Ex-SFO man in trouble*Allegedly steals GH¢360,000 belonging to a businessman

Front Page: May 30, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A FORMER official of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), George Hackman Otoo, has been arrested for allegedly stealing GH¢360,000 belonging to a businessman.
The suspect is also the Executive Consultant of Spotlight Consultancy Limited, a private investigations company and acquaintance of the victim.
The Executive Director of the SFO, Mr Theophilus Cudjoe, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that Otoo was a former employee of that organisation.
The Head of the Commercial Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Superintendent Yaa Tiwah Danso, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the vigilance of a witness led the police to arrest the suspect.
She said Otoo, who claimed to be a criminologist, led a team of five persons, including a white man and another person in police uniform, in a hired Toyota Landcruiser, with registration number GS 5597 Y, to the office of the victim, Mr Lula Dulani, an Indian, claiming to be from INTERPOL.
She said Otoo waited in the Landcruiser while the purported policeman in uniform and the white man intercepted the money at the doorstep of the victim’s company in Accra and asked that the owner of the money should report at the CID Headquarters for further investigations.
But, since Mr Dulani did not know that Otoo was part of the team that had come for his money, he (Dulani) immediately called Otoo, whom he already knew as a security consultant, to assist in the investigations to retrieve his money.
Supt Danso said checks on the ownership of the vehicle led the police to arrest Otoo, who had gone to hire it from a car rental company in Accra for the operation.
She said although Otoo admitted hiring the vehicle, he alleged that he gave it to a white man, whom he initially identified only as Ralph.
Supt Danso said further investigations by the police revealed that after returning the vehicle to the rental company, Otoo kept on finding out from the company whether there had been any contacts from anybody to find out who had hired it.
According to her, Otoo later sent photocopies of American and British passports to the rental company to use as information on the persons who had hired the vehicle.
Supt Danso said investigations by the police also revealed that three days after stealing the money, there was some money transfers to a joint account Otoo held with another person in Sierra Leone.
She said it was later detected that at the time of the transfer, Otoo had also travelled to Sierra Leone.
Supt Danso said when Otoo was finally arrested, he led the police on a wild goose chase of his white friend.
He has since appeared before court and been remanded in prison custody.

Politics not a fight - Asamoah-Boateng

Front Page: May 30, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, has advised the media to help promote politics as a contest of ideas between patriots and not as a fight between enemies.
He said the way to do so is to endeavour to put out the issues for the electorate to debate on them and make informed choices, instead of drifting away from the real issues into unnecessary things that would not help the cause of Ghana.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng who was interacting with some board members and the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ibrahim Awal, in Accra last Tuesday, described the lead story on the manifestos of the various political parties in the May 27, 2008 edition of the Daily Graphic as an example of the proactive issues which the media could raise to keep the political parties on their toes.
The minister, who briefly joined the Editorial conference of the Daily Graphic where stories for the next day’s publication were selected, expressed happiness at the way people expressed their views and canvassed for stories at the conference.
He said the Daily Graphic had demonstrated the mark of a good newspaper by being fair, firm and balanced and urged the GCGL to maintain its neutrality and fairness, especially in the run-up to Election 2008.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng commended the company for being the best state-owned organisation last year.
He also commended the flagship newspaper of the company, the Daily Graphic, for the accuracy and balance of its reportage.
He said the media must always put Ghana first so that “we can keep the country together, even after the elections, so that we can continue to live in peace and prosperity”.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng urged the company to always endeavour to distinguish between state news from party or political news and give the state news the needed publicity it deserved.
He commended the GCGL for introducing a community newspaper — the Graphic Nsempa — and urged the management to consider introducing others in Ga, Ewe and Hausa or any of the northern languages.
He described the managing director as one of the dynamic chief executives Ghana had ever had.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng described the alleged assault of the Central Regional Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Joe Okyere, by a former a Central Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze, as very unfortunate and urged journalists and politicians to be professional and calm in the run-up to the elections.
He explained that the ability to cope with different situations differed from person to person, hence the need for all to be guided by the mood of the other person before acting or reacting to certain issues.
Touching on the achievements of the Kufuor administration, Mr Asamoah-Boateng said the Danquah-Busia tradition was not known for propaganda work, hence its silence on most of the achievements.
“We believe in action and the dictum that action speaks louder than words,” he said.
He said the media landscape was very buoyant and that the government appreciated the role it was playing.
He said the media’s ability to cope with and withstand pressure from political parties was good for the country, noting,
however, that a few often went to the extreme but said that could be due to over excitement.
He urged journalists to sharpen their pens for the good of Ghanaians and help preserve the state during the elections.
He urged media practitioners to put the performance of the parties and their agenda forward for Ghanaians to decide.
He said in doing so, the media must also assess the personalities involved, their capacities to manage issues and pressure, as well as their understanding of world issues.
The Board Chairman of the company, Osahene Kwasi Offei Agyeman IV, said he was happy that the government had not put any pressure on the company to tilt publications in its favour.
He assured the minister that the company, through its newspapers, would continue to work for and promote peace in the country.

Warrant issued for arrest of businessman

Page 31: May 28, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN ACCRA Circuit Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of the managing director of Kae-Mebre Company, Justice Kwasi Larbie.
He is alleged to have defrauded a businessman of GH¢157,806 on the pretext of supplying him with road construction equipment.
The Public Affairs Officer of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Inspector J. B. Darkwah, told the Daily Graphic that Larbie introduced himself as an agent of Taisei Corporation of Japan, the company that constructed the Mallam-Cape Coast road.
He said Larbie said Taisei had asked him to sell off some of the equipment used in the construction work.
Inspector Darkwah said the suspect took his victim to Mankessim, where the items were kept for disposal.
He said the victim became convinced on seeing the items and expressed interest in some of them.
He said Larbie, however, informed his victim that under the sales terms, the buyer was to pay the full cost of the equipment chosen before it was handed over to him or her.
Inspector Darkwah said based on that, the victim paid GH¢157,806 to Larbie for the equipment to be supplied.
He said months after payments were made Larbie failed to supply the equipment.
He said out of frustration, the victim contacted Taisei Corporation for the equipment to be supplied.
Inspector Darkwah said Taisei Corporation indicated that the company had already supplied to Larbie the equipment he had paid for.
He said the victim was also informed that the equipment list he provided to Taisei Corporation was not what Larbie had paid for.
He said since then efforts to contact Larbie, who is dark in complexion and has a tribal mark on his right chin, had proved futile.
Inspector Darkwah appealed to any member of the public who knew the whereabouts of Larbie to contact the CID headquarters or call 0207888922; 0244202288 or 020-8163938.

Call for Parliamentary probe of Police Service

Page 3: May 28, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the operations of the Ghana Police Service.
It said the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and the Interior should take the lead and investigate the Police Service thoroughly to establish the level of corruption, indiscipline and other vices associated with the police and recommend ways to reform the institution.
It said the inquiry should be along the lines of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Judiciary that investigated the level of corruption in the Judicial Service which had resulted in some of the reforms currently underway in the service.
Reacting to the three-member committee set up by the President to review the Kojo Armah Committee Report, the Africa Regional Co-ordinator of the CHRI, Nana Oye Lithur, told the Daily Graphic that it was puzzling for the President to set up such a committee when the government had not officially reacted to the report itself since it was submitted on April 25, 2008.
She wondered why the President had set up a second committee to review the work of the Kojo Armah Committee when the government had not officially responded to the report.
She, therefore, called on the legislature to set up an independent parliamentary inquiry into the cocaine saga.
She said the action of the President showed that the Executive had failed the populace and that since the legislature had oversight responsibility of the Executive, it had to step in to investigate the extent of involvement of the security agencies in the narcotics business, since it had dire implications for the country’s democracy.
Nana Lithur said the problem went beyond the missing cocaine at the CID Headquarters, since the complicity of security personnel in the illicit drug business could be more than what had been exposed.
She said the parliamentary inquiry should involve consultations with all stakeholders, such as traditional authorities, individuals and organisations that used policemen to serve their personal interest at one point or another.
She said the use of vigilante groups and land guards and the incidence of instant justice were indications that Ghanaians had lost faith in the Police Service.
Nana Lithur said one of the reasons for the mess in the Police Service was that the police had failed to be accountable to themselves and the law.
She said there was the need for an anti-corruption strategy in the police, saying that the impunity of police corruption was too much.
Nana Lithur said the measures adopted so far in dealing with the problem of police corruption were not effective, saying, “Merely dismissing a cop for corrupt practices is not enough. If it were, there would have been a reduction in those practices. But they are increasing. Corruption in the Police Service is becoming worse,” she said.
She said there should be an independent standing commission vested with the power to investigate complaints against police professional misconduct.
Nana Lithur said the Criminal Investigations Department should be able to come up with a paper indicating the level of police corruption, the types and how they were being dealt with.
“Police reforms are the way out. We need a complete overhaul of the Ghana Police Service. We need to take a second look at the entire structure of the service,” she said.
She said the restructuring should consider the training, salaries, accommodation and logistical needs of the police, as well as review the process of appointing and dismissing the Inspector-General of Police, saying that “there should be security of tenure for the IGP”.
She said there should also be a relationship between the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and the police.
Nana Lithur said the state was not providing enough resources for the police and that the situation needed to change so that “the police can evolve with the times”.
She said there were problems with police ethics and enforcement of laws but unfortunately one did not see the police dealing or adopting a policy to address those recurring problems.
The President set up a three-member committee at the weekend to review the report that the Kojo Armah Committee that investigated the missing cocaine at the Exhibits Room of the CID Headquarters came up with.
The committee, which is chaired by Mr Kwesi Zwennes, is also expected to review the reaction of the Internal Committee established by the Ghana Police Service and such other related matters the committee may find relevant and necessary.
The committee is expected to complete its work and submit its report to the President within two weeks.

