Seven heads of financial institutions have been directed by the President to proceed on leave with immediate effect, according to a story carried by the ‘Daily Graphic’.

They are Dr P. K. Kuranchie, Managing Director of Agriculture Development Bank (ADB); Mr David Adom, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Mr Charles Asare, Director-General, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT); and Mr S. Appiah Ampofo, Chief Executive, National Insurance Commission (NIC).

The rest are Mr Ebenezer Allotey, Managing Director State Insurance Company (SIC); Mr Emmanuel Coleman de Graft, Deputy Managing Director (Technical) SIC and Mr. Gideon Agbemabiese, Director, Commercial Banking, National Investment Bank (NIB).

A release issued on Wednesday and signed by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Media Relations, requested the affected persons to hand over their respective positions immediately.

Meanwhile, Mrs Nyameke Kyiamah, Deputy Chief Executive, NIC; Mr S.A. Welbeck, Ag. Deputy Managing Director, ADB; Mr Eric Adjei, Deputy Dircetor-General, SSNIT; Mrs Janet Opoku Acheampong, Deputy Commissioner, IRS; Mr Victor Kusi Yeboah, General Manager, Non-Life, SIC; and Mr Simpson Kuleke, Director of Finance, NIB; are to act in the respective capacities.

The release said the appointment of Mr Malhoud K. Hantour as Adviser to the NIB had been terminated.

He has been asked to report to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to be reassigned. Mr Hantour who had been acting as the Managing Director of NIB is to hand over to Mr Kuleke.

More…/

Kojo Botsio is dead

Graphic reports death at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital of Comrade Kojo Botsio, a Marxist Christian and a founding member of the erstwhile Convention People’s Party (CPP), which managed the country after independence.

Uncle “B” who died at the age of 85 was one of the few disciples of the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah who abandoned an opportunity to study law in the United Kingdom and instead assisted the CPP to wage a relentless struggle for independence against the British colonialists.

He was born in 1916 and was educated at Adisadel and Achimota Colleges respectively.

He proceeded to the Fourah Bay University College in Freetown, Sierra Leone where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Comrade Botsio undertook his postgraduate degree in Geography and Education at the Brasenose Colega, Oxford University.

GRi…/

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The Ghanaian Times

SFO report on Nduom

The Ghanaian Times says the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), has established acts of impropriety against Dr Kwesi Nduom, the President’s nominee as Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration.

Consequently, Mr B.A. Sapati, acting SFO Executive Director, on Wednesday presented to Parliament his outfit’s report on the investigation of Dr Nduom to the Appointment Committee.

Sources at the SFO disclosed to the ‘Times’ that the allegations bothered on tax evasion, double standards, conflict of interest and abuse of office by the President’s nominee.

It said in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the government, acting through the then Ministry of Information, authorised the State Enterprises Commission (SEC) to restructure the state-owned media, including the New Times Corporation, Graphic Corporation, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and the Ghana News Agency.

Dr Nduom, at the time a consultant to the SEC and also managing partner of Deloitte and Touche International, acted as a front man for the firm and influenced the SEC and the then Ministry of Information to award it a sub-contract job.

On the contrary, it was Deloitte and Touche Ghana, which undertook the project and upon completion, the firm was paid 500,000 dollars, which Dr Nduom is said to have transferred into his personal bank account, jointly operated with his wife, in the USA.

“By that act, he deliberately evaded tax, thereby denying the state of legitimate revenue from its citizen,” the sources added.

GRi…/

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The Independent

NDC group stalls Nduom’s appointment

The Independent says the attempt of Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom to represent his people at the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem constituency in the current parliament was torpedoed by elements within the then ruling NDC, who resorted to all forms of tactics, including intimidations to cow his support base which had then assumed an incredible number.

It said once again Dr Nduom, President Kufuor’s choice for the Ministry of Economic Planning and Regional Integration faces a hostile NDC group in the appointments committee who are bent on scuttling his Ministerial appointment.

“They are able supported by some of his own CPP and NPP members who are not happy about his selection.”

A credible source at the appointments committee hinted the paper that there is a deliberate attempt by the minority NDC group to stall the appointment of Dr Nduom buoyed by the apparent anger of certain NPP and CPP elements.

Minority Leader Alban Bagbin who is also ranking member of the appointments committee however said there was no deliberate attempt on the part of his group to stall Dr Nduom’s vetting.

