No fuel crisis - 19 OMCs CUT OFF* They owe TOR GH¢54

Front Page: Daily Graphic, September 30, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FUEL supply to 19 oil marketing companies in the country has been cut by the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) for accumulating a debt of GH¢53,820,245.41
Explaining the hiccup in fuel distribution which struck the country at the weekend, a highly placed source close to TOR told the Daily Graphic that the situation was not due to shortage of fuel, insisting “we have enough reserves to meet the demand”.
It said apart from the 19 oil companies which were heavily indebted to TOR and whose supplies had been completely cut, two other companies had been put on what it termed “allocation” list in which case TOR would determine the quantum of petroleum products to supply the two companies and not what they would request for.
The 19 firms are Excel, Galaxy, Havilah, Manbah Gas Co. Ltd, Nasona, Sonnidom, Top Oil and Universal.
Others are Deliman Co. Ltd, Q8 Oil Gh. Ltd, Unique Oil Co. Ltd, Sky Petroleum Ltd and Merchant Oil.
The rest are Lambark Gas Ltd, Champion Oil Co. Ltd, Rural Energy, AP Oil and Gas, Deebabs Energy and Trading and Jusbro Petroleum Co. Ltd.
The two companies which have been put on allocation by TOR are Fraga Oil and Glory Oil Ltd.
The source said stoppage of supplies and those on “allocation” supplies took effect from September 24, 2009.
It said the decision to stop the supplies to those companies was part of the government’s efforts to clean TOR’s books.
It noted that because of TOR’s huge indebtedness, most banks had been reluctant to raise Letters of Credit for TOR but everything possible was being done to ensure adequate fuel supply to feed the market.
The source said but for the delay in the delivery of fuel last week, there would not have been any hiccups anyway and added that TOR suspected that some filling stations decided not to sell on hearing of shortages in some other fuel stations, particularly those in the northern part of the country.
According to the source, such firms wanted to cash in and take advantage, especially in the event of any upward price adjustments.
The source said officials of the National Petroleum Authority would be inspecting those fuel stations claiming they did not have fuel.
To further address the situation in which last Thursday’s supply, for example, was delayed, TOR has pumped almost six million litres of gasoline onto the market since Saturday.
At a press briefing on Monday, the Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr Kwabena Donkor, announced that the government had also opened letters of credit and secured payment arrangements for the supply of crude oil to the TOR in two weeks.
"We have opened the letters of credit and payment is guaranteed," he said.
The supply of the crude to TOR would enable the organisation to refine the product for the first time since September 2008.

(Another suspected robbery gang menber nabbed

Page 14: Daily Graphic, September 30, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ANOTHER member of a group of armed robbers who allegedly trail people arriving at the Kotoka International Airport to their homes and rob them has been arrested.
The suspect, Bright Akakpo, 22, alias Mumini Danjuma, was arrested at the Kporvi barrier on September 24, 2009 in a passenger bus.
The Daily Graphic in its September 24, 2009, edition published the story of the arrest of a man suspected to be the leader of the group, Magnus Otroku, alias Kobby, on September 16, 2009.
This was after one of Otroku’s accomplices, Nana Arhin, had been arrested at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle offering some passports belonging to some of their victims for sale.
A Toyota Yaris saloon car, with registration number GR 1097 Y, which the gang used to trail their victims, has also been impounded.
The registration number of the car was found to be that of a KIA Sportage car, while a spare number plate GR 5723 Z was also retrieved from the boot of the vehicle.
In the story, it was reported that two other members of the gang, identified only as Bright and Biggie, were yet to be arrested.
The police say they suspect that Biggie is the same as John Kofi Fiagbedzi, alias Spider, alias Leon, on whom the police had placed a GH¢4,000 price tag.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Madina Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Paul Ayitey, said following the arrest of Kobby and the subsequent publication of the story in the national daily, the police had intelligence information that Bright and Biggie were planning to escape to Togo for fear of being arrested in Ghana.
He said the Accra Regional Police Command provided a crack team of officers to support the Madina police at Kporvi.
He said at about 4:30p.m. on September 24, 2009, a Madza passenger car pulled up at the barrier with the suspect, Bright, sitting in the front seat.
Chief Supt. Ayitey said when the police interrogated the driver he indicated that they were from Accra but passed through Frankadua to Ho enroute to Aflao.
According to him, Bright allegedly confessed to taking part in seven airport robberies together with other persons.
He said a search conducted at Bright’s place of abode in Accra led to the retrieval of a revolver, which the suspect had allegedly used in a number of robberies.
The police said the modus operandi of the gang was to wait in their car at a Filling Station near the airport and trail their victims to their houses before robbing them of personal effects and other valuable property they brought from abroad.

Police arrest three Pantang robbery gang members

Page 46: Daily Graphic, September 28, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE members of a robbery gang led by John Kofi Fiagbedzi, alias Spider, have been arrested.
A Toyota RAV4 vehicle, which was snatched from its owner on Friday, September 18, 2009 at 9:20pm at Pantang, was retrieved from them at Ho on Saturday, September 19, 2009.
The three men, Paul Agbodo, 35, alias Amorabi, Vitus Norgbe, 25, both clearing agents at the Aflao border, and Richard Klutse, alias Zuka, a computer technician and a driver to Spider, are currently in custody at the Accra Regional Police headquarters.
Their boss, Fiagbedzi, who is said to be known in Ho and its environs as Bingy and “Two To Haze”, is reported to have escaped from the Police Hospital in 2006, where he was receiving treatment after he was stabbed by some of his victims in a robbery incident.
The police have promised a GH¢4,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Fiagbedzi, who is also known as Leon.
Briefing newsmen in Accra, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said the police had information that Fiagbedzi was at Ho for the Yam festival celebrations.
Based on that, he said, a team was despatched to Ho at about 2 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2009, to look for him.
He said based on intelligence the police had, a Toyota RAV4 vehicle with registration number ER 6787 X, was intercepted and its six occupants were arrested.
Although Fiagbedzi was not among those arrested, ACP Yuhono said, Zuka received a call from Vitus that Fiagbedzi had asked him (Vitus) to take the car from him and send it to Ho.
He said unknown to Vitus that Zuka had been arrested, it was arranged that the two (Vitus and Zuka) meet at Dzodze for the handover of the vehicle.
ACP Yohuno said on reaching Dzodze, the police took cover but Vitus spotted the police vehicle parked somewhere and suspected that Zuka had been arrested.
He said the police arrested Vitus after a hot chase, who then mentioned Paul Agbodo as his boss, who had sent him for the car.
He appealed to members of the public to assist the police to arrest Fiagbedzi, who, he said, had shaved off his beard and “looks more gentle now”.