Adopt comprehensive migration policies *African countries urged

Page 31: May 27, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Director of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ms Elizabeth Adjei, has called on African governments to adopt comprehensive migration policies that will address the challenges facing migrants and citizens of receiving states.
She said such a policy should include legislation and programmes to educate not only the citizenry of receiving states but also the migrants.
Such a framework, she said, must address potential sources of migratory flows, structural causes of migration, absorption capacity of states, as well as integration issues in receiving states.
“Migration has become part of globalisation and populations need to understand the impact, complexities of the phenomenon, issues that are involved in integration and how to deal with them,” she said
Speaking to the Daily Graphic following the xenophobic violence and anti-migrant sentiments in South Africa, Ms Adjei explained that migration was a growing global phenomenon, particularly in Africa, which could only be managed if proper policies were in place.
She said migration was linked to escape from poverty, and seeking opportunities and security for families, which no state could stop.
“Many people move to improve their livelihood options, seek opportunities and to escape poverty. Other reasons for movement of people include forcible displacement or coercion as a result of wars, violent conflicts and human rights abuses and discrimination,” she explained.
She said attacks on innocent migrants would not stop the phenomenon and should, therefore, be condemned.
“For most people in Africa, migration has become a necessity for security, education, employment and an avenue to realise their aspirations,” she said.
She said most of the migrants were young unemployed people from relatively poor countries moving for relatively better prospects and perceived prosperity for themselves and their families.
“They are often accused of stealing jobs and competing with indigenes for other resources and public goods. But this is often a reflection of frustration and resentment with their own governments, which are taken out on migrants, seen as easy targets,” she said.
She said migrants had a right to go from place to place to seek better conditions of life and also had the right to be protected by receiving governments.
Ms Adjei said governments had the right to control the level of migration through policies and legislation in a measured way, but the absence of such a regulatory framework would make citizens think they had a responsibility to curb what they consider as a threat to their security or economic well-being.
“While there has been greater integration of the global markets for goods and services, for which the international community has devised rules and regulations for flows across borders, there has not been the development of concomitant rules and regulations to effectively and efficiently facilitate the flow of humans within the global market framework,” she said.
As a result, she said, there had emerged a phenomenon of irregular migration where migrants were exposed to serious abuses and exploitation including human smuggling and trafficking and other trans-national crimes that threaten the security of sovereign states.
“In the name of preserving the security of the state, the detention of illegal migrants without due process is on the rise globally. The imposition of more stringent visa requirements for certain groups have been rampant and contributed to a climate of intolerance,” she added.
Ms Adjei said every country should have a migration legislation in place and also ensure the enforcement of its laws so that those who breach the laws would be dealt with while vulnerable migrants were protected.
“A deliberate and comprehensive policy framework and management are required to leverage migration as a vehicle to secure national interests,” said.
She said it was important that countries and their populations were sensitised to the migration cycle to enable them to appreciate the motivation for migration.
She admitted that the presence of migrants could cause tensions, especially in countries with high unemployment rates.
Besides, she said, some migrants could undermine a country’s culture, security, human rights, cohesion and other development issues of receiving countries.
Ms Adjei said it was for such reason that some countries insist that migrants to their countries must learn the language and culture before moving in.
She said the bad management of migration could lead to conflicts and disintegration of states.
She said the rights of migrants did not also cease just because they were migrants.

Prisoners' right to vote is constitutional

Page 55: May 26, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to take immediate steps to liaise with the Ghana Prisons Service to facilitate voting by prisoners in the general election.
It said the EC must liaise with the prisons authorities to find out what was needed in terms of logistics and personnel to establish voting centres in the country’s prisons.
The Africa Co-ordinator of CHRI, Nana Oye Lithur, told the Daily Graphic that the right of prisoners to vote was not in doubt, as it was guaranteed by the Constitution, saying that what Ghanaians and the EC should focus on was how to ensure that prisoners exercised that right.
Article 42 of the Constitution provides that “every citizen of Ghana of 18 years of age or above and of sound mind has the right to vote and is entitled to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda”.
The Constitution, by this provision and several others, does not limit the right to vote to only people outside the prisons. However, prisoners in Ghana have never exercised this right.
Extending the constitutional right to vote to citizens who have fallen foul of the law has recently become an issue of debate.
Nana Lithur said the security concerns raised by the EC were without basis because “I have seen doctors and other professionals attending to prisoners in prison without any problem”.
She said if the EC was unwilling to organise voting in the prisons, “we may have to go court to seek an interpretation of the law”.
Nana Lithur said the EC should draw up a comprehensive plan to bring the idea of prisoners voting in Ghana to fruition.
“If the EC takes these steps, then it will demonstrate its commitment to ensure that Ghanaians who are entitled and eligible to vote exercise their franchise,” she said.
She said prisoners voting in Ghana would not be a new phenomenon, since prisoners voted in South Africa.
“We, as Ghanaians, must help develop the human rights culture in respect of people’s civil and political rights. These rights are clearly spelt out in the Constitution and we only need to operationalise them,” she said.
Nana Lithur said it would be a progressive step to facilitate the process for prisoners to vote in elections in the country, adding that doing so would not affect the EC’s budget in terms of cost and security.
The Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, had, on May 13, 2008, indicated that there was no law in the country that barred prisoners from voting.
“Even if there were any such law, that would be against the fundamental rights of people,” he added.
He was of the view that the EC had not taken up the responsibility to ensure the enjoyment of that right by prisoners by putting in place the right administrative systems and measures.
The Chairman of the EC, Dr Afari-Gyan, said although it was not the commission’s intention to disenfranchise anyone, it did not, by convention, set up polling stations in certain places like the prisons.
His main concerns were the safety of the staff of the EC and clarity on the legal provisions for prisoners to vote.
Posted by salia at 5:54 AM 0 comments

IGP charges security agencies to be alert against money launderers

Page 53: May 26, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick K. Acheampong, has called on the security agencies to be on the alert against the abuse of the investment climate in the country by money launderers.
He said some investors, particularly those in the banking sector, could take advantage of the investment opportunities for money-laundering activities.
Mr Acheampong said the country had to guard against another PYRAM experience and also safeguard the financial system.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of a one-week workshop on anti-money laundering and corruption for selected personnel of the Ghana Police Service, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in Accra on Friday.
The workshop was sponsored by the French government as part of its support programme for the Ghana Police Service.
Mr Acheampong said although the establishment of many banks in the country was good, it was important that the security agencies should be on the alert to ensure that the banks complied with the Bank of Ghana’s regulations and other laws to make sure that they did not exploit the system for any illegal businesses.
“We must assist the Bank of Ghana to ensure that the banking sector does not become a conduit for money laundering,” he stated.
He said money laundering could be used to disintegrate any financial system in the world, particularly in developing countries that were trying to woo investors.
In addition, he said, money laundering had linkages with almost all major crimes such as narcotics, terrorism and weapons trafficking.
Mr Acheampong also advised the personnel not to take cases in isolation but endeavour to look beyond the initial complaints.
He said the introduction of French judicial, investigative and interrogation systems to the personnel was good because Ghana was surrounded by Francophone countries and also help in their collaboration with their counterparts from those countries.
A resource person at the workshop, Superintendent Jean-Marie Fiaschi, observed that corruption and money laundering were international problems which could destroy the development of any country.
He said money laundering had also destroyed the foundations of many democratic states and weakened the morals of the citizenry.
He said that had brought about a united global fight against money laundering, hence the need for laws and the legal framework to be in tandem with international standards to enhance effective collaboration.
Posted by salia at 5:53 AM 0 comments