According to Hon. Bagbin, the committee had just received documents which could help in the investigations into a letter brought against Dr Nduom by an individual at it first vetting of the Minister designate for Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation, adding that the committee will begin to study the report from Thursday.

GRi…/

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The Chronicle

More revelations on bootlegged cars - Tony Aidoo, top MP, Nii Okine involved

More serious discoveries are emerging in the saga of the scandal cars, according to ‘The Chronicle’.

It said its monitoring of the CEPS car pond and discreet inquiries reveal that several leading names in the past Government of the NDC knowingly took away top of the range vehicles that were pending investigations with the connivance of the controversial ex-Commissioner of CEPS, Nii Okine Adjei.

“They paid silly amounts of money for these vehicles some of which were valued in excess of Three Hundred Million and had a willing agent of Nii Okine, the much promoted Commissioner Mr Nunoo, to process them for their enjoyment.”

Top on the list is said to be Dr Tony Aidoo, known for his violent and abusive tendencies.

He played to the gallery last fortnight when he deliberately kept quiet about a new BMW 5 series worth three hundred million he picked up from CEPS pond, paid under twenty million for it but engaged in grandstanding last month by walking noisily over to the Castle and returning the keys to another vehicle he was using.

As dramatic as Dr Aidoo’s showmanship was, the more dramatic development was the encounters of Hon Sallas Mensah, (NDC, Oda) ranking member of Parliament and former Chairman of the House’s Finance Committee.

The Hon Mensah was told over a week ago by the paper that the gleaming new Audi A.4 he was driving was a stolen car, and advised him to return it but he retorted that it was given to him by the Customs boss, having paid the duty on it.

Chronicle says probably more controversially, the CEPS boss himself is alleged to have walked off with a Land cruiser which he is reported to have re-sprayed.

Top CEPS Chiefs interviewed said they were horrified at the abuse of power by the Castle big wigs, but were powerless.

GRi…/

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The Crusading Guide

Tsatsu Tsikata declares “I am here”

The Crusading Guide in a front-page capture says Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) and ex-President Rawlings acclaimed financial wizard, has described the recent Ghanaian Chronicle’s story headlined: “Has anyone seen Tsatsu?” as unimaginable because nobody had sought him out!

Tsatsu in a statement to the press, lamented that recent publications by The Chronicle were a barrage of falsehood and unjustified allegations calculated to incite the public and the Government against him.

Referring specifically to a front page banner headline: “Has Anyone Seen Tsatsu?”, the GNPC ex-CEO said the story was published at a time he was in Ghana and perfectly visible.

“I have not left the Ghanaian taxpayer with debt and walked away as claimed. Nor has Dr Wereko-Brobby, who is reported to have said that ‘Mr Tsikata could not be found’ made any effort to contact me or seek a meeting with me”, he said.

Tsatsu said being away in a UK court representing GNPC did not mean, “walking away”.

He said, it was wrong to regard various financial transactions done by him as debt piling without taking cognisance of assets created from these transactions.

He promised he was ever prepared to meet any designated official in the new Government to explain himself on his financial dealings with the Japan Bank for International Co-operation, the US Exim Bank and other reputable banks.

Tsatsu denied ‘The Ghanaian Chronicle’s claim that he owned a plush property in the Houston area.

GRi…/

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The Guide

AK47, Pistols made in Ghana

The Guide says it is believed that there are some companies in the country, which are secretly manufacturing weapons without official approval.

These companies, it is alleged are capable of manufacturing even AK 47s and other notable deadly weapons, which should not be in the hands of civilians.

The revelation was made by the Interior Minister, Hon Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, on Joy FM, an Accra private radio Wednesday.

The Minister indicated that the government will immediately start an investigation into the information made available to him adding that “we would like to find out if such companies allegedly manufacturing the arms are really registered, who registered them and under what condition.”

He also revealed that the country is being plunged into an unnecessary security situation with the scaling up of the armed situation. “If we had not responded swiftly, the situation could have been worse, as some of the criminals were determined to have a field day”, the Minister said.

GRi…/

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The Ghanaian Democrat

800 soldiers asked to go home

The Ghanaian Democrat reports that barely three weeks after assuming political power, President J.A. Kufuor has revisited the Apollo 568 episode of the early 70s, but his time round, the NPP’s anger is directed at no less a group than the Ghana Armed Forces.

