marshaled to duty on Sunday. Also to be deployed are four military dogs, six
metal detectors, water cannon and a fire tender.
There would be 60 first aid providers stationed
at five posts, five ambulances and a helicopter at the disposal of the medical
team that include five doctors among others. Conspicuously missing from the
equipment were teargas canisters, which became a sore point after the May 9
Accra Stadium disaster.
In a brief chat with the paper, Brigadier
George Brock, observed that “the horrendous disasters is still fresh on the
minds of Ghanaians and all must behave well to ensure we have an incident-free
game on Sunday.”
GRi…/
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Malaysian in ritual at Tema Shipyard
The Malaysian management of PSC Tema Shipyard,
formerly Tema Shipyard and Drydock Corporation (TSDC), are reported to have perform
rituals in the company’s yard to exorcise evil forces that they believe led to the
poor performance of the shipyard.
The Ghanaian Chronicle reports that the management
had done so because they found the over 30-year-old main pump house flooded
with water.
Sources revealed in what was perceived as
strange by workers, that the Malaysian management on August 19, this year
performed rituals in the shipyard by slaughtering goats, ducks and fowls. Mr
Reihan Omar, the Managing Director of the shipyard, confirmed the story when
contacted, but he explained that it was to expel evil forces from the shipyard.
But the Tema Traditional Council (TTC), the
landowners, however says it is going to investigate allegations that such
rituals were performed and if confirmed, the council will take drastic action
against the company.
More…/
Another 31st DWM woman before court
Ms Sati Ocran, a member of the 31st
December Women’s Movement (DWM), has according the Chronicle, appeared before
an Accra Circuit Tribunal as the third accused person in the case in which Ms
Sherry Ayittey and Ralph Casely-Hayford are standing trial for corruption and
accepting bribe to the tune of ¢ 5 billion.
Ms Ocran, the third accused person in the
divestiture of Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) transactions could not be
brought to Imoro Ziblim’s court alongside the other two accused persons till
last Wednesday.
She is charged with accepting ¢15 million from
Dr Albert Owusu Banafo, a business consultant for GREL, to influence Ms Sherry
Ayittey, a public officer to take a decision that will favour Societe
Industriale Plantation Heave (SIPH) in the divestiture of GREL. She has pleaded
not to the charges and is on a self-cognisance bail of ¢30 million.
Counsel for the accused, Dominic Ayemi, had
prayed the court to grant bail for his client because she is a respectable and
decent citizen who will also be available to stand trial.
The other accused, Ms Ayittey of the DWM and
Casely-Hayford, an engineer, appeared in court on September 4, this year.
Casely-Hayford is accused of accepting bribe in
the sum of ¢60 million from Dr Banafo to influence Dan Abodakpi, ex-Minister of
Trade and Industry, to take a decision that will favour SIPH.
On the part of Ms Ayittey, who was a Board
member of the /divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), she agreed to lend
her support on condition that the French company would agree to pay ¢ to the 31st
DWM through her account. The accused persons have all pleaded not guilty to the
charges and are on bail. They will reappear on September 27.
GRi…/
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President suspends transfers at Bank of Ghana
The Daily Graphic reports that President J.A.
Kufuor, has directed the Bank of Ghana (BOG) to immediately suspend the
transfer of Charles Noi, Head of Reconciliation and Investigations Department
of the bank, to Sunyani.
He further directed that no internal transfers
of staff of the Bank of Ghana should take place until the new Governor assumes
office. The President gave the directives through the Minister of Finance, Yaw
Osafo-Maafo, following the transfer of Noi on September 6, to assume the
position of Regional Manager of the bank at Sunyani.
The transfer of Mr Noi is believed to have been
necessitated by stunning revelations about huge sums of money in foreign
currencies, which were hidden in foreign accounts, held by the Bank of Ghana.
Mr Noi was on August 20, this year, tasked to
work with the Director, Special Duties at the Ministry of Finance to establish
a linkage between the ministry and the bank, to help examine and report on all
outstanding state funds in various foreign and cedi accounts held by the
Central bank.
"The purpose of the linkage is to work
with the Head of Reconciliation and Investigations Department of the Bank of
Ghana to examine and report on all state funds outstanding in all Foreign
Accounts of the Bank of Ghana or cedi accounts, which may be "hiding"
elsewhere," a letter notifying the Governor of the Bank said.
More…/
On-line payment to be introduced soon
An on-line card based payment system to ease
business transactions will shortly be launched in the country. The system which
has received Bank of Ghana's approval, is being initiated by Transactions
Management Service in collaboration with CAL Merchant Bank, Ecobank Ghana
Limited, The Trust Bank and Dort Communications Limited.
The majority of cards presently in the Ghanaian
market are not used on-line because the cardholders must first load it with
money before using it at the service point.
Briefing a section of the media, Dr Kwabena
Appenteng, Director of Dort Communication said with the introduction of the
system, Ghana will be the first country in the sub-region to operate on-line
payment system.
He said Ghana will also take the lead to
operate an inter-bank switch for routing transactions between the banks. The
project which exceeds $4 million, according to Mr Appendteng, will provide a
more state of the art biennial activities more convenient alternative for both
consumers and merchant.
More…/
Certificate for 120 exporting firms under
ECOWAS scheme
One hundred and twenty Ghanaian companies have
received certification to export under the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation scheme.
Twenty-one others are also awaiting
administrative approval from ECOWAS Council of Ministers, according to a Daily
Graphic report.
Under the scheme, ECOWAS member states grant
quota and duty free access to value added products exported from one member
state to the other in the sub-region.