Ministerial changes

Page 49: May 26, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE former Defence Minister, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, has been nominated by President J. A. Kufuor for the Ministry of the Interior.
A statement signed by the Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, and issued by the Office of the President said Papa Owusu-Ankomah had also been nominated as the Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President’s Special Initiatives (PSI).
If approved by Parliament, Dr Addo-Kufuor will replace Mr Kwamena Bartels, who has been dropped from the government.
It had been speculated that Mr Bartels’s handling of the Bawku conflict, the Liberian refugees crisis and the Anloga chieftaincy dispute had not been as expected.
The statement said Mr Kwabena Mensah Bonsu had also been nominated as a Minister of State, while Mr Joe Baidoo- Ansah moves from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and PSI to the Ministry of Aviation.
It said the nominations, which were to be approved by Parliament, were part of changes President Kufuor had made to his Cabinet.
The statement said the President had also proposed Ms Gloria Akuffo and Mr Asare Bosompem as Ambassadors to the Republic of Ireland and Togo, respectively.
Posted by salia at 5:51 AM 0 comments

Three to review Kojo Armah C'ttee Report

Front Page: May 26, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE President has set up a three-member committee to review the report of the Kojo Armah Committee that investigated the missing cocaine at the Exhibits Room at the CID Headquarters.
The committee, which is chaired by Mr Kojo Zwennes, an Accra-based lawyer, is also expected to review the reaction of the internal committee established by the Ghana Police Service and such other related matters it may find relevant and necessary.
A statement signed by the Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, and issued by the Office of the President said the committee was expected to complete its work and submit its report to the President within two weeks.
It did not mention the other members of the committee.
The Kojo Armah Committee was established to investigate and establish the circumstances that led to the loss of cocaine from the Exhibits Room at the CID Headquarters.
Other members of the Kojo Armah Committee were Mr S. J. Afari, Chief Supt Mark Ewuntomah, DCOP Kwesi Nkansah and Chief Supt Jacob Yidana of the Interior Ministry.
The committee could not pinpoint a single person as being responsible for the missing cocaine, saying within its mandate, it could only point to circumstantial evidence, since the door to the Exhibits Room had not been forced open, neither had there been a breakthrough.
It, however, said DSP Patrick Akagbo, the person who kept the key to the room should be held responsible.
It also observed the lack of co-ordination in the investigation of the Prampram cocaine incidence as a result of personality clashes at the CID Headquarters.
In reaction to the report, the Police Administration also set up an internal committee to investigate the conduct of Chief Supt Alphonse Adu-Amankwah, then the Head of the Organised Crime Unit.
A Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, however, found the setting up of the police committee as unnecessary because the government had not officially responded to the Kojo Armah Committee Report.
He described the police action as an exercise in futility that would serve no purpose because the Kojo Armah Committee Report was functus officio, meaning that neither the Ministry of the Interior nor the members of that committee could review or conduct further investigations into it or aspects of it unless the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General had advised the government to that effect.
Posted by salia at 5:47 AM 0 comments

Journalists won't compromise role

Page 3: May 24, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, has said journalists will not compromise their watchdog role in society, although the association receives support from institutions for its annual awards.
He said media houses and award winners did not directly solicit for support for the awards and were, therefore, “not obliged to compromise their critical role just for the sake of winning awards”.
Mr Tetteh said this when he inaugurated the 2007 GJA Awards and Planning committees, as well as the Group of Eminent Persons to revise the Guidelines on Elections Coverage, in Accra yesterday.
“The GJA, as the umbrella body, harnesses the goodwill and support of media development partners and friends. All of them, as stakeholders in a qualitative media, have a legitimate right to contribute towards raising journalistic standards by contributing to the awards and, as an association, we support that,” he said.
Mr Tetteh said every business concern must be supportive of promoting media excellence because a free society engendered economic growth.
On the awards, he said the GJA received 208 entries, three more than last year’s entries, for the various categories.
Category One, he said, covered separate awards for news reporting and features for radio, television and the print media, while Category Two, which had only one award for both the print and the electronic media, included investigative reporting, photojournalism, sports, arts/entertainment/domestic tourism, finance/economics, environment, health and road safety, rural reporting, parliamentary and political reporting and crime and court reporting.
He said Category Three, which was meant for the print media only, would be for the best columnist, while Category Four, which was reserved for media houses, would cover best talkshow, radio and television, best layout and designed newspaper, human rights and peace-building.
“For all the five awards under Category Four and the Journalist of the Year, nominations by the public are to be considered alongside the nominations of the Awards Committee. For those awards, GJA members and the general public were invited to nominate candidates, giving reasons for their nominations in not less than 120 words,” he added.
Mr Tetteh said the task of the Planning Committee was to plan and organise the event itself and also seek prizes for the award winners.
On the revision of the Guidelines on Election Coverage, he said the existing guidelines had been drawn up in 1996 with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
He said although the Ghanaian media had performed creditably in the coverage of elections since the guidelines were drawn, “there had been some challenges along the way and it is only fair to address them through their revision”.
Mr Tetteh said the revision would be done taking cognisance of the coverage of previous elections and the current situation to make the media more versatile, fair and reliable in their coverage.
He said the revision had also been necessitated by the rapid growth of the Ghanaian media landscape, with about 124 radio stations, four free-on-air television stations and more than 300 newspapers and publications throughout the country, with three cable/subscription television stations in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
He said the influence of the broadcast media, particularly radio, during elections required that the guidelines be divided into three parts, namely, General, Electronic and Print, to allow for specific issues peculiar to or concerning each type of medium to be addressed in a comprehensive manner.
According to Mr Tetteh, the draft of the guidelines was expected to be ready by the end of June 2008 to be reviewed and adopted by editors at a workshop.
“The updated Guidelines on Election Coverage will be published, launched and distributed to journalists throughout the country,” he said, adding that “the document will be the main resource material for workshops on election coverage”.
Members of the Awards Committee are Mr Berifi Apenteng, a media consultant; Dr Doris Yaa Dartey, a communications consultant and educator; Mr George Sarpong, the Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission; Mr Gilbert Tietaah, lecturer, School of Communication Studies; Mr Emmanuel Vorgbe, a freelance broadcast journalist; Mr Francis Kokutse, Associated Press/Dow Jones correspondent; Ms Adwoa Asiedu, Features Editor, Ghanaian Times; Mr Harry Mouzalas, a veteran news agency journalist; Mr Sammy Aduagyei, a veteran sports journalist; Mr Robert Johnson, a freelance photographer and cinematographer, and Mr Cyril Acolatse, a veteran broadcast journalist.
The seven-member Planning Committee, which is chaired by Mr Tetteh, includes Mr Kwame Sefa-Kayi of Peace FM; Mrs Marian Kyei of KAB Governance Consult; Mr Mathias Tibu of the Ghana Institute of Journalism; Ms Janet Carboo, Head of Public Relations, TV3; Ms Doris Kuwornu, Head of Corporate Affairs, GBC, and Ms Gifty Anti of GTV.
The Group of Eminent Persons to revise the Guidelines on Election Coverage is made up of Dr Bonnah Koomson, lecturer, School of Communication Studies; Dr Audrey Gadzekpo, the acting Director, School of Communication Studies; Mr Kweku Rockson, the acting Rector, Ghana Institute of Journalism and member of the NMC; Mr Isaac Fritz Andoh, the Editor of the Standard and member of the NMC; Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, Editor of the Ghanaian Times and Chairperson of the Editors Forum; Mr Cyril Acolatse, a veteran broadcast journalist, and Mr Kofi Arhin, Director of Elections, Electoral Commission.
Posted by salia at 5:45 AM 0 comments

NPA revises prices of gas oil, kerosene, others

Front Page: May 24, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has revised petroleum prices downwards following the passage the Customs and Excise (Petroleum Taxes and Petroleum Related Levies) Amendment Bill.
Under the revised rates, a litre of gas oil is now 120 GHpesewas, down from 125.54GH pesewas, kerosine was now 113.5 GH pesewas down from 118 GH pesewas and Marine gas 106.32 GH pesewas down from 111.32 GH pesewas.
A gallon of gas oil, kerosene, marine gas and premix was now 540GH pesewas, 511GH pesewas, 478GH pesewas and 330.66GH pesewas respectively.
A source at the NPA told the Daily Graphic that the government had consistently subsidise LPG and that explained why it was not affected by the changes.
It said the total tax on LPG was 13.22GH pesewas and a subsidy of 18.04GH pesewas.
In response to the President’s broadcast on Thursday, Parliament today reacted swiftly to President Kufuor’s proposed tax reprieves and passed into law two bills intended to ameliorate the effects of the rising global commodity prices.
The Presidential initiative was announced in Thursday’s broadcast to the nation and aimed at mitigating the effect of the global crisis on the domestic economy and the broad masses of the people.
Parliament’s swift response provided the legal basis for its immediate implementation.
The specific enactments are the Customs Excise (Duties and other Taxes( Amendment Bill and the Customs and Excise (Petroleum Taxes and Petroleum Related Levies) Amendment Bill.
The principal legislation being the Act 685 which was amended to reduce taxes on a number of petroleum products including Gas Oil, Kerosene, Marine Gas Oil and Premix Fuel.
Specified excise duty on Gas Oil was reduced from 9.1 pesewas to 6.2 pesewas; duty on Kerosene from 6.4875 to 45375 pesewas; duty on Marine Gas from 6.4945 to 3.9945 pesewas whilst the current duty of 5.1456 pesewas on premix fuel is being completely removed.