Sources close to the top brass of the Ghana Army at the Army headquarters at Burma Camp in Accra, have revealed that Mr Kufuor has ordered the disengagement of 800 soldiers.

Those affected have been asked to return their official uniforms to their commanders in their respective units by 1^st April, this year.

The compulsory retirement according to military sources is to pave way for Mr Kufuor to consolidate his stranglehold on Ghana because “he did not want what happened to Dr K.A. Busia and the PP government in 1972 to happen to him”.

With this mass retirement, the necessary vacancies would be created to enable the President and his NPP government to fill the vacuum created with NPP activists.

According to the Presidential order, all those who have served in the army for the last 20 years and above are expected to hand over all official military property to the authorities and retire accordingly.

Burma Camp sources told the Democrat that the most affect personnel among the ranks are Warrant Officer (WOs) who have gained a lot of experience on the job.

GRi…/

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The Evening News

Five billion cedis tax evasion uncovered

Less than three weeks after Mr S.L.A. Hammond took over from Nii Okai as the acting Commissioner of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) trouble is brewing at the headquarters over arbitrary transfers and allegations of attempts to cover up investigations, ‘The Evening News’ said.

At the centre of the furore is a purported evasion of 5,283,724,413 cedis by TAJ Investment Limited, Tema, dealers in frozen meat and poultry products.

The Association of Meat Importers and Distributors, somewhere in November, complained to the CEPS and other relevant authorities about a suspected undercover dealings by TAJ in respect of under-invoicing of poultry products and preliminary investigations showed that it procures its products from the United States and Brazil but gets the consignments invoiced in Belgium.

Furthermore, values quoted for the importations were found to be far below those quoted for similar importations from the same source.

Following the revelations, the Chief Internal Auditor of CEPS, Mr H.K. Nyaxo, wrote to the Minister of Trade and Industry (MTI) copied to other appropriate quarters on the matter. Another letter on January 26, 2001, to the MTI, stated that “a preliminary assessment of TAJ’s imports indicated a revenue shortfall of approximately 5,282,724,413 cedis and that a demand notice has been issued to the effect.”

A ban was placed on the clearance of the goods in accordance with related penalties.

It was established that out of the total assessed taxed of 8,513,785,783 cedis the company paid only 2,929,561,370 cedis and a deposit of 300,500,000 cedis.

After successfully petitioning the CEPS to grant it a respite, TAJ provided post-dated non-guaranteed cheques to the tune of 5,200,000,000 cedis prompting CEPS to place a lien on 60.00 x 50kg bags of sugar belonging to the company to serve as collateral.

The paper says what appears to be attempts to stall the investigations and swift retrieval of the billions of cedis is the unceremonious transfer of key personalities in the investigations.

Some of the transferred officers are said to have refused to leave their posts on suspicion that the move is calculated to “kill” the on-going investigations.

The meat and poultry case is also said to be only the tip of the iceberg as the team of investigators prepare to move on to the company’s activities on the importation of rice, sugar into the country.

GRi…/

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The Ghanaian Voice

V.R. chiefs roles in run-off spark controversy

The Ghana Voice says the role played by some chiefs in the Volta region to make a trip to Cape Coast in the Central Region to solicit votes for Professor Atta Mills, that turned out to be a nightmare had sparked off internal wranglings.

A section of the chiefs have accused Togbe Dagadu, the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs of having betrayed them as a result of an interview he granted the 'Ghanaian Chronicle' at Ho about their trip, which the paper later published.

Reacting to the publication, the Vice President of the Volta regional House of Chiefs. Togbe Gambazu V said he is not the least surprised about the behaviour of Togbe Dagadu VII to smear his name and to dent his reputation, as he mentioned his name as leader of the so-called delegation to Cape Coast.

“I am not least surprised about the behaviour of Togbe Dagadu VII because come May 2001, there will be an election at the House of Chiefs where I will take over from him. Togbe Dagadu is therefore doing all he can to smear my name and dent my hard won reputation,” he emphasized.

He denied ever taken part in the supposed trips to Cape Coast.

He said although the Vice President and the flagbearer of the NDC, Professor Atta Mills was at Ho during the campaign to solicit the assistance of their subjects to vote for the NDC there was no where that he had any discussion that the chiefs should be mobilised to make any trip to Cape Coast for such a purpose.

He said if such a trip came off as is being peddled then such members did that on their own volition.

GRi…/

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