Leader of suspected armed robbers nabbed

Story: Albert K. Salia
A Man suspected of being a leader of a group of armed robbers who have been trailing people arriving at the Kotoka International Airport to their homes to rob them has been arrested.
Magnus Otroku, alias Kobby, was arrested after one of his accomplices, Nana Arhin, was arrested at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle offering some passports belonging to some of their victims for sale.
A Toyota Yaris saloon car, with registration number GR 1097 Y, which the gang used to trail their victims, has also been impounded.
The registration number of the car has been found to be that of KIA Sportage car, while a spare number plate GR 5723 Z was also retrieved from the boot of the vehicle.
Two other members of the gang, identified only as Bright and Biggie, are yet to be arrested. The police suspect that Biggie is the same as John Kofi Fiagbedzi, alias Spider, alias Leon, on whom the police had placed a GH¢4,000 price tag.
The modus operandi of the gang was to wait in their car at a Filling Station near the airport to trail their victims to their houses before robbing them of personal effects and other valuable property brought from abroad.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, said following a series of complaints about armed robbers trailing people from the airport and attacking them at the gates of their homes, police undertook a number of operational measures at the airport to gather as much intelligence and intensify their patrols.
She explained that all the complaints lodged with the police indicated that four men, using an ash Toyota Yaris car, trailed the victims from the airport to the entrances to their homes and attacked them.
She cited an incident on September 5, 2009, in which a woman was trailed to her East Legon residence and attacked by the robbers, who took away all her luggage, including her passport.
DCOP Atinga said on September 8, 2009, a couple was also attacked by four men and deprived of the luggage their relative had just brought from abroad, with the most recent case taking place on September 15, 2009 in which a lady was also deprived of her luggage at the entrance to her residence.
According to her, the Nima police arrested four men at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle on September 8, 2009, offering a passport for sale.
She said the four suspects, Justice Nana Arhinful, Kweku Acheampong, Nana Kwabena Dallas and Kofi Boakye, alias Onasis, who are all currently on bail, mentioned Magnus Otroku, alias Kobby, as the source of the passport.
DCOP Atinga said the Madina Police on September 16, 2009 spotted Kobby in a wine Toyota Yaris car, with registration number GR 1097 Y, at the Madina taxi rank and arrested him.
She said Kobby allegedly confessed to changing the colour of the car from ash to wine four days prior to his arrest.
She said Kobby then led the police to his hotel hide-out at Ashaley Botwe, where he had been lodging for two weeks. The police retrieved pieces of cloths, jewellery, watches and an American passport from the hotel.
DCOP Atinga said Kobby led the police to a hide-out at Nungua, where he suspected Bright and Biggie were hiding.
At the place, she said, a 24-year-old man, Iddrisu Lamin, suspected to be an apprentice to his senior brother, Mohammed Sualisu, was arrested for operating a shrine, where suspected criminals went to fortify themselves before embarking on their operations.

Police look for two fraudsters

Page 14: Daily Graphic, September 23, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
TWO women who were alleged to have cloned the cheques of two companies and succeeded in withdrawing GH¢78,750 from the account of the affected companies, are on the run.
Polices sources said although the cheque holders were keeping their original cheques, the two suspects managed to secure similar cheques, forged the signatures of the cheque holders and issued to their (suspects’) companies as if the cheque holders were paying them for business transacted.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Public Affairs Officer of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector J. B. Darkwah, said the two suspects, Doris Main and Lydia Appiah, alias Joyce Aboua Agyeiwah, operated two different accounts each with a financial institution.
He said while Doris Main opened two accounts in respect of Dorismain Trading Enterprise and Crosspack Enterprise, the second suspect, Lydia Appiah, opened a company in respect of Holoydy Ventures and used the name Joyce Aboua Agyeiwah to open another business account as Aboua Agyeiwa Enterprise.
According to him, after cloning the cheques of the companies, the suspects then issued those cheques as if they were coming from their original cheque holders.
Chief Inspector Darkwah said in one instance, Doris cloned the cheque of Taramic Enterprise and issued it for GH¢14,300 to be paid to Dormain Enterprise, which belonged to her.
He said Joyce also issued a cheque in the name of Thanks and Glory Enterprise to be paid to Aboua Agyeiwa Enterprise which belonged to her.
He explained that after such cheques had been cleared, Doris and Joyce would then issue new cheques to be cashed by their other companies.
Chief Inspector Darkwah said the police suspected that the two women knew each other as there were instances where cheques were issued in respect of each other’s companies.
He, therefore, appealed to members of the public who knew the whereabouts of the two women to contact the nearest police station or the CID headquarters.

Taxi driver in police grips for robbing passenger

Page 39: Daily Graphic, September 21, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 27-YEAR-OLD taxi driver, Simpson Quartey, has been arrested by the Odorkor police for allegedly robbing a female passenger.
Simpson was alleged to have robbed his victim of her purse, work ID card, GH¢87 and other valuables on September 7, this year at about 5:30 a.m. at Awoshie Onyinase when she boarded the taxi with registration number GR 4148 Y on her way to work.
A mechanic, who was working on the vehicle later called the telephone numbers of the workplace of the victim when he found the ID card and two religious books all bearing the name of the victim.
The victim then informed the police, who later arrested the suspect.
Briefing newsmen in Accra, the Odorkor District Police Commander, Superintendent Kwaku Asare said Simpson pulled a toy pistol at the victim at a spot and directed her to hand over all items on her or be shot.
He said out of fear, the lady handed over all the items on her including her work ID card.
He said on September 14, 2009, the taxi was sent to a mechanic shop for repairs at Mallam Blue Cross.
Supt. Asare said the mechanic saw the ID card and the two books all bearing the name of the same person and, therefore, decided to call the telephone number on the ID card to draw the owner’s attention since it was possible she might have misplaced them.
According to him, after the lady had informed the Odorkor police about it, the police went to the mechanic’s shop but did not find the caller.
Supt Asare said when the police followed up the next day, they met the mechanic who handed over the items to the police and led the police to the owner of the taxi.
He said the owner of the taxi, Mr George Aboagye, denied knowledge of how the items found its way into the car and led the police to arrest Simpson, since he was the driver of the taxi.
He said the police found a toy pistol under the bed of Simpson when his room was searched.
The Odorkor police boss said when the victim was invited to identify which of the three men, that is, the mechanic, the car owner and the driver, had picked her, she pinpointed Simpson.
Investigations are ongoing.