The Kojo Armah Committee Report - Cop blew cover of his informants

Page 3: May 22, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Kojo Armah Committee that investigated the missing cocaine at the Exhibits Room of the CID Headquarters established that Chief Superintendent Alphonse Adu-Amankwah blew the cover of ‘his informants’ before the committee organised a confrontation between Mr Daniel Kwame Frimpong and the two informants.
It indicated that the committee requested a confrontation between Mr Frimpong and the two informants to establish the truth about what really happened, since the statements of the informants were full of inconsistencies.
The committee, in its report, noted that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah resisted the panel’s line of intended action because ‘his informants’ would be blown by such action.
It said although it agreed to Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah’s suggestion, the committee later got to know that a confrontation between Mr Frimpong and the two informants, Isaac Tenkorang, who was deported from the USA in 2004, after serving a 40-month prison sentence for drugs, and Osman Anani, had already taken place in the office of Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah’s deputy, Mr Thomas Ogba.
“At that point, the panel ruled on the need for a confrontation and the panel requested Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah to produce the ‘informants’ for the confrontation but he could not do so. They had gone underground,” it said.
The report said Osman and Isaac’s invitation and Mr Frimpong’s arrest were at the instance of Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah and not the panel.
“That informed the panel to ask Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah to bring his ‘informants’ before the panel anytime they were needed but when the need arose for them to appear again to clear some inconsistencies in the story about DSP Akagbo’s sale of cocaine through Mr Frimpong, Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah failed to produce them,” it stated.
It said Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah said “the two had gone underground and could not be traced”.
It said the panel, therefore, sought the assistance of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to arrest the informants, and Tenkorang, the main source of the Akagbo-Frimpong story, was arrested on March 26, 2008.
According to the report, it was during interrogation later, when the panel pointed out the inconsistencies in his two statements, that Tenkorang broke down after two days of interrogation and confessed that all he had said earlier to the five-member committee and the previous statements were not true.
“We were paid to say all that we said, including the statements on February 12, 13 and 27, 2008,” it quoted Tenkorang as having told the committee.
The report said the panel, on April 2, 2008, organised a confrontation between Tenkorang and Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah on the confession and indicated that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah appeared surprised.
It said Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah denied that he had told Nana Dokua what Tenkorang had alleged Nana Dokua told him and Osman, which led the three persons to fabricate the plot incriminating Frimpong and DSP Akagbo.
“He (Adu-Amankwah), however, confirmed that he paid the money mentioned by Tenkorang (GH¢5,000) to the three persons or ‘informants’ for the information which Tenkorang now claims is false,” it added.
It said in another confrontation, Tenkorang apologised to Mr Frimpong for falsely involving him in their plot to make money and also apologised to Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah for the false information they gave him.
It said after the confession, Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah did not challenge what Tenkorang had revealed in his confession, saying, “This surprised the panel.”
Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, it said, however, apologised to Frimpong, stating that he had acted in good faith based on information he received, adding, “Frimpong, at that stage, broke down and wept bitterly.”
It said Nana Dokua had evaded the committee’s invitation for two weeks and that attempts to arrest her also failed.
“When she eventually appeared before the committee in the company of her lawyer, she came across as not being a very truthful witness. She was evasive and at times had to be prevailed upon to answer simple questions directly,” it said.
The report said Nana Dokua, who is the Founder and Director of DOKWEDI Youth Club, a non-governmental organisation, confirmed taking Tenkorang and Osman to see Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah to “tell their stories” and also confirmed that GH¢5,000 was paid to them, out of which she got GH¢800.
“It is noted that when Tenkorang confronted Nana Dokua, in the presence of Lawyer Boateng, he (Tenkorang) was emphatic that Nana Dokua was part of the plot.
The report said it was the committee’s belief that the allegation was a plot carefully planned to deceive the police, make money and deceive the panel in its investigations.
That, it said, succeeded in “diverting the attention of the panel in pursuing its line of investigation intended to uncover the end point of the missing cocaine saga”.
The report said on March 4, 2008, DSP Akagbo had informed the panel of an incident that happened on February 19, 2008 in his office at the CID Headquarters when he had gone to see the Director-General of the CID, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku.
It said after discussing his personal problems, such as bail and salary, with the director-general, he (Akagbo) asked permission to visit his office to take some money which he had left in his drawer before his arrest.
While in his office, the report said DSP Akagbo informed the panel that the telephone rang and because he had not been in the office for some time, he did not pick it.
It said when the phone rang again, ASP Hanson Gove, who was then with Akagbo in the office, advised him to pick the call.
“When he did, a voice told him that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah was looking for some people at Maamobi to come and say that Akagbo had given them some drugs to sell so he should be careful,” the report noted.
The report said DSP Akagbo said his demeanour changed after the caller failed to identify himself and hung up.
It said ASP Gove asked what the matter was and he (Akagbo) told him.
“This has been confirmed by ASP Gove,” it said.
The report said DSP Akagbo, however, did not report the incident to the Director-General, CID, for immediate investigation.

Anxiety all over * As Ghanaians await Prez's intervention in food, fuel

Front Page: May 22, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Charles Benoni Okine
STAKEHOLDERS in key sectors of the economy have expressed the hope that President Kufuor’s address to the nation this evening will provide a boost to the nation’s agricultural and oil industry.
They were keen on what specific subsidies the President would announce to deal with rising oil and food prices.
Players in the downstream petroleum sector said any subsidies on petroleum products would be welcome news, not only for individuals and companies but the oil marketing companies (OMCs) as well.
According to them, subsidies would also help to reduce their cost of operation, as well as help them to stay in business.
The Managing Director of Total, one of the major players in the oil industry, Mr Felix Majekodunmi, said, “We as OMCs will also benefit if the government announces subsidies on petroleum products.”
He said the move would mean that the working capital requirements of the OMCs were going to reduce, adding that “this business of ours require huge financial capital so the subsidies will reduce working capital requirements”.
“We are really suffering at present because we feel the pinch so much. In the first quarter of this year, we posted a 40 per cent loss, compared to the previous year, and this was as a result of the skyrocketing prices of crude oil on the international market,” he added.
He said his company had wanted to reduce its staff strength to be able to cut costs and expressed the hope that the expected subsidies would save the situation.
Mr Majekodunmi said for the past two years the OMCs had not seen any increase in the margins meant for them and,
therefore, denied any suggestions that the OMCs were making more money from increases in crude oil prices on the international market.
According to him, the OMCs were making losses and so any subsidies would benefit them, too.
Mr Victor Alhassan of Star Oil Company also believed that subsidies would impact positively, not only on the economy in general but also on individual stakeholders.
“I would like to wait and see what the subsidies would be like and comment on them thereafter,” he said.
However, he noted that individuals and companies which used to spend more money on transportation and on fuel would be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Other OMCs, such as Shell and GOIL, were engaged in meetings at the time of going to press and could, therefore, not be reached for their expectations.
While anticipating something substantial from the President’s speech, the President of the Afife Rice Irrigation Co-operative and Marketing Society, Mr Godwin Atokple, said the society expected the President to announce a major support package for farmers.
He said farmers still depended on manual implements for harvesting, which resulted in post-harvest losses and did not enhance growth.
He said the society also expected the President to announce a marketing support of strategic buyers to buy the produce of farmers and for them to be paid promptly.
For his part, the Managing Director of the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR), Mr Issah Bukari, said the President should announce a major financial and fuel package for farmers.
He said increasing fuel prices were affecting the ploughing of land for the cultivation of food crops.
Mr Bukari said many farmers had to resort to manual ploughing of the land because they could not afford the use of tractors.
He said President Kufuor should also announce a major package for the upcoming crop season that would involve credit facilities to help farmers to increase their production and market yield.
Mr Bukari said a support package in fertiliser for maize farmers in the northern part of Ghana at this crucial time would go a long way to increase maize yield for the harvesting season.
According to him, the country should not look at the immediate hardships but look into the future because “we cannot tell what will happen before the next farming season”.

