Mason,
70, charged with defilement
Eight Chinese remanded in prison custody
Tribunal threatens to get tough with child molesters
Accra
(Greater Accra) 25 September 2001 - A prosecution witness in the Quality Grain
Company case involving two former Ministers and four other Senior public
officials on Monday failed to deny or admit an allegation that he charged or
was paid 27,200 dollars by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the government to
give evidence in the case.
The
witness, Mr J.A.K. Anderson, a retired rice grower from Texas, United States of
America, admitted being contacted by the SFO to come down to Ghana but told the
court that the terms under which he was in the country were confidential and a
matter between him and his client.
He was
being cross-examined by counsel for the first accused person, Ibrahim Adam,
former Minister of Agriculture, after giving evidence for the prosecution in
the case, which resumed on Monday.
Mr Anderson
admitted that the SFO was paying for his expertise and other expenses in Ghana,
but did not disclose how much was involved.
He admitted
that he was given an assignment by the SFO, which included giving evidence in
court, reviewing the Quality Grain Company, as well as conducting a feasibility
study on the viability of rice production in Ghana. The assignments, he stated,
were to be done in three phases/stages.
He told the
court that he had earlier in 1993, submitted a proposal to the government to
undertake a feasibility study on rice production in Ghana, but never received
any reply. He explained that he would have charged 200,000 dollar for the whole
study at that time.
In his
evidence-in-chief, Mr Anderson, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr.
Osafo Sampong, told the court that after he arrived in Ghana this year, he
visited the Aveyime rice project to tour the place and to review the project.
He
described the machinery he saw at the project site as the best in the world,
stating that it was the same as the one he used on his farm in the States.
According
to Mr Anderson, he visited Aveyime five years ago and observed that the land
was suitable for cattle grazing rather than rice farming.
He told the
court that Ibrahim Adam was his guest in the United States in August 1992 and
that he got to know him after the then acting Ghana's Ambassador to the US Mr
Amoah Awuah, had contacted him to discuss the possibility of undertaking a rice
project in Ghana.
He said
that some time later, the three of them met again and toured some rice
factories in Texas, to give Adam a grasp of the rice industry and its working
in the United States. Mr Anderson stated that he also visited Ghana later on
and was a guest of Ibrahim Adam.
He told the
court that he came to review the possibility of establishing a rice project and
to look for a site, among others.
Mr
Anderson, who had earlier stated that he had been involved in rice production
in Nigeria for the Leventist Group of Companies between 1984 and 1992, said he
and his brother were not happy with the policies there in Nigeria, and so were
looking for another African country to undertake a rice project.
Witness
told the court that he toured several sites and possible areas of rice
production and also met some rice growers at Tamale.
"After
I returned to Texas, I formed a team with my brother and together, we wrote a
proposal on the establishment of a rice project in Ghana," which he said
was sent to Ibrahim Adam and the former Chief Director of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Dr Samuel Dapaah, the second accused person.
The
proposal, he explained, was to undertake feasibility studies on best sites for
establishing rice farms, and for irrigation. Witness said that he wrote series
of letters as follow-up to the proposal sent, but never received any reply.
Ibrahim
Adam and the others are on trial on charges of conspiracy and wilfully causing
a loss of 22 million dollars and ¢3 billion to the state.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 25 September 2001 - A Circuit Tribunal in Accra on Monday heard
that a 70 year-old mason, Yaw Paul, lured into his room a 13-year old girl,
whom he had bought doughnut and defiled her.
The
prosecution told the tribunal that on September 6, Paul bought doughnut worth
300 cedis from the victim and lured her to his room.
The
victim's mother who had a hint about the incident went to Paul's and knocked on
his door but he refused to open. She informed the victim's elder sister who
forced the door open with a metal object.
The
prosecution said the accused and the little girl were found in the room when
the door was broken and Paul was handed over to the police at Kwashieman.
He denied
having sexual intercourse with the victim but admitted that the she was in his
room. Paul, who pleaded not guilty has been remanded in prison custody and will
reappear on October 4.
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Accra (Greater Accra Region) 25 September 2001 - The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is prosecuting eight Chinese for allegedly possessing fake Canadian visas.
Mr Kwame Yakyi, a Prosecution Officer of the GIS told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday that the eight who have been charged with deceit of public officer, have been remanded in prison custody by the Osu Community Tribunal.
They include Wang Wei Hai, Wang Yutao, Yalimuel Maimait, Maimaitiyili Naman. The rest are Ye Auafu, Wu Ruiding, Hou Baochao and Erken A.
Mr Takyi said the Chinese had wanted to use the Kotoka International Airport as transit point to Canada.
However, when immigration officers examined their passports their Canadian visas were found to be fake. He said they would appear in court again on September 27.
GRi…/
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Dawurampong (Central Region) 25 September 2001 - The Chairman of the Apam Community Tribunal, Mr Peter Richardson on Monday warned that the tribunal would deal drastically with anyone brought before it for defilement.
Mr Richardson gave the warning when he sentenced a33 year-old farmer to 12 years' imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 12 year-old primary five pupil at Nsawam, a suburb of Apam.
John Tettey alias Johnny pleaded guilty and blamed his act on the devil but was convicted on his own plea.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Richard Doku told the tribunal that at about 10:30 hors on September 14 the victim, who lives with her parents at Boama, another suburb of Apam, visited her grandmother at Nsawam.
Tettey, who is a neighbour of the victim's grandmother, lured her into an uncompleted Methodist church building and sexually abused her.
Five days later the victim's parents got wind of the incident and questioned her and she admitted being defiled by the Tettey and she was sent to the hospital.
On September 22, when Tettey had information that the girl had been sent to the hospital, he went to see her parents and offered them 50,000 cedis to defray the hospital bill.
They rejected the offer, however, with the money as evidence, made a report to the Police and Tettey was arrested.
GRi../
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