'Probe conduct of head of PIPS'

Page 41: Daily Graphic, September 21, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE lawyer for the retired General of the United States Air Force, General James Kellim, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the conduct and role of the head of the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Unit (PIPS) of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Timothy Ashley for his involvement in the effort to unlawfully arrest and detain Gen Kellim on September 15, 2009.
The lawyer, Mr Joe Aboagye Debrah, said the actions of ACP Ashley were wholly objectionable and a serious affront to the integrity of the Ghana Police Service.
“Indeed, we are dismayed that the very person who heads the unit detailed to help prevent and deal with the same incidents will engage in an unsanctioned operation for his personal ends,” he noted.
“We wish to further plead that his (ACP Ashley’s) previous conduct in the case of Mad. Patience Boateng be taken into consideration. Finally, we wish to state that ACP Ashley’s role in the Ghana Police Service is to act to prevent the exact issues he has orchestrated and that should not be allowed to continue as it will dent the image of the Ghana Police Service unduly,” he said.
In his September 16, 2009 petition, Mr Debrah wondered why ACP Ashley was in such a rush to get the story published by journalists, why Gen Kellim was denied access to his lawyers by ACP Ashley and why the ladies involved in the matter were released by ACP Ashley.
He further sought to know who the complainant was in the matter, what links ACP Ashley had with Madam Patience Boateng, the suspect in the substantive matter in which Gen Kellim had petitioned the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and what investigation PIPS conducted to warrant the raid on Gen Kellim.
“Why is that it was officers from PIPS who conducted the said raid? Was ACP Ashley aware that the criminal matter involving Madam Patience Boateng was being processed for court on Friday, September 18, 2009 and what offence under the Criminal Code, 1960, Act 29, as amended, did our client commit?” he asked.
Mr Debrah said counsel had been compelled to raise those issues and bring them to the IGP’s attention because “we are deeply concerned about the implications for the Ghana Police Service when its own internal integrity unit is able to act to frustrate other units of the service in a manner such as has happened to our client”.
According to him, they were also concerned about the potential damage to the country’s reputation from such ‘private ventures’ by police officers against foreigners who had cases against indigenes.
Mr Debrah recalled that on August 13, 2009, Gen Kellim had filed a complaint of stealing at the CID Headquarters against a Ghanaian lady named Patience Boateng involving approximately $50,000.00.
He said the suspect was bailed, she petitioned PIPS that she had been detained for more than 48 hours by the Police officers.
“Strangely, the same ACP Ashley then attempted to halt the entire investigation of the substantive matter. It took a petition from the then counsel of our client and the intervention of both the Legal Department of the Ghana Police Service and the Director, CID, to ensure that the investigation was not truncated,” he disclosed.
Mr Debrah said having failed in that effort, counsel found it extremely unusual that the same officer and men under his command could storm a hotel room and arrest Gen Kellim on clearly trumped up charges which had no foundation in fact or in law.
“We are also particularly concerned by the gross abuse of our client’s human rights by the said officer and his men who denied him access to his phones and to his counsel during his detention. We are dismayed that in pursuance of his personal objective of preventing the substantive case from proceeding, the said ACP Ashley managed to assemble journalists, both print and electronic into his office and paraded our client before them, causing severe embarrassment to his hard-won image and reputation,” he said.
He expressed regret that the actions of ACP Ashley had directly led to newspaper publications on the matter in the Daily Guide and Ghanaian Times newspapers and also a news item on the evening news of on September 15, 2009.

Nigerian caught pirating NLA work

Page 3: Daily Graphic, September 19, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 34-YEAR-OLD Nigerian has been arrested by the police for allegedly pirating the work of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).
Forty-seven pieces of electronic machine allegedly used for the writing of the NLA numbers, billboards of Richwell Plaza Lotto of Nigeria and other items were retrieved from the residence-cum-office of the suspect, Mbadiwe Chigogie, at Avenor in Accra.
The suspect claims Richwell Plaza Lotto of Nigeria of which he is a contract member of staff, has been licensed by the NLA to operate as a member of the Lotto Receivers Union of the NLA in Accra and Koforidua.
However, the NLA says there is no documentation that the company has even operated for a day since the receivers union numbers were given to the company about two months ago.
Although the suspect claimed that the Richwell Plaza Lotto of Nigeria had not started operating but was only test running the machines, the NLA said it had evidence that the company was pirating on its numbers.
Briefing newsmen in Accra on Friday, September 18, 2009, the Accra South Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Kofi Dwumfour-Berchie, said the police had information that Chigogie was holding a forum for some members of the Lotto Writers Association at Abeka.
He said when the police went to the venue of the forum, the suspect was found with eight of the machines demonstrating how the writers could use them.
He said the suspect had portrayed himself as an authorised agent of the NLA to distribute the machines to would-be users.
Chief Supt. Dwumfour-Berchie said prior to the forum, the NLA had lodged a complaint that some writers were using different machines to pirate numbers drawn by the NLA.
He said when the suspect led the police to his office, 39 other machines were retrieved.
He said the suspect has since been remanded to re-appear in court on September 23, 2009.
Investigations continue.