The Kojo Armah Committee Report - Five Policemen commended

Page 3: May 21, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE names of five policemen have come up for commendation for the role they played in the arrest of a cocaine suspect at Prampram in 2006.
The Kojo Armah Committee that investigated the missing cocaine at the Exhibits Room at the CID Headquarters, while making the commendation, however, reprimanded the Commander of the Organised Crime Unit (OCU), Chief Supt Alphonse Adu-Amankwah, for his lack of co-operation in the matter.
The five policemen are Sgt Martin Opoku Darko, Cpl Emmanuel Adaba, Cpl Nsobila Nyaaba, Constable J. K. Appiah and Cpl Nicholas Adotsuklu, now deceased, all of the Ningo Police.
They effected the arrest of Kenneth Ugah, the suspect, and escorted the vehicle he was driving, with registration number GW 1243 X, to the Prampram Police Station.
According to the report of the committee, those policemen used their initiative appropriately and risked their lives to lay ambush till about 3.00 a.m. before the vehicle driven by Ugah arrived.
It said the private vehicle belonging to one of the policemen was nearly run over by Ugah’s vehicle, while they did not allow Ugah to have his way by arresting him without compromise.
“For these reasons, the panel recommends a reward as an incentive for such efforts in the future,” the report added.
On Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, the report observed that he did not fully co-operate with the former Director-General (D-G) of the CID, Mr David Asante-Apeatu.
“He did not fully co-operate with his boss, the former Director-General, CID, in the matter of handling the Prampram arrests,” it noted.
It said copies of letters tendered showed that except for one letter to the Ghana Immigration Service, all the letters were signed in the name of the director-general of the CID.
“It appeared to the panel, from other evidence, that it was only an administrative procedure and that it was very possible that the D-G himself did not see the letters before they were dispatched and same was confirmed by the former CID boss that he did not see many of them,” the report said.
It indicated that there had been personality clashes between Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah and Mr Asante-Apeatu, at one level, and between Mr Asante-Apeatu and the IGP, at another.
It said those clashes affected the management of the CID Headquarters, resulting in the non co-ordination of issues there.
According to the report, that made Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah do “his own thing” as Head of the OCU.
It stressed that there had been a certain breakdown of communication which made it difficult for the CID Headquarters, as an institution, to have total control of the investigations.
It said Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah was also not forthright in his responses, especially in respect of his relationship with his former boss, the D-G of the CID.
“The panel also finds the conduct of Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah in respect of the Exhibits Room, the keys and the custody of the exhibits very unprofessional,” it added.
The committee further recommended that a service enquiry be instituted into the conduct of all the policemen who visited the CID Headquarters at odd times without reasonable explanation, some of them with friends, including white persons and women.
It also recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the armed guards who abandoned their posts while on duty at the Exhibits Room on the sixth floor of the CID Headquarters for personal reasons.

Man, 47, arrested for fraud

Page 14: May 21, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 47-YEAR-OLD educational consultant has been arrested for defrauding someone on the pretext of sending him abroad.
Robert Okine, who is the Executive Director of International Education and Development Services, collected GH¢1,750 from his victim, Mr Bright Kakah, in 2004 as the fee for including him (victim) on an exchange programme.
The Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Ken Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that after collecting the money, Okine closed down his office at Madina and allegedly went into hiding.
He said efforts to contact Okine on a number he gave to the victim was also uneventful as it was always switched off.
He said the suspect was spotted at Madina Firestone last Saturday where he had allegedly conducted a seminar for head teachers and other school authorities.
ACP Yeboah said the suspect allegedly admitted taking the money from the victim.
The suspect broke down in tears as soon as he was informed that he was to be published in the newspapers.
Okine pleaded with the CID officials to give him by the close of day to refund the money.
According to him, he had been awarded a contract by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and his appearance in the newspaper could lead to the abrogation of the contract.
ACP Yeboah said the conduct of some companies and non-governmental organisations were embarrassing as they often collected money from innocent people on the pretext of sending them abroad.
He explained that after collecting the money, they often abandoned their victims.

Cocaine probe exposes conspiracy

Page 3: May 20, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Kojo Armah Committee which investigated the theft of cocaine from the Exhibits Room at the CID Headquarters has revealed that there had been a conspiracy to incriminate some persons with the theft.
According to the committee’s report, Isaac Tenkorang, one of the informants, had disclosed before the committee that there had been a grand strategy to implicate Mr Daniel Kwame Frimpong, a friend of DSP Patrick Akagbo’s, after Chief Superintendent Alphonse Adu-Amankwah had promised the informants $50,000, which later turned out to be GH¢5,000.
“The details, as given, therefore, by Tenkorang in his statement clearly raise the possibility of a ‘brain’ behind that statement and hence a possible ‘conspiracy theory’,” it said.
“Along this line, even Tenkorang’s confession could be a ‘conspiracy’ to go for a lesser offence of ‘deceit of public officer’ rather than one of dealing in narcotics,” the report added.
To buttress its suspicions of the conspiracy theory, the report, which was presented to the Minister of the Interior on April 25, 2008, found it strange that Tenkorang and Nana Dokua, who were not personnel of the CID Headquarters, got to know a number of issues going at the place.
The report said Tenkorang and Nana Dokua had been aware that DSP Akagbo was the officer keeping the keys to the Exhibits Store Room, instead of the Organised Crime Unit; that there was a strained relationship between DSP Akagbo and Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah and that the former CID boss, Mr Asante-Apeatu, had handed the East Legon case to Mr Akagbo even after Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah had returned to Ghana from overseas.
It also established that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah lied about his relationship with Nana Dokua, the woman who allegedly introduced the informants to him.
It said although Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah had hedged his relationship with Nana Dokua to the committee and only mentioned her after February 27, 2008, it was established that they had known each other since October 2007 and “from itemised bills available to the panel, her relationship with Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah went deeper than she tried to make us believe”.
Throwing more light on the issues, the report said Tenkorang, in his statement on February 27, 2008, had confirmed the involvement of Frimpong with DSP Akagbo in the cocaine deal, as stated in his statement of February 12, 2008, but added that he told Nana Dokua about the deal.
According to the report, Tenkorang had told the committee that a week after the news broke out about the missing cocaine, Nana Dokua took him to the CID Headquarters where he met Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah and reported the involvement of the three friends to him.
It said Tenkorang, however, refused to honour an invitation to appear before the panel on February 28, 2008 and went underground with his friend, Osman Anani.
It said he re-appeared before the committee on March 25, 2008 after his arrest four days earlier, and at the committee he made a thought-provoking confession.
“He said the whole story he had told in his earlier statements and testimonies was false and was the result of a grand strategy to implicate Daniel Kwame Frimpong, a friend of DSP/Mr Akagbo’s, in the cocaine theft,” it noted.
The report said Tenkorang told the panel that Nana Dokua had informed him that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah had agreed that “Isaac and Osman should bear testimonies against Frimpong so that they could be paid some money. Nana Dokua had allegedly agreed to go along with the plan because Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah had promised to pay an amount of $50,000 to them which later turned out to be GH¢5,000”.
“Working in accordance with this strategy, he and Osman made statements to Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah implicating Frimpong and DSP Akagbo,” it added.
The report said Tenkorang apologised to Frimpong on April 2, 2008, in the presence of Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, for the suffering and pain his falsehood had caused him.
It said Nana Dokua confirmed negotiating for a fee of $50,000, not GH¢5,000, for the information, out of which she was paid GH¢800.
“Nana Dokua’s statement and her own comportment at the hearing depicted a person who was deeply involved in the deal but trying hard to conceal facts. From itemised telephone bills available to the panel, her relationship with Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah went deeper than she tried to make us believe,” it noted.
According to the report, “if she had been relaying information to Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah since November or December 2007, it is then surprising that it was only on February 11 or 12, 2008 that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah said he saw the two informants, Tenkorang and Osman, for the first time and hurriedly paid them an amount of GH¢2,500 even before they appeared before the Director-General of the CID, the minister and the panel, and another GH¢2,500 the morning they were due to appear before the panel. The timing of the payment could not have been mere coincidence”.
It also wondered why Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah had not mentioned Nana Dokua in the first place but waited until after February 27, 2008 when Isaac had mentioned her in his third statement to the panel.
It noted that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah had not been diligent in the investigations and did not properly supervise the investigations.
“His management of the ‘informants’ was unprofessional. He neither tested their integrity nor critically analysed the information they provided before parting with money,” it observed.
The report also marvelled as to why, in introducing the informants to the CID boss and the panel, Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah “deliberately left out Nana Dokua who, indeed, should have been the key informant”.
It said Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah also failed to take a statement from Frimpong, who was arrested as the prime link man to DSP Akagbo, although Frimpong had been detailed for about 38 days and heavily escorted anytime he appeared before the panel.

