Transfer of Detectives is administrative exercise - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 08 November 2001 - The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey on Thursday suspended sitting for about 30 minutes because three ministers who were scheduled to perform some duties in the House were absent.
Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance, who was to move an urgent motion and Minister of Health, Dr Kwaku Afriyie and Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of
Local Government and Rural Development who were to answer questions were not present.
Mr Osafo-Maafo was to move that the House endorsed the mid-year review of the budget statement for this year while Dr Afriyie was to answer four questions from members pertaining to his former ministry.
Mr Baah-Wiredu was to answer questions on the importation of Galloper Station Wagons and 10 sanitation vehicles for which over 14 billion cedis had been paid to African Automobile Limited.
Mr Adjetey apparently infuriated by the absence of the ministers said he stood by the declaration of the House to keep to time as an example to the public and to do away with "African time."
The majority leader Papa Owusu Ankomah made a futile effort to persuade the Speaker that the ministers would show up. The House then suspended sitting to reconvene after 30 minutes.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 November 2001-Mr Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, Acting Chief Justice, on Wednesday stuck to his conservative legal views as he spoke of his belief in the use of capital punishment.
"I believe in capital punishment. Death for death. Your life should be taken on the basis that you killed," Mr Wiredu, said when he appeared before a public hearing of the Appointment Committee of Parliament to justify his nomination for the position of Chief Justice by President John Agyekum Kufuor.
He said there were instances where persons, who had killed might be spared the death penalty but capital punishment was necessary.
Mr Victor Gbeho, Independent-Anlo, had asked if his belief did not conflict with the Ten Commandments, the first set of laws according to Christianity, a faith he practises. He said: "It is the Bible that says so and not the Ten Commandments."
On his recent pronouncement on the repeal of the criminal libel law, Mr Justice Wiredu said the repeal had created a void and called for more powers for the Media Commission to sanction offending Journalists.
"My views on the criminal libel are personal. I cannot ignore a law the legislature has passed. I am bound by it. I am to interpret the law as I find it and not how I think it should be. I'm only saying that let's put some teeth in the mouth of the Media Commission."
He said: "People talk about criminalising speech. I don't understand that expression. I'm a Christian and I believe that people should not make up stories about others."
Mr Justice Wiredu, who was sacked by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) in 1986 for alleged corruption, said he was reinstated after he petitioned Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, Chairman of the PNDC.
He said prior to his petition, he had received a letter from the then Chief Justice, Mr Justice Sowa showing sympathy and pledging his personal support for him. "It has never been my aim to make money else I would not have left private practice. I had then spent 17 years on the bench. I had requested to meet my accusers to tell my side of the story."
Asked whether he was influenced as a civilian Judge Advocate during Flt. Lt. Rawlings' treason trial in 1979 by the then Military government, he said there was no interference except that he disagreed with them on several occasions on the handling of the suspects, location of the court and procedures.
Justice Wiredu said: "I believe these happened as a result of ignorance. I don't see any form of interference here at all."On his vision for the Judiciary, he said: " I wish to build a vibrant, dynamic and independent Judiciary - This is my vision. "He said the fast track court has no political flavour and that it would be replicated in the regions very soon.
"This system is the brain child of the NDC (National Democratic Congress) government but it could not be implemented due to lack of logistics. It is rather coincidental that the idea came up when I was acting as a Chief Justice and being implemented at a time when I am acting again as Chief Justice."
Mr Justice Wiredu said he would stick to the rule on the empanelling of Supreme Court Judges on constitutional matters. "At least 7 judges would sit during such occasions. The time when five judges sat on constitutional matters is gone forever."
He said:" I still want to urge the public to report any judge who has misconducted himself. I said this in a release to the Ghana News Agency long ago and I will want to repeat it."
Mr Justice Wiredu said apart from very experienced lawyers, who easily make it to the Supreme Court any potential member must have a feel of the High Court where matters of general law were dealt with.