CEPS intercepts transit goods

Page 12: Daily Graphic, September 19, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has intercepted six vehicles which were discharging transit goods bound for Burkina Faso and Niger in Kumasi and Accra respectively.
The estimated value of the duty to have been paid on the transit goods is almost GH¢100,000.
Five of the trucks were impounded in Kumasi while discharging 13,536 cartons of tomato paste destined for Burkina Faso.
Six persons, mostly the drivers, have been granted bail, while the trucks, with registration numbers AS 4111 U, WR 371 V, CR 371 P, AS 4954 W and AS 3392 U, are being held by the Kumasi police.
One person, identified only as Adams and said to be the principal character in the diversion attempt, is being sought after by the CEPS.
The sixth truck carrying the 140-footer container of 2,700 cartons of frozen chicken and turkey destined for Niger was intercepted by personnel of CEPS and other security agencies at Nungua.
Three persons, Kofi Sarpong, Mary Agoe, owner of Venees Cold Store at Nungua and the driver of the truck, Kofi Arhin, have been granted police enquiry bail.
Two other persons, identified only as Isaac and John, are being sought after by CEPS.
The truck, with registration number GT 7483 C, has also been impounded.
The Assistant Commissioner in charge of Narcotics/Investigations at CEPS, Alhaji Y. A. Ibrahim, told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that besides the duty that would be paid, the perpetrators would also pay penalties, while the drivers would also pay penalties for using their vehicles to divert the goods.
He explained that duty was not paid on transit goods at the ports in Ghana.
He said to ensure that the goods were not discharged in Ghana, tracking devices were installed in the trucks carrying the goods for monitoring purposes by CEPS.
Alhaji Ibrahim said under CEPS and the transit arrangements, the trucks were given a 14-day period to leave the shores of Ghana after leaving the ports.
He said if any truck was unable to leave within that period, CEPS officials were able to tell whether it was either through a fault or an accident and where nothing was established, investigations were conducted to find out what the problem could be.
According to him, although some persons tried to detach the trailers carrying the containers and put them on different vehicles, CEPS were able to locate such persons and to deal with them.
He said four new four-by-four vehicles had been released to the CEPS transit monitoring and surveillance team to trail all transit goods.
He, therefore, warned persons involved in such businesses to desist from them since they would be caught.

Controversy over arrest of retired US General

Page 3: Daily Graphic, September 17, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE arrest of a 72-year-old retired General of the United States Air Force for allegedly recording two naked women in his hotel room has stirred controversy within the police service over the real motive behind the arrest.
Before his arrest, General James Kellim had lodged a complaint against a businesswoman based in Accra, Patience Boateng, who is being prosecuted for defrauding the general of more than $50,000. And the arrest has raised suspicion within the service that it could be a ploy by some individuals to torpedo the prosecution.
Subsequently, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Frank Adu-Poku, has ordered the release of Gen Kellim from the police cells because he suspected foul play in the matter.
General James Kellim was arrested by the police last Tuesday but the action sparked controversy and anger within the service to the effect that it was intended to disrupt the case against Patience Boateng, manageress of a hotel in Accra, who has been charged with using the retired soldier’s ATM card to withdraw various sums of money from his account.
When the case was set for prosecution, Patience Boateng petitioned the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) against unlawful arrest, which made the PIPS to order the Commercial Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to suspend the investigations and prosecution.
The Director-General in charge of Legal and Prosecutions, DCOP James Oppong-Buanuh, told the Daily Graphic that he ordered the prosecution of the suspect in the case brought by Gen Kellim because enough evidence had been adduced against Patience Boateng.
Other senior officers wondered why PIPS did not refer the matter to the appropriate unit to investigate but held a press briefing on it.
According to them, although PIPS could have effected the arrest, the unit should have handed the case to a unit to investigate, since PIPS was an internal professional investigative body to deal with the conduct of police personnel but not criminal matters involving civilians.
When the head of the Commercial Crime Unit, Superintendent Maame Yaa Tiwaa, was contacted, she declined to comment on the issue except to say that she and her investigators were due to appear before PIPS on Friday, September 18, 2009, on the same matter.
Counsel for Gen Kellim, Mr Joe Debrah, told the Daily Graphic that the conduct of the personnel who effected his client’s arrest was a dent on the Ghana Police Service.
“This is not the Ghana Police Service but some individuals in a private effort under the guise of public duty to torpedo the real case. These are the things that impugn the name of the police,” he said.
He said when the PIPS wrote to the CCU to suspend the prosecutions, they petitioned the Inspector General of Police in a September 8, 2009 statement expressing concern about the instructions of PIPS.
He said the IGP’s attention was drawn to the fact that it was only the Attorney-General who could enter a Nolle Prosequi since the case was a felony.
A lawyer and criminologist, Professor Ken Attafuah, described the arrest and publication of the incident as a sad story.
He explained that Gen Kellim had not produced any pornographic material and sold it or distributed for commercial purposes as frowned upon by the law.
Prof Attafuah said the state had no business in the bedroom of anybody, including a hotel room, where the sexual activities of consenting heterosexual adults are carried out.
According to him, if obscenity was alleged, then the critical ingredients of producing it for sale and distribution to corrupt public morals must have occurred, stressing that “if it is for private consumption, no offence is committed”.
Besides that, he said the comments by the head of PIPS, ACP Timothy Ashiley, at the briefing that Ghanaian women should be wary of white men who promised them marriage and sending them abroad were racist and xenophobic.

Police confirm case against Lamptey Mills

Front Page: Daily Graphic, September 15, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Daily Graphic can confirm that the embattled proprietor of the Great Lamptey Mills Institute, Enoch Nii Lamptey Mills, spent 20 hours and five minutes in the cells of the Ministries Police Station, where he was detained last Wednesday.
Although he has come out to deny knowledge of any case against him, records at the Ministries Police Station indicate that he was sent to the cells at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 and released at 12:20 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, 2009.
Highly placed sources at the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) told the Daily Graphic yesterday that Mr Joseph Sackey of House No. 391/1, Korle Gonno, stood surety for him at the time of his release on bail in the sum of GH¢5,000 last Thursday.
The sources said Lamptey Mills, alias Mr Tee, allegedly admitted impregnating one of his former students and forcing to marry the 16-year-old girl.
According to the sources, the suspect, who is expected be arraigned soon, allegedly told the police that the building he promised the girl was at the roofing level.
Lamptey Mills, the sources said, also allegedly promised to take the then yet-to-be-born child to South Africa for education, while the mother would remain in Ghana to continue her education to the university level.
The suspect, the sources said, claimed that the relationship with the girl started when he was paying the victim’s school fees after she informed him that her parents were unable to pay her fees.
The Daily Graphic, in its September 11, 2009 issue, reported the arrest of Mills by the police for impregnating and forcing to marry the girl.
One year after the girl had given birth, Lamptey Mills had failed to keep to his promise of building a house for her, providing for the upkeep of mother and child, as well as restoring the girl to school.
The suspect was arrested on Wednesday evening and he spent the night in cells at the Ministries Police Station.
However, after his release on Thursday afternoon, Lamptey Mills denied impregnating a 16 year-old former student of his school and subsequently forcing her into marriage.
Speaking to Citi News on Friday, Mr Enoch Lamptey Mills denied ever committing the alleged crime.
He accused the Daily Graphic, which published the story on Friday, for peddling falsehood and using its front page to destroy him and to tarnish the image of his school.
“It is completely false. If somebody has brought you a false story, why can’t you call me to find out? Nobody called me. I didn’t know anything about it till this morning think the front page of the Daily Graphic is only designed to destroy people,” he said
“I would come out with a press release soon to clear my name,” he added.
Great Lamptey-Mills Institute, formerly Lamptey-Mills Institute, was established on February 4, 1963 by the Late Rev. Abraham Samuel Lamptey-Mills after whom the school was named. The Junior High School Department was later established on September 31, 1994 by the current director of the school, Mr Enoch Lamptey-Mills.
The Senior Secondary Department was also founded in 2005 by the same director.
He was among a number of persons who received national awards last year.