Ghanaian drug baron arrested in Brazil

Page 3: May 19, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
Raymond Kwame Amankwah, a Ghanaian described as one of the most wanted drug barons, has been arrested in Brazil through a collaboration between the German Federal Police and their Brazilian counterparts.
He was arrested alongside two women, Mandy Veit, a German, and Irena Beata Ciaslak, a German-Polish, at the Pinto Martins Airport in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara State in December 2007.
The three were said to be working for a Nigerian group in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Amankwah was waiting for the two women, Mandy and Irena, who were due to fly to Lisbon, Portugal, each of them carrying 3.08 kilogrammes and 3.097 kilogrammes of cocaine, respectively.
The Daily Graphic, in its August 13, 1996 edition, published a story in which the then Narcotics Unit of the Ghana Police Service had declared Amankwah, also known as Chanda Keita, wanted.
The Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom was said to have issued a bench warrant for his arrest in 1995 for being the brain behind a crack cocaine network whose bust led to the discovery of 5.5 kilogrammes of cocaine valued at £1 million.
It was also indicated that prior to that, INTERPOL had also issued a warrant for Amankwah’s arrest in 1990 on behalf of the judicial authorities in France for violating that country’s legislation on drugs acquisition, possession and importation.
The police said Raymond possessed two passports — a Ghanaian passport issued on July 19, 1988 and bearing the name Kwame Amankwah, while the other, an Ivorian passport, bore the name Kouame Amangouah and issued in Abidjan on November 15, 1985.
The Daily Graphic, in April 1995, reported that the British Police had seized £1 million worth of cocaine and that a Ghanaian ringleader had been declared wanted.
It said three accomplices — Mariame Keita, said to be Amankwah’s wife, Andre N’Guessan, a drug distributor, and Charles Oppong, said to be Amankwah’s lieutenant — had since been tried and were serving prison terms ranging from five to 20 years.
Confirming the arrest in a correspondence to the Daily Graphic, a Director of the Brazilian Supreme Court, Ms Madeleine Lacsko, said the three suspects were arrested after security personnel searched Mandy’s and Irena’s luggage at the airport while the two were waiting to fly to Lisbon at 7:30 p.m. and found the drugs hidden in false compartments of the luggage.
It said Raymond, holder of Ghanaian passport number H1878450, was in custody at the House of Deprivation Provisional Freedom of Caucaia, while Mandy, holder of German passport A0883780, and Irena, bearer of German passport number 176705648, were being kept at female prisons at Presidio Desa, Auri Moura Costa.
It said the three were found to be part of an international drug trafficking network, a Nigerian drug mafia in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The correspondence said Amankwah had been in Brazil from January to November 2007, without leaving the country, and returned to Ghana in November 2007 for the marriage of his daughter.
It said investigations revealed that while in Brazil, Amankwah was receiving income from his business in Ghana, including some bank transfers and deposits on his international card.
It said he was staying at a hotel where he was paying between $500 and $800 monthly.
It said the Brazilian police had information that Amankwah had come to Brazil to raise a drug trafficking gang to supply drugs to Europe.
The correspondence said it was established that Amankwah’s experience was highly needed by the mafia because the cost of a kilogramme of pure cocaine in Europe was 40,000 euros, while the price in Fortaleza, Brazil, was only $12,000.
It said Amankwah was apprehended with the help of seven security men, after he had resisted arrest.
It said Amankwah had met Mandy and Irena on November 28, 2007 and handed the bags containing the drugs to the two ladies.
It said although Mandy and Irena denied knowledge of the contents of the luggage, the police argued that they could not be innocent, having accepted fully paid international trips with monetary rewards just for the delivery of the bags.
The correspondence said Amankwah later allegedly confessed that they all knew what they were doing and acknowledged taking the drug from Ken Chukwuma, popularly known as Don, between the Paulista and Blanca avenues in Sao Paulo to hand it over to the ladies.
It said the investigations traced the international trafficking operations of the gang from neighbouring Benin where Mandy had been invited by a German, Thomas Kamp, for holidays and later given a bag containing drugs to be delivered in France for a fee of 4,500 euros, adding that Irena was also part of the trip to Benin and benefited from a similar inducement.
It said Kamp again met Mandy in Brazil and offered her 5,000 euros to deliver a bag containing drugs in London.
It explained that Kamp later left for London but Irena later joined Mandy in Brazil for the same purpose.
The correspondence said it was established that Amankwah was the contact person in Sao Paulo from whom the two ladies were to pick the bags containing the drugs.
According to it, the German police had been trailing Mandy for some time, although Irena had not come to security notice in Germany yet.
It, however, said Irena’s brother had been jailed in Peru for drug trafficking.
It said a Federal Judge, Dr Danilo Sampaio Fontenelle, sitting at 11th Vara, me Carlos, on March 24, 2008, for a pre-trial, declined bail for the suspects because of the seriousness of the case and the international dimension of the crime.
The judge, it said, also explained that the suspects were experienced international drug dealers who posed a serious danger to society if they were granted bail because they had no permanent address and no profession and, therefore, it was better that they were kept in jail.
It said Dr Edmac Trigueiro Lima is leading the prosecution, while Amankwah was being represented by two lawyers, Dr Paul Napoleao Quezado and Dr John Marcelo De Lima Perdrosa.

Police, ministry clash * Over Kojo Armah C'ttee Report

Front Page: May 15, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Ministry of the Interior and the Ghana Police Service have clashed over the setting up of a committee by the Police Administration to act on the Kojo Armah Committee’s Report on the missing cocaine saga.
Describing its action as a proactive one, the Police Administration announced yesterday that it had set up a three-member committee to investigate the conduct of Chief Superintendent Alphonse Adu-Amankwah and Detective Chief Inspector Paul Brenya Bediako, who were both indicted in the Kojo Armah Report.
In reaction to that, the Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, described the police action as an exercise in futility that would serve no purpose.
The police committee is chaired by a retired Commissioner of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mr P. N. Cobbinah, and includes Commissioner of Police (Mrs) Joana Osei-Poku, the Director-General, Human Resource Development of the Police Service and ACP Daniel Avorga, the Commander of the MTTU and Immediate Past Director of Legal and Prosecutions of the Ghana Police Service.
They were given up to May 26, 2008 to submit their report.
The police action came as a surprise to many who were of the view that since the original committee had been set up by the Ministry of the Interior, any review or further investigations of its work should be done by the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General.
When contacted, however, the Director of Police Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori, explained that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr P. K. Acheampong, was being proactive on the committee’s recommendations.
He said the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, forwarded a copy of the committee’s report to the IGP and after studying it the IGP decided to put “his house in order”.
When asked if Mr Bartels had instructed the IGP to act on the report, DSP Ofori answered in the negative.
He said the IGP only wanted to streamline things before the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General came out with its advice.
DSP Ofori said the IGP, in his letter of May 7, 2008, setting up the committee, copied the Interior Minister, among others.
Nonetheless, Nana Obiri Boahen told the Daily Graphic that the Report of the Kojo Armah Committee was now functus officio, meaning that not even the Ministry of the Interior nor the members of the Kojo Armah Committee could review or conduct further investigations into the report or aspects of it unless the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General had advised the government to that effect.
Nana Boahen said the formation of any such committee would be untenable and unacceptable and it should be treated with contempt.
He said the government was working with the committee’s report and not what any other person or group of people would come up with.
He said the ministry had confidence in the members of the committee and advised that the impression should not be created that the committee did not do its work well.
“It is only the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General who can advise appropriately on the committee’s work,” he added.
Nana Boahen said based on what advice the Attorney General’s office put out, the government would issue a White Paper on the issue.