Certified companies are engaged in the products
such as wood, alcoholic beverage, processed foods, paints, aluminium and foam
products. A release from the Ghana Export Promotion Council, said the scheme
has been structured to make products in the sub region competitive, promote
free movement of goods and move trade in the sub region from informal to formal
sector.
More…/
Four arrested over telephone deal
Three Liberians and a Ghanaian, alleged to have
tapped the telephone lines of Ghana Telecom (GT) to operate communication
centers at the Gomoa Budumburam Refugee Camp in the Central Region, have been
arrested by the police.
The activities of Sekou Ben Kabah, Andrew
Mannah, Michael Pah, all Liberians, and Samuel Atobrah, the Ghanaian, are said
to have resulted in the loss of ¢214.5 million to the state. They were picked
up in a night swoop on the camp last weekend by personnel of the Rapid Response
Unit from Accra.
Seven undisclosed officials from the GT head
office in Accra, who allegedly collaborated with the suspects, are also helping
the police in their investigations. Two other suspects operating communication
centers at the camp are on the run.
Mr David Asante-Apeatu, Chief Superintendent of
Police in charge of Operations at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID),
who revealed this in an interview in Accra on Wednesday said, the suspects
first succeeded in using fake documents to subscribe for post-paid lines with
GT.
He said after exhausting the units allocated
them by the GT, the suspects connived with the GT officials who managed to keep
the lines open for them to operate.
Asante-Apeatu said the activities of the
suspects were detected "just by chance" by GT head office staff and
stated that, "We believe this is just a tip of the ice-berg".
Mr Asante-Apeatu said 15 cellular phone
handsets and ordinary telephone receivers were seized from the suspects. Investigations
continue.
GRi…/
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Police hunt for three armed robbers
The Police in Bole in the Northern Region have
intensified their search for three armed robbers who broke into the residence
of the site engineer of Spie Enertrans, contractors building a VRA sub-station
in Sawla, also in the region.
Briefing the press, assistant Police
Superintendent Raymond Martey said the robbers struck at 11.00 pm on 2nd
September, when they tied the night watchman, locked him up in the dining hall
and got ready a TV set, video deck, a computer, ¢6.6m, US$306 and £1010.
The engineer’s drive, however, managed to
escape and alert the Police who rushed in. But the robbers escaped with the money,
one single-barrel gun and 25 cartridges, a wristwatch and some documents, after
a hectic exchange of fire with the Police during which one of the robbers was
suspected to have sustained gun shot wounds.
According to ASP Martey, the robbers left
behind an unlicensed gun and two cartridges, and one screwdriver.
GRi…/
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Trouble brews for Justice Wiredu
The Free Press claims it has learnt that a
stormy reception is being planned for Justice Wiredu when parliament resumes
sitting in October over allegations of impropriety leveled against the acting
Chief Justice.
The acting Chief Justice is due for vetting and
approval by Parliament, to become Chief Justice, as enjoined by Article 144(h)
of the 1992 constitution.
The paper reports sources close to the NDC
caucus in Parliament as saying on Thursday that they would be probing the
acting Chief Justice on the exact nature of his petition to the chairman of the
PNDC on April 29, 1986, asking for his reinstatement as a judge, after he was
dismissed earlier in that year.
Again he would be questioned about his
reappointment of George K. Fordjour, who is the subject of allegations of
bribery, as a Deputy Financial Controller in the Judicial Service.
The Free Press says another issue to be raised
is why the acting Chief Justice failed to act in concrete terms on allegations
that he was bribed to influence the outcome of a case in the Supreme Court
involving the Omanhene of Atebubu Traditional Area, Nana Owusu-Akyeaw Brempong
II.
GRi…/
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Remove VAT on drugs - Pharmaceutical body
The President of the Society, Mr. John Arthur,
made the appeal on Thursday at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Accra held
under the theme, “Consolidating Patient-Oriented Pharmacy Practice in Ghana”.
Mr. Arthur said the society had considered the
impact of the imposition of VAT on the cost of drugs and healthcare, which he
said called for the immediate removal of VAT on all pharmaceutical products.
“It is our considered opinion that this policy
is not the answer to making our local pharmaceutical industries viable,
however, government must consider other ways of assisting the local industries
such as waiving the VAT on raw materials, packaging materials and other inputs
for the industry.
GRi…/
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Panic in Ghana
There was
panic as thousands of Ghanaians watched live, the various attacks on landmarks
in New York and Washington.
According
to an AFP story carried by The Dispatch, the reason is that nearly one million
Ghanaians are in the United States, a third of which is said to be residing on
the East Coast.
The paper says from about 1400hrs GMT on
Tuesday when the live telecasts started, many rushed to communication centres
and phone booths to contact relatives in New York and Washington to check on
their safety and AFP monitoring overnight showed huge queues at these centres
and booths.
A U.S. citizen, Hazel Mclean, who checked her
luggage on a Ghana Airways flight from the Nigerian commercial capital of Lagos
through to New York is stranded in Accra. She was due to have left on a Ghana
Airways flight to New York early Wednesday morning but various airlines,
including Ghana Airways, have, since Tuesday, cancelled all U.S. bound flights.
Hazel said on Wednesday, “I have been able to
contact my family in the U.S. I am due to resume work on Thursday and other
financial commitments like mortgages to see to”.
GRi…/
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There would be entertainment at Kumasi Stadium
Hosts, Kotoko have lined up a glittering array
of highlife stars to wet the appetite of fans ahead of the titanic clash. Artistes
lined up to perform include Omanma Pozo, Nana Yaw, Yaw Sarpong, Pat Thomas,
Amakye Dede and Max Coffie.
These musicians will be backed by Oseikrom
powerful Baby Baby Blues whose sounds will reverberate the entire stadium.
The gates will open at 8.00 am.
GRi…/
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