SCANDAL - Lamptey Mills granted bail

Front Page: Daily Graphic, September 12, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE proprietor of Great Lamptey Mills Institute, Enoch Nii Lamptey Mills has been granted a court bail by the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU).
He has been formally charged with forceful marriage of a minor and failing to take responsibility as a father.
The DOVVSU is also investigating the mother and grandmother of the girl for aiding and abetment of crime.
At the time of filing this report, the two women had been invited by DOVVSU for interrogation.
The victim’s biological parents are divorced and was staying with the mother and stepfather.
The Daily Graphic in its September 11, 2009 issue, reported the arrest of Mills by the police for impregnating and forcing to marry a 16-year-old former student of his school.
One year after the girl gave birth, Mills had failed to keep to his promise of building a house for her, providing for the upkeep of mother and child, as well as restoring the girl to school.
The suspect was arrested on Wednesday evening and spent the night in cells at the Ministries Police Station.
He was granted bail late Thursday, September 10, 2009 by the police.
The Public Relations Officer of DOVVSU, Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, explained to the Daily Graphic yesterday that the suspect could not be charged for defilement because at 16 years, a female could consent to sex as provided by the law.
Moreover, she said, since the family members consented to the performance of marriage rites, it would be out of place to charge the suspect for defilement.
Chief Inspector Oppong said it was on that basis that the police were holding the parents of the girl for aiding and abetment of crime.
She said the suspect after his arrest, had also allegedly promised to fulfil his obligations as a husband and father to mother and child.
The suspect is alleged to have started going out with the victim, who was then in the boarding house of the school at Kasoa.
After the girl became pregnant, Mills approached the family of the girl to abort the pregnancy but the suggestion of aborting the foetus, which was then less than two months old, was declined by the girl’s parent following which Mills offered to perform the marriage rites after asking the girl to stay out of school to take care of herself and the pregnancy.
He also allegedly promised to take care of the girl, build a house for her and support her to return to school to continue with her education.
However, according to police sources, after performing the rites, Mills abandoned the girl and her family until he was informed that the girl had given birth.
They said on hearing that the girl had given birth, the suspect informed the family of the girl that he doubted whether he was responsible for the pregnancy and demanded a DNA test to be conducted.
According to the sources, after failing to show up on promised dates for the two parties to go for laboratory samples to be taken for the DNA test to be conducted, the family of the girl reported the matter to the police.
Section 14 (1) of the Children’s Act, 1998 provides that “No person shall force a child: (a) to be betrothed; (b) to be the subject of a dowry transaction; or (c) to be married.
Subsection 2 of Section 14 provides that “the minimum age of marriage of whatever kind shall be 18 years”.
The penalty for contravening the above as stated in section 15 provides that “Any person who contravenes a provision of this sub-part commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding GH¢500 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both."

Police foil armed robbery

Page 19: Daily Graphic, September 12, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
TWO suspected armed robbers were arrested last Wednesday, September 9, 2009, by the police as they began to assemble to rob in a house at New Achimota, Accra.
Maxwell Mohammed Amin, 24, alias Pussycat, and Uche Ogbonna, 28, are currently in custody at the Accra Regional Police Command.
Surprisingly, Pussycat, a deportee from Italy, was on the wanted list of the police for leading a robbery operation at Ashongman, this year.
Some arms were later retrieved from his residence at the Sodom and Gomorrah slum after he was pursued to the house.
Briefing newsmen in his office yesterday, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said within the month of August 2009, the police had information that some armed robbers wanted to attack a house around the Kingsby Hotel at New Achimota.
He said based on that intelligence report, the police planted some personnel in the said house, and for four consecutive occasions, the armed robbers failed to show up.
According to him, the police became suspicious that there was someone in the house who was relaying information to the armed robbers.
ACP Yohuno said when the police had the latest information, they decided not to lay ambush in the house, but to monitor events from a close range.
He said in the night of September 9, 2009, the day the gang was expected to attack the house, the police monitored the grouping place of the gang until they all assembled.
Unfortunately for the police, he said, three members of the gang managed to escape, while Pussycat and Uche were arrested.
ACP Yohuno said it was at the police station that Pussycat was identified as a member of the robbery gang that robbed a house at Ashongman Estates on June 28, this year.
He said it was also detected that Pussycat had trimmed his hair, making him look different from who he was in a picture the police had.
He recalled that on June 28, 2009, some robbers attacked a house at Ashongman and took away GH¢2,800, $1,500, £1,000 and 10 mobile phones.
The Daily Graphic, in its July 1, 2009 edition, published the arrest of two members of the said gang, identified then as Joseph and Ben, while they were attempting to escape from neighbours and the police when their victim shouted for help.
In its August 7, 2009 edition, the Daily Graphic again reported the arrest of two more suspects involved in the June 28, 2009 Ashongman robbery.
Rauf Suleiman, 28, and Godwin Kofi, 21, are the latest to be arrested after two others, Joseph Adam, 21, and Ben Kwame, 22, had been arrested on the day of the robbery.
The fifth suspect, who was then identified only as Pussycat, was the only suspect yet to be arrested.
ACP Yohuno said it was a good news arresting Pussycat in the foiled New Achimota robbery as all members of the Ashongman robbery had been nabbed.
He said soon after the Ashongman robbery, Pussycat had moved out of the Sodom and Gomorrah area to live at Abeka, where he was operating from, with new members of a robbery gang.