7 Drug couriers arrested

Page 48: May 14, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
SEVEN suspected drug couriers were at the weekend arrested at the Kotoka International Airport when they attempted to smuggle various quantities of drugs to some European destinations.
They were arrested while going through pre-departure formalities.
The suspects are George Weah Karperh, 42; Jonathan Boroabre Mensah, 40; Francis Kwadwo Yeboah Damoah, 44; Bismark Kweku Kyei, 24; Chester Appau, 31; Maxwell Dartey, 47, and Vincent Koffi Sarabi, 47.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Public Relations Officer of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Francis Opoku Amoah, said Karperh, a Ghanaian with Dutch citizenship, expelled 100 pellets of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine when he was arrested.
He said the suspect, who came to Ghana on May 7 and was arrested on May 9, 2008, said a friend, whom he did not name, introduced him to the business.
Mr Amoah said the suspect said he was to be paid €3,000 upon delivery of the drugs to the friend in Amsterdam.
According to him, Karperh, who said he was a professional teacher in Holland, wanted to raise funds to set up a school in Ghana hence his decision to act as a courier.
Mr Amoah said Mensah, who holds a Spanish passport, claimed a friend he met on Takoradi gave him the drugs to deliver to someone in Spain for a fee of €4,000.
He said the suspect alleged that the friend had threatened to harm members of his (suspect) family if he had refused to take the drugs.
He said the suspect expelled 99 pellets after his arrest.
With regard to Damoah, the PRO said the suspect, who is resident in Italy, expelled 61 pellets of the drugs after he was put in an observatory.
Mr Amoah said the suspect claimed a Nigerian friend of his introduced him to the business and had assured him of a profitable enterprise.
He said Damoah said the Nigerian gave him €2,000 advance payment with the pledge of an additional €2,500 if he (suspect) had successfully delivered the drugs to him in Italy.
In respect of Kweku Kyei, he said, the suspect had swallowed 65 pellets and had since expelled all after his arrest.
Mr Amoah said the suspect said he was indebted to someone in Spain to the tune of €2,000 and had been promised an additional €2,000 if he agreed to carry the drugs.
The PRO said Appau, a resident of Italy, had swallowed 84 pellets and had so far expelled 82 remaining with two.
He said the suspect claimed that the cost of living in Italy had become very expensive.
He said someone, whom he did not mention, recruited him for a fee of €3,000.
With regard to Dartey, Mr Amoah said he tested positive when a field test was conducted on him at the airport.
He said when he was subsequently taken to the head office of NACOB, the suspect expelled all the 60 pellets he had swallowed.
He said Sarabi, a German of Togolese parentage, swallowed 32 pellets and inserted eight others into his anus.
He said the suspect claimed that while on a visit to Ghana, someone offered to give him the drugs to carry to Germany for a fee of €2,500 which he agreed to.
Mr Amoah said all the suspects had been remanded in police custody while investigations continued.
He said most of the suspects upon interrogation also indicated that they had paid money to some officials at the airport with the assurance that they would not be arrested.
Mr Amoah said the suspects claimed that while going through departure formalities, some of the officials were calling them on their cellphones to update them on security movements and which queue they should join.
He said NACOB had not been able to establish the truth or otherwise of the allegations.
Mr Amoah warned that anyone caught in such an act would not be spared.
He said what had also come to the fore was the fact that the drug dealers were now recruiting Ghanaians resident outside the country who did not have much difficulty with visas and other travel arrangements.
Mr Amoah said the barons were exploiting the difficulties some of the foreign-based Ghanaians were going through to use them.

Unite in fight against drug menace

Page 14: May 12, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has called for a united front to help the country deal with the drug scourge.
He said no single agency, individual or country could single-handedly solve the drug problem hence the need for unity and collaboration to deal with the menace.
Making the call through the Daily Graphic at the weekend, Nana Boahen said it was because no single country or agency could fight the drug menace alone that the United Nations emphasised on collaboration.
He stated that the drug problem was a worldwide phenomenon not peculiar to Ghana alone.
“It is the number one problem in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany and many others. Almost every country is facing serious challenges with the drug menace. It is not peculiar to Ghana alone,” he stated.
Nana Boahen said it was, therefore, erroneous for anybody or organisation to think or say that Ghana was a fertile ground for drug trafficking because the government was doing nothing to stem the problem.
“It is never true that the government is not serious in fighting the drug problem. It is the present government that has put in so much into the present Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) building, restructured the organisation and employed more personnel to help fight the menace,” he added.
Nana Boahen said the allegation that drug barons were having a field day in the country was also false, stating that “they can turn themselves into drug barons and I can assure you, they would regret that decision”.
He explained that it was because the government acknowledged the problem in the country that it decided to collaborate with other foreign countries to help deal with it.
Nana Boahen cited Operation Westbridge, which was a government of Ghana and the United Kingdom’s collaboration to check the menace.
He said between February 2 and May 6, 2008, 25 persons were arrested for dealing in drugs including the interception of unaccompanied Indian hemp at the Kotoka International Airport.
He said it was bad for politicians to score political points by saying that Ghana had become a fertile ground for drug barons to operate.
“If you think Ghana is a haven for drugs go into it. I assure them that they will be smoked out,” he stated.

DSP Akagbo released on bail

Page 3: May 12, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Storekeeper of the Exhibits Store at the CID Headquarters, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Akagbo, has been released on bail.
His release on May 7, 2008, followed a letter written to that effect by the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku.
He was said to have been released on health grounds.
A source close to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) told the Daily Graphic at the weekend that while in detention, DSP Akagbo visited hospital three times a week due to a health condition.
It explained that DSP Akagbo was held at the BNI cells at the instance of the Police Administration.
DSP Akagbo was detained at the BNI cells on January 28, following the orders of the Director-General of the CID after it was detected that some cocaine at the Exhibits Store had gone missing.
He had since been in custody at the BNI cells.
The Kojo Armah Committee, which was subsequently set up to investigate the missing cocaine, recommended that DSP Akagbo be prosecuted.
It said although the committee could not pinpoint any single person or group of persons who had substituted the cocaine, DSP Akagbo, who kept the keys to the store, should be held responsible for dereliction of duty.
The government is, however, yet to officially react to the findings and recommendations of the committee.

Ministry to enforce key cutting law licensing

Page 48: May 9, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Ministry of the Interior has directed all locksmiths (key cutting operators) to take steps to legalise their operations.
It said under the Licensing Act of 1994, it was mandatory for all those engaged in cutting of keys to obtain licences before operating.
The move, according to the ministry, was part of measures to holistically deal with robbery and other associated crimes.
The Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, who gave the directive yesterday, explained to the Daily Graphic that the move to have the operators legalise their operations was in line with measures being taken to check robbery and other related crimes in the country.
He said it was an offence for any key cutter to operate without a licence.
He said some of the key cutters just like many Ghanaians, might not be aware of this provision in the Licensing Act of 1994, Locksmith/Key Cutting Licence.
Nana Boahen said it was in that respect that the ministry had decided to issue this directive in the form of an advice for them to take steps to licence their operations.
He explained that the promulgators of the law saw the importance of regulating the key cutting industry hence its enactment.
According to the minister, it was often observed that some suspected armed robbers and car thieves often had in their possession large quantities of keys each time they were caught.
Nana Boahen said the suspected criminals could come across such keys only after they had taken hold of a duplicate key of a house or a car.
He said it was suspected that some house helps or relatives of house owners might have taken the original keys to the locksmith to duplicate the key.
He explained that the procedure for duplicating a key included a visit to the house or car for inspection by the locksmith to ensure that the keys really belonged to the client.
Nana Boahen said procedures in acquiring a licence included applying for it and returning complicated application forms to the Minister of the Interior.
He said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service would then vet the applicant to ensure that he or she had no criminal record, and visit the site of the shop.
He said if the CID recommended to the minister that a licence should be issued, the application would be granted.
Nana Boahen said the licence was renewable in January each year.
He said if Ghanaians were calling on the security agencies to help stem the tide of robbery, it was important that the issue was holistically dealt with.
“Do not forget that the citizenry also have role to play in curbing crime and everyone must be seen to be playing his or her part,” he said.
Moreover, he said, key cutting was a professional field and the practitioners must be streamlined in accordance with the law.

Private Security urged to operate within the law

Page 14: May 9, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has stated that no private security company can operate without a licence.
He said submitting an application or undergoing the process of vetting of an application was not enough grounds for any security company to operate.
The Ministry of the Interior on April 27, 2008, issued a two-week ultimatum to all private security organisations to regularise their operations or face prosecution.
The ministry said while some of them had failed to renew their licences, others had no licences to operate and added that it had decided to clamp down on security organisations that refused to operate within the confines of the law.
Apart from not renewing their licences annually, he said, some of them had also defaulted in Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Value Added Tax (VAT) and National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) obligations to the state.
Nana Boahen told the Daily Graphic last Thursday that following the ultimatum, some of the companies had indicated that they had submitted applications for licensing but were yet to hear from the ministry.
He said the companies had complained about the delay in the issuance of the licences to them.
Nana Boahen said while acknowledging the concerns of the security companies, it was important that they appreciated the fact that operating a security company was not just like other business enterprise hence the need for thorough investigations to be done.
“These investigations do not take a day or month. It takes time because we have to investigate the background of all the directors and vet the information provided as well,” he said.
He said although the government appreciated the roles of private security companies in preventing crime and protecting life and property, it was important that they operated within the confines of the law.
Nana Boahen said the Association of Private Security Organisations (APSOG) had expressed its willingness to assist the ministry to sanitise the private security industry.
He said while waiting for APSOG, the ministry was going to publish the list of all the licensed private security companies including those whose applications were being vetted.
He, however, said the publication of a company whose application was being considered was not a guarantee for it to operate.
“It is illegal to operate without a licence and illegal to operate with an expired licence,” he added.
Nana Boahen urged public and private institutions using the services of private security companies to liaise with the ministry to ensure that they engaged the services of those licensed to operate.