Mr Justice Wiredu is a son of a former Court Registrar, who after retirement "turned himself into a 'pocket Lawyer' and was nearly jailed but was pardoned by Mr Justice Sarkodie Addo for exhibiting exceptional brilliance in matters of law even though he was not a qualified Lawyer." Mr Justice Wiredu started his legal career in 1961.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 November 2001-A new legislation is been considered to deal with all forms of moving images on television, films, videos, the Internet, satellite broadcasting and advertisement
The new legislation would have to reflect constitutional realities of the country. Mr Jake Obetsebi- Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, told Parliament on Wednesday.
Dr Alfred Sugri Tia, NDC - Nalerigu, asked the Minister whether he was aware that some films shown on the television stations during the day time and early hours of the night could promote promiscuity among the youth and make the HIV/AIDS control programme partially ineffective.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the Ministry was aware of the concerns expressed on the content of TV programmes and advertisements and the negative effect they might have on the youth.
He said at present there was no law or regulation on material shown on the TV, unless the material was a film that has been presented to the Board established under the Cinematography Act of 1961, Act 76 as amended by NRCD 350.
Mr Obsetsebi-Lamptey said because there had been so much public concern and until the new legislation was ready, the current Board was being reconstituted to deal with films and video that were for public exhibition.
The Board was to have urgent consultations with all TV stations and advertising agencies to start the process of drawing up standard rules and regulations that would be included in the new legislation.
When Mr John Mahama, NDC - Bole and Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC Hohoe South asked the Minister whether he was aware of a new Cinematography Act and if the Ministry of Media Relations was part of the New Ministry.
The Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey ruled them off saying they were not supplementary to the question posed. Mr Emmanuel Adjei Boye, NPP - Krowor asked whether the Ministry has been able to appoint a satellite provider as indicated in the contract agreement for the on-going satellite project at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
Mr Obsetsebi-Lamptey said GBC has made contacts with Intelsat, a reputable worldwide service provider. The Union of National Radio and Television Organisations of Africa (URTNA) of which Ghana is a founding member recommended Intelsat.
He said a representative of Intelsat had already visited GBC for discussions on their requirements and a provisional cost has since been submitted to GBC. The final cost was expected soon.
After studying the final cost, GBC hopes to be able to formally appoint Intelsat as its service provider. Mr Boye also asked the Minister whether he was aware that GBC has been purchasing stationery to the tune of one billion cedis every year for the past eight years.
The Minister presented figures for actual annual expenditure of GBC on stationery from 1993 - 2000 and the period January to September 2001.
Mr Obsetsebi-Lamptey said GBC's expenditure on stationery did not go anywhere near the figure of one million dollars as claimed.
He said the highest figure was in 1995 with an expenditure of 959.4 million cedis with the lowest being 48.2 million cedis in 1993.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 November 2001-Alhaj Malik Alhassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior, on Wednesday told Parliament that about 100 out of 1,800 detectives were being send to the uniform unit of the Ghana Police Service and being transferred under a regular administrative measures to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
He said, "postings and transfers of Police personnel from one unit, section or region to another are regular exercises undertaken with the view to expand the diversity and experiences of the personnel."
The Minister was answering a question Naa Afieye Ashong- NDC Kpone-Katamanso, posed to him as to what has necessitated the reversion of the status of some personnel of the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Police Service to uniformed Policemen and their subsequent transfers and how many of such Policemen were affected and the criteria used for the exercise.
Alhaj Yakubu said the exercise was also to broaden and multiply the skills of personnel to various policing functions and that such movement applied to all categories of the Police.
He said besides other factors influencing the postings and the transfers of the detectives, their competence, discretion and reliability, too much familiarity arising from overstay in a community and hard work were considered.
As and when necessary, the CID staff, who have been transferred to other units would be retrained and re-oriented for proper integration into their units.
Alhaj Yakubu in reply to a supplementary question denied that the transfers were politically motivated and that he was not aware that just after the general election last year certain Policemen were transferred on ethnic grounds.
The Minster to a question posed Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi - NDC Kintampo as to when the constituency would be provided with a fire tender told the House that the equipment would be sent there within the next three weeks adding that an additional one would be sent later.
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