SCANDAL AT SCHOOL * Proprietor of Great Lamptey Mills held for impregnating 16-yr-old

Front Page: Daily Graphic, September 11, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE proprietor of Great Lamptey Mills Institute, Enoch Nii Lamptey Mills, has been arrested by the police for impregnating and forcing to marry a 16-year-old former student of his school.
He is alleged to have performed the marriage rites to make his 16-year-old victim his wife, after impregnating the girl who was then a student of Great Lamptey Mills Senior High School at Kasoa.
He is being held on charges of compulsion of marriage of a teenager.
Police sources said one year after the girl gave birth, Mills had failed to keep to his promise of building a house for her, provide for the upkeep of mother and child, as well as restore the girl, who is now 17, to school.
The suspect was arrested on Wednesday evening and spent the night in cells at the Ministries Police Station.
According to the police, the suspect started going out with the victim, who was then in the boarding house of the school at Kasoa, and when the girl became pregnant and informed him and her parents about it, Mills approached the family of the girl to abort the pregnancy.
Her parents, however, declined the suggestion of aborting the foetus, which was then less than two months old, following which Mills offered to perform the marriage rites after asking the girl to stay out of school to take care of herself and the pregnancy.
He also promised to take care of the girl, build a house for her and support her to return to school to continue with her education.
However, according to police sources, after performing the rites, Mills abandoned the girl and her family until he was informed that the girl had given birth.
They said on hearing that the girl had given birth, the suspect informed the family of the girl that he doubted whether he was responsible for the pregnancy and demanded a DNA test to be conducted.
According to the sources, after failing to show up on promised dates for the two parties to go for laboratory samples to be taken for the DNA test to be conducted, the family of the girl reported the matter to the police.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, confirmed that the suspect was under custody and assisting in investigations into the matter.
Section 14 (1) of the Children’s Act, 1998 provides that “No person shall force a child: (a) to be betrothed; (b) to be the subject of a dowry transaction; or (c) to be married.
Subsection 2 of Section 14 provides that “the minimum age of marriage of whatever kind shall be 18 years”.
The penalty for contravening the above as stated in section 15 provides that “Any person who contravenes a provision of this sub-part commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding GH¢500 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both”.

Student arrested with police pistol

Page 14: Daily Graphic, September 11, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN 18-year-old student has been arrested by the police for attempting to sell a pistol belonging to the Ghana Police Service.
Solomon Konadu was arrested at Accra New Town, while waiting for the prospective buyer.
At the time of filing this report, the police in Accra were getting in touch with their Brong Ahafo Regional counterparts to identify the source of the pistol with registration number 189966.
The Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno told the Daily Graphic yesterday that after his arrest, Solomon told the police that he brought the pistol from Sunyani, where he was based.
He said the suspect claimed that he found the pistol in the drawer of a table he collected from a deceased man’s house.
According to him, Solomon said he decided to sell it because he did not need it.
In a related development, ACP Yohuno said a team of police and military personnel had retrieved five pistols, a toy gun, nine rounds of ammunition and a bottle containing red substance suspected to be alcohol.
He said three persons suspected to be an armed robbery gang, however, managed to escape while a taxi driver, Kojo Anthony, in whose car the suspects were, has been arrested.
He said a snap check team mounted on the Ring Road West, opposite the premises of State Housing Company, spotted the taxi approaching around 12:25 am and asked the driver to stop.
ACP Yohuno said the occupants of the vehicle reluctantly got down from the vehicle when they were asked to. He said when one of them came out with a black handbag, he was asked to discharge its contents for inspection.
According to him, the person threw the bag at the policeman and jumped across the road, scaled the Awudome Cemetery and escaped with the other two.
He said before the other security members could get close, they had all scaled the wall of the cemetery.
ACP Yohuno said the driver could, however, not escape and he was subsequently arrested.

Three American Drug suspects picked at KIA

Page 3: Daily Graphic, September 10, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE Americans were yesterday arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on suspicion of drug trafficking.
Two of the them, Abena Serwaah, 19, and Shadrack Ntiamoah Bamfo, 23, are of Ghanaian parentage while the third, Joanne Gabriel, 21, is an African-American.
Besides concealing the suspected drugs in the three pairs of snickers they wore, Abena and Joanne had stuffed their private parts with four large lump-size of the drugs. Joanne alone carried three of the four lump-size drugs in her private parts. Also found on Abena Serwaa was a talisman believed to have been secured to protect them against arrest.
For his part, Shadrack also concealed 19 pellets of the suspected drugs in his underwear.
They were arrested while going through departure formalities to travel to New York.
The three suspects had arrived in Ghana on September 2, this year, on the sponsorship of someone identified only as Alhaji Saibu.
The suspects were allegedly sent to Ghana by the boyfriend of Abena Serwaah, whom they identified as Abubakari Issaka, who is based in Bronx, New York.
Interestingly, Abu, as the suspects called him, was also the former boyfriend of Joanne.
Confirming the arrests to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the acting Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board, Mr Yaw Akrasi-Sarpong, said Abena and his boyfriend, Abu, had earlier visited Ghana in May this year.
He said information gathered by NACOB indicated that Abena and Shadrack knew they were coming to Ghana for the drugs.
Joanne, he said, was, however, convinced by Alhaji Saibu and one Black Sunday while in Ghana to carry the drugs along.
Mr Akrasi-Sarpong said efforts were underway to apprehend Alhaji Saibu and another gentleman whom the suspects identified as Black Sunday.
He explained that Alhaji Saibu and Black Sunday met the suspects on arrival, booked the hotel for them and also provided them with the drugs.

Exopa Agency CEO picked * On suspicion of drug trafficking

Page 3: Daily Graphic, September 9, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Chief Executive Officer of Exopa Modelling Agency, Ibrahim Sima, has been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking.
Five kilogrammes of suspected cocaine were concealed in four tubers of yam which were alleged to be part of his luggage.
A 4X4 Range Rover vehicle with personal identification number, EXOPA 7 Y, belonging to him has been impounded at the offices of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB).
Sima, 39, was arrested at about 11 pm at the Kotoka International Airport while going through departure formalities to travel to Germany.
Personnel of NACOB have already searched the residence of Sima at Community 10 in Tema.
At the time of filing this report, NACOB officials were interrogating the suspect.
The Public Relations Officer of NACOB, Mr Francis Opoku Amoah, told the Daily Graphic that investigations were ongoing and that any other details would be made available later.
He said another businessman, James Owusu, suspected to have swallowed 50 pellets of heroin, was also arrested at about 10:20 p.m. last Sunday while going through departure formalities at the Kotoka International Airport to travel to Dubai via Addis Ababa.
He said Owusu had since expelled all the pellets.

Three in police grips * For attempting to export wee

Page 28: Daily Graphic, September 5, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have arrested three persons for allegedly attempting to export Indian hemp stuffed in drums to the United Kingdom.
Rastafarian Obeng Karikari, 53, who works with the Pharmacy Department of the La General Hospital, Seidi Ibrahim, 28, a carver and Joseph David Theodore, 27, a musician, are currently in custody at the Accra Regional Police Headquarters.
They were arrested at the Arts Centre in Accra following a tip-off that they were about to send the drums to the Ghana Post to be posted to London.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, told newsmen in Accra yesterday that police had information that a group of persons were stuffing Indian hemp into drums to export to London.
She said the informant had said that the culprits often bought the drums somewhere else and gave it to Ibrahim, the carver, to remove the leather cover and stuff the drums with the dried leaves.
According to her, Ibrahim would then reseal the drums and send it to Karikari, who in turn sent it to the Ghana Post for exportation to London.
DCOP Atinga said Karikari informed the police upon his arrest that that was the second time he was sending the drugs to a friend in London.
She said the suspect claimed he sent the last consignment through the post.
But an unrepentant Karikari told newsmen that arresting people for dealing in Indian hemp was a bad law.
He said the police must look at serious crimes and not persons who dealt in Indian hemp.
For his part, Ibrahim said, he was paid GH¢40 by Karikari to stuff the drums and reseal them for him.

Cocaine ship sailed from Brazil

Page 20: Daily Graphic, September 4, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
INFORMATION available to the Daily Graphic on the movement of St Efrem, the vessel impounded at the Tema Port for carrying five sacks of suspected cocaine, indicates that the vessel sailed from Santos, Brazil on August 13, 2009 after it arrived there on August 8, 2009.
Until the arrest of the vessel last Tuesday, it was the fourth time St Efrem was coming to Ghana, particularly the Tema Port.
It first came to Tema on March 23, 2008 but left before May 1, 2008.
Its second coming was on September 14, 2008 and left on September 24, 2008 and made a third appearance on November 10, 2008 and left on November 24, 2008 enroute to Lome, Togo.
Prior to its arrival on September 1, 2009 at the Tema port, St Efrem had berthed in Lome on July 3, 2009 and reported to have left Lome before August 8, 2009 for Santos, Brazil.
While in Santos, Brazil, St Efrem loaded 14,000 tonnes of sugar, 8,000 tonnes of which was meant for a Ghanaian importer, Taj Investments, with the remaining 6,000 tonnes heading for Congo Brazzaville.
Information available to the Daily Graphic also indicates that the Captain of the ship, Mr Fernandes Alejandro, was engaged in Lome, Togo on July 9, 2009 while the Chief Officer, Rene Sagre, was engaged in Santos, Brazil on August 8, 2009 with the deceased, Jose Saavedra Quinanola, engaged on August 18, 2008 in Santos, Brazil.
With the exception of one crew member, a Bangladeshi, all the other crew members are Philippinos.
Three of the Philipino crew members and the Bangladeshi were all recruited in Tema between September and November 2008.
With International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number 7617125 and San Evans Maritime as its registered owner, St Efrem had come under intelligence surveillance for a while with the Drug Enforcement Administration of the USA, the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL), Brazilian and Togolese authorities confirming the suspicion that there was contraband goods on the vessel beside the legitimate cargo.
The acting Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Yaw Akrasi-Sarpong, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that but for such international collaboration, the vessel could have discharged the suspected cocaine along the shores of Ghana before berthing at the Tema Port.
He, however, said the Togolese and Ivorien authorities backed the Ghana Air Force and Ghana Navy with the US providing technical support to prevent the crew from dumping the suspected cocaine into the waters for their agents to pick.
"We beefed up operations at the coastal areas to monitor the ship's movements until it berthed. We became suspicious when the captain informed the Port Master in Tema that its engine had broken down," he said.
Mr Akrasi-Sarpong said the Ghanaian authorities became more suspicious when they received conflicting reports about its time of arrival.
He said NACOB's international partners had provided pictures of the loading and weighing of the five bags of suspected cocaine in the vessel before it set off from Santos, Brazil to facilitate investigations.
He said the crew members had been interrogated in the presence of their lawyer, Mr Yaw Darko Asare of Beulah Chambers in Tema.
Mr Akrasi-Sarpong said impounding the vessel and its contents did not mean that the importers of the sugar were behind the cocaine importation.
He said unless the investigations proved otherwise, nobody should jump into conclusions and put out information to wrongly accuse anyone.

POLITICIANS & MEDIA BLAMED * For nation's woes

Front Page: Daily Graphic, September 3, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
LEADING members of the Catholic and Presbyterian churches in Ghana have taken politicians and the media to task for the spectre of a polarised nation which appears to be hanging over the country.
The strong reaction was apparently provoked by the recent Akwatia by-election, the Agbogbloshie bloodbath and events leading to the pending by-election at Chireponi.
While castigating the media for dwelling too much on bad news and too little on good news, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, condemned politicians for inflammatory statements and for fomenting divisiveness for their own political agenda.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday, Most Rev Palmer-Buckle reminded media practitioners that the world needed good news and not the old acrimony, be it tribal, political or religious.
“I will plead with the media to talk about differences and not tell Ghanaians that the nation is divided into two and pit one against the other. The media must give our children, youth and Ghanaians a better future,” he said.
Most Rev Palmer-Buckle, who is the Vice President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, said he was personally convinced that what was happening was a seeming polarisation of the nation.
“Seeming polarisation because I want to blame the media for exacerbating the differences as if all Ghanaians are polarised. Having political differences or holding different political opinions is no indication of polarisation,” he said.
He said when he listened to some of the discussions and debates on the electronic media or read some articles in the print media, “I am tempted to say that the media is not wielding that double-edged sword of informing and transforming, which is the power of the word, constructively”.
The Catholic Archbishop also cautioned politicians, both past and present, not to indulge in inflammatory statements or foment divisiveness for their own political agenda.
According to him, democracy was a painstaking exercise, which must take into consideration the rule of law and the opinions of different stakeholders in the development of the country.
“If democracy is the rule of the people, by the people and for the people, then the people should be able to have a say without entering into conflict,” he said.
Most Rev Palmer-Buckle, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to learn from the sad experience of Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Niger and elsewhere so that “we do not go the same way”.
He said the only way not to tread that path “is by respecting the laws of the country and supporting the rule of law and not the rule of might and by patiently allowing whoever we have voted into power to govern this country with the lawful machinery of governance that has been put in place”.
He said since Ghanaians were very religious, everyone needed to pray for “God to temper all hotheads with the balm of divine patience for the good of this country”.
Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said Ghana had received a lot of commendation after the 2008 elections and the transition from the NPP to the NDC and, therefore, urged Ghanaians to stay focused on its democratic path.
“Ghana has become a beacon of hope for Africa in democratic maturation and governance. Let us keep that positive flame burning,” he stated.
He said the clergy’s promotion of national unity and patriotism based on the common brotherhood as fellow Ghanaians would achieve greater effect since people from all the political persuasions and ethnic backgrounds were in the churches and mosques.
“We, as religious leaders, have been in touch with the various groups of leaders in our country and we will do everything within our human possibilities, supported by prayer, to guide this country along the path of peace and of peaceful co-existence amongst all our fellow Ghanaians,” he said.
And the Presbyterian Church of Ghana , in a pastoral letter, noted its apprehension for “the penchant for political parties, politicians, the media and serial callers to politicise every issue”, which, it said, was a drawback to national development.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its ninth General Assembly at Abetifi, the Presbyterian Church expressed concern about the politicisation of every issue by political parties, politicians and the media.
It also expressed concern about the high level of sensationalism and unprofessionalism in the media and called on the Ghana Journalists Association to be in partnership with the owners of media houses, media training institutions, and the National Media Commission to help correct the trend.
The communiqué also expressed concern about the “Sakawa” and the drug menace among the youth, as well as the security situation in the country with particular reference to the recent Agbogloshie incident, which, it said, threatened the peace and stability of the nation.
It further expressed concern about the reported attacks and closures of some government offices in some parts of the country and appealed to the President, Prof J.E.A. Mills, to initiate steps and appropriate action to nip the situation in the bud.
It congratulated the first woman Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Banford-Addo, and elected Members of Parliament on their assumption of office and called on the Legislature to expedite action on the passage of the Right to Information Bill to further strengthen Ghana’s democratic credentials.
On the Judiciary, the communiqué expressed worry about the poor state of some court buildings in the country, especially the lower courts and the perennial lack of resources necessary for an efficient judicial process.
“We wish to remind the government of its promise to separate the office of the Attorney General from the Minister of Justice to make the Attorney General independent of the strings of government,” it added.

Five suspected armed robbers nabbed

Page 46: Daily Graphic, September 3, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FIVE suspected armed robbers believed to have embarked on a number of robbery operations in Accra between last year and this year have been arrested.
The suspects are Napoleon Gomez alias Napo, 37, Delali Alormatu alias Tilapia, 25, Eric Kwame Danso, 26 years, Abdul Razak Lartey, 20, and Nana Akuffo, 20.
Their arrest was a result of the reward system instituted by the Police Administration which many members of the public are taking advantage of to pass on information on suspected criminals to the police.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said Napo, a driver who had been on the wanted list of the police since February 1, 2008, was arrested on August 22, 2009 at the Takoradi Station at Kaneshie.
He said Napo and one of his robbery partners, Ebenezer Obese, a videographer, who was arrested on August 13, 2009, were allegedly linked to four robberies including the taking of a safe from a filling station at Taifa in which they had GH¢7,000.
He said in another operation, the two robbers also allegedly confessed to robbing a vehicle and its occupants at Abelenkpe near Santana Hotel in which they took away GH¢800, a laptop, four mobile phones and a flatscreen television set.
ACP Yohuno said at another time near the Awoshie Traffic Lights, the two and other squad members robbed the occupants of a vehicle of $200, GH¢1,400, a laptop and two mobile phones. They were also involved in a robbery at Bubuashie in which GH¢1,300, a mobile phone, and a laptop were stolen from the occupants of the vehicle.
He said in all the four street robberies, they used a taxi belonging to Napo, with registration number GR 2624 R, to always cross the way of their victims before robbing them.
According to him, both Napo and Obese identified other members of their squad as Sammy, Ayigbe, Sunday and Obuor, who are all on remand at the Nsawam Prisons, and Coffie, whom they claimed was now residing in South Africa.
He said a first attempt to arrest Obese, also known as Doctor alias Aware, proved futile as he bolted through the ceiling of his house at Weija.
With regard to Tilapia, ACP Yohuno said the suspect was arrested at about 2a.m. on September 1, this year at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
He said £140 was found in his pocket, which Tilapia claimed he picked from someone’s purse while struggling to board a Kasoa bound truck on August 31, 2009 at about 7:30p.m.
ACP Yohuno said prior to his arrest last Tuesday, Tilapia had jumped bail in another robbery case while he was also having a new docket in his name for prosecution.
He said Eric Kwame Danso was part of a gang that specialised in residential robberies.
He said after his arrest on September 1, 2009, Danso allegedly confessed to taking part in seven residential robberies at Nautical area in Nungua, Lashibi, Bubiashie and Dansoman in which various sums of money, laptops, mobile phones and a foreign pistol with eight rounds of ammunition were stolen.
According to ACP Yohuno, Danso mentioned other members of his gang as Nana Akuffo, alias “O” Nana @ Never Say Die and Abdul Razak Lartey, who was arrested four months ago.
He commended members of the public who were volunteering information to the public on suspected criminals.
He was also grateful to the government for the financial incentives to informants, which was helping to address the problem of crime in the country.

Call for national drug rehabilitation centre

Page 3: Daily Graphic, September 2, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Head of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Akwasi Osei, has called for the establishment of a national drug rehabilitation and treatment centre to manage drug-related ailments.
He said