Church, traditional authorities clash over site for shrine

Page 24: May 8, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia, Aflao.
TENSION is brewing between the traditional authorities and members of the Assemblies of God Church in Aflao over the siting of a shrine at the entrance to the church.
While the traditional authorities claim that the place is the original abode of the shrine, the church insists that the siting of the shrine there is a provocative act, since it had acquired the land for the church and school projects.
But for the timely intervention of security personnel in the town last Saturday, there could have been a clash between the two parties.
This came to light when the Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, visited Aflao on Tuesday.
Briefing the minister, the Aflao Divisional Commander of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Mr Kwame Amponsah, indicated that the situation could explode anytime, and with dire consequences, since both factions had radical members who were determined to use violence to resolve the matter.
He, therefore, called on the government to act swiftly to avert any clash in the area.
Mr Amponsah said unless the government acted promptly, something more terrible than the Anloga clashes could happen at Aflao.
Nana Boahen, who initially sought to listen to both factions at a meeting, abandoned the idea, following attempts by the two factions to blame each other.
He gave the assurance that he would see to the resolution of the matter and urged them to exercise restraint.
He said trying to blame each other without putting their cases across was not the best way to resolve a dispute.
Nana Boahen said the two groups needed each other so there was the need for them to exhibit patience, maturity and restraint.
He warned that any group of persons who took the country to ransom through such acts of violence would be dealt with according to the law.

Security personnel urged to work in unity

Page14: May 8, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia, Aflao.
THE Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has called on personnel of the various security agencies at the country’s borders to work in unity to protect the country’s integrity.
He said it served no purpose when the personnel fought among themselves over petty issues, to the detriment of the national interest.
Nana Boahen made the call when he visited the Aflao Border to acquaint himself with operations of the security personnel there on Tuesday.
He said the need for them to work in unity had become more paramount as this year’s elections drew nearer.
He said Ghana needed peace for Election 2008 and it was important that the security personnel at the borders lived up to expectation to protect the integrity of the country and the elections.
Nana Boahen said it was their responsibility to prevent troublemakers from coming into the country either to register during the opening of the voters register or vote during the elections.
“Ghana belongs to all of us. Let us defend the integrity of the country,” he added.
The minister urged the personnel to be law abiding and show honesty in the discharge of their duties, adding that the government appreciated the services they were rendering to the country.
An Assistant Commissioner of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in charge of the Aflao Border, Mr Emmanuel Impraim, said although the various agencies knew of their core functions, they had been working hand in hand.
He said they collaborated to deal with security threats and indicated that during the hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, the Aflao Border did not record any incident as a result of the collaboration among the security agencies.
Mr Impraim said the security agencies were determined not to compromise on security issues.
The Assistant Director of Immigration, Mr Emmanuel Amoako Yirenkyi, said the agencies had extended the collaboration to their Togolese counterparts who were also pleased with the development.
“We co-operate and work as a team,” he added.
The Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ben Dery, said a major problem facing the security agencies at the border posts was the absence of a patrol vehicle.
He, therefore, called on the minister to intervene on their behalf so that a vehicle could be provided to patrol the borders.
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GH¢500,000 spent on maintaining peace*In Anlo Traditional Area

Page 3: May 7, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia, Anloga.
THE government has spent more than GH¢500,000 on security operations to maintain the peace in the Anlo Traditional Area since the outbreak of disturbances on November 1, last year.
The Minister of State at the Interior Ministry, Nana Obiri Boahen, who disclosed this yesterday, expressed regret at that situation and said the amount could have been given out as loan to rural folks to establish income-generating ventures.
He was speaking during an interaction with some opinion leaders and assembly members of the Keta Municipal Assembly at the residence of the Keta Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kofi Ahiabor.
The minister was in the area to interact with security personnel stationed there to maintain law and order following sporadic shooting in Anloga last Saturday.
Nana Boahen told his audience that instability in any part of the country affected the entire country, as government’s efforts would be directed at maintaining law and order.
He said as this year’s elections drew nearer, it was important that all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political persuasions, contributed to maintaining peace and order.
He said the government was not interested in the selection, nomination, installation or destoolment of any chief or individual, since that was the preserve of the king makers in the various traditional areas.
Nana Boahen said government’s responsibility was to ensure peace and order to foster development and warned those who were using their parochial interest to foment trouble that they would be dealt with if caught.
He commended the security personnel for their professionalism and urged them to continue with the good work, saying that the government appreciated the work they were doing in the area to bring about peace.
The MCE, Mr Ahiabor, said the conflict was draining the resources of the assembly and urged the government to intervene to resolve it.
He said until the arrival of the current Divisional Police Commander, Chief Supt Edward Johnson Akrofi-Oyirifi, the people of Anlo had lost confidence in the police in the area.
He said the police in the town had become so partisan that it took a personal call to the Divisional Commander of Police in the area to intervene in last Saturday’s disturbances.
The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ben Dery, expressed regret at the attitude of the people, who often reported cases to Accra without the knowledge of the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council.
He said the people had also made complaints against police officers, resulting in their transfer, hence the non presence of even a single detective in the area.
DCOP Dery said that had also made some police officers decline transfer to the area because they feared that they would suffer the same fate.

COCOBOD to increase local cocoa processing

Page 31: May 6, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is seeking investment to process at least 40 per cent of cocoa beans in the country.
It said adding value to cocoa beans was going to help create more jobs and increase revenue for the country.
A Deputy Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control, Mr Anthony Fofie, disclosed this when a Malaysian trade delegation called on the management of COCOBOD in Accra yesterday.
The delegation — which is on a tour of Ghana, Cameroun and Cote d’Ivoire — is here to explore the cocoa industry and seek investment opportunities.
Mr Fofie said with the increase in the production of cocoa in the country it was necessary to process more cocoa locally to add more value to the beans.
He said COCOBOD was also looking forward to investment in farm implements that would help reduce the drudgery associated with farming in the country.
He said the introduction of modern farm equipment in cocoa farms would go a long way to ease the burden of farmers and reduce the incidence of child labour on cocoa farms.
Mr Fofie said opportunities also existed for investment in the processing of by-products of cocoa.
Responding to a question on incentives for investment, Mr Fofie said the government had a number of incentives including tax holidays, which investors could explore.
He said apart from the free zones, investment in the hinterlands also had its own incentives for investors.
He said COCOBOD was doing its best to ensure that only quality cocoa left the shores of Ghana, adding that Ghana would not compromise on the quality of its cocoa beans, a position that had resulted in Ghana’s cocoa beans being the most sought after in the world.
The leader of the delegation, Mrs Nurmala Abdul Rahim, who is the First Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities of Malaysia, acknowledged the important role Ghana played in the cocoa industry.
She said that informed the decision of the delegation to visit Ghana first before going to the other countries.

Move to unionise private security employees

Page 3: May 1, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Union of Private Security Employees, Ghana (UPSEG) yesterday launched an advocacy programme to enrol all private security employees into the trades union as a means to improve their working conditions and welfare.
The programme, which is being sponsored by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund, will cover a six-month period and is expected to enrol employees of at least 20 security companies into the trades union.
Speaking at the function, the General Secretary of UPSEG, Nana Kofi Adu II, called on organisations and individuals using the services of private security guards to support the union in fighting for better conditions of service for the guards.
He reminded them that “poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere”, saying that the poorly paid security guard could be a threat to the person or institution he or she was expected to guard.
According to Nana Adu, some of the guards were even used as house helps to pound fufu and draw water.
He said the guards worked for at least 12 hours a day, six days a week, defying the law which said they should work for 72 hours a week.
He said the extra hours were not counted as overtime, adding that in some places a guard could work for three continuous months without a day off.
“On the average, 14 days are allowed for annual leave but a guard has to get a replacement before he can proceed on leave, and in the instance where one cannot find a replacement, he may have to ‘sell’ his leave days for GH¢10,” he added.
Nana Adu said most guards received a salary of GH¢60 a month, with about 10 per cent of them receiving GH¢100.
He said some of the clients, including the big state-owned organisations, did not pay the security organisations, particularly those in the private sector, promptly.
He said attempts by some security organisations to negotiate better contracts resulted in the existing contracts being abrogated and the clients going in for security firms which charged lesser rates.
“Sometimes they even abrogate the contract with the provider and engage the services of a guard as a private security man,” he said.
Nana Adu commended the Association of Private Security Organisations (APSOG) and the government for its action to bring sanity into the private security sector.
He said during the six-month advocacy period, UPSEG would organise sensitisation programmes, workshops and seminars, in addition to radio and television talk-shows.
Nana Adu said UPSEG would advocate that in signing security contract agreements, all clients must agree on the percentage of their payments that should go to guards.
The impact assessment specialist of BUSAC, Mr Samuel Mensah, expressed the hope that the promotion of unionism among private security organisations would help improve their conditions of service.
He said that should result in the strengthening of UPSEG to collaborate more effectively with the other public security agencies in fighting crime.
Mr Mensah said although there were a number of private security organisations, the public was yet to feel their presence.
A member of the National Labour Commission, Opanyin Obeng Fosu, who chaired the function, said the Labour Law empowered the commission to form and join labour unions to promote and protect their interests.
He said it was a constitutional right which they must explore for their own benefit.