AGC in merger talks
BNI probes bank fraud…Mauritian businessman to sue
Military buckle under doctors’ pressure
Doctors crisis meeting today
Daily Graphic
AGC in merger talks
The Daily Graphic reports in its lead story that Mr Sam Jonah, Chief Executive of Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) Limited, has stated that the company has been holding talks with major gold producing establishments, including Lonmin Plc, which may result in a merger.
Mr Jonah is said to have indicated that the discussions are being held within the context of business consolidation that is taking place in the global economy.
The paper says Mr Jonah, speaking in a teleconference in London to allay the fears of AGC’s counter-parties and other fund managers said the Ghana government, who holds approximately 20 per cent shares, has been duly informed about all discussions. Lonmin, the Graphic says, has approximately 32 per cent of the issued share capital.
Mr Jonah, currently leading a team of four, is reported to have spoken to nearly 125 financial and gold analysts, as well as fund managers in the United States and some European countries.
GRi../
Ghanaian Times
BNI probes bank fraud…Mauritian businessman to sue
The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) is trying to unravel how $18,500 was withdrawn from the account of a Mauritius businessman, Mr Mohammad Sidick Ammatwla, at the Tema branch of the Standard Chartered Bank, writes the Ghanaian Times in a banner headline story.
The paper says the fake cheque numbered 23 and 29, used by the unknown fraudster to withdraw the money, have been retrieved by the BNI from the bank for further examination. According to the Times information indicates that the bank had also instituted its own investigation into the matter.
The Mauritian, who is in Ghana to transact business in coffee, is said to have gone to the bank on Tuesday with his Ghanaian business partner, Mr Cosmos Ametienu, only to learn that the money had been withdrawn from his account. Preliminary investigations by the ban indicated that the fraudster used two cheque leaflets, which did not come from Mohammad’s cheque book, to cash the money.
It was detected that while page 23 of Mohammad’s cheque book was intact, the fraudster was able to withdraw $3,500 using a fake page 23, which had the same serial number.
The story has it that the Mauritius businessman’s cheque book has only 25 pages but the second withdrawal of $15,000 was effected with cheque leaflet number 29. Both mounts were said to have been successfully cashed last month after Mohammad’s signature was allegedly forged.
Meanwhile Mr Seth Matanawi, counsel for Mohammad, yesterday announced at a news briefing that his client would institute legal action against the bank "for gross dereliction of its duties to protect his client".
GRi../
The Ghanaian Chronicle
Military buckle under doctors’ pressure
In a front-page banner, the Ghanaian Chronicle says the military flag hoisted over the Ridge Hospital in Accra, has come down, signalling that the pressure by doctors to retain the health facility and La and Mamprobi Polyclinics as civilian entities, is beginning to bear fruits.
The paper says the lowering of the flag on Wednesday followed an intervention by the Vice-President, Prof. John Atta Mils, in the wake of a decision by doctors at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital not to handle emergency cases.
They are reported to have said that emergencies should be referred to the militarised Ridge Hospital and the polyclinics designated as such.
The Chronicle reports that after a meeting with the leadership of the irate doctors on Wednesday, Vice-President Atta Mills asked the 30 Ridge doctors ordered out of the hospital by the military, to report back to work.
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The Weekend Statesman
Doctors crisis meeting today
The Weekend Statesman says that an extraordinary general meeting of medical doctors in Accra today, will decide on the next line of action in response to the determined effort of the government to militarise some hospital in the metropolis.
The paper says also to come up for discussion at the Ghana Medical Association meeting will be a proposal to expel from the association, Brigadier (Dr) Dan Twum, Commanding Officer of the 37 Military Hospital.
According to the Weekend Statesman, the chairman of the Greater Accra branch of the GMA, Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, who made the proposal public in Accra last Tuesday, said the utterances of Brigadier Twum on the crisis generated by the government’s decision, constituted gross professional misconduct for which he has to be expelled.
Prof. Akosa is reported as saying that while efforts are being made to resolve the impasse created by the militarisation of civilian health institutions, Brigadier Twum continued to make inflammatory statements with the intention to mislead and deceive the public.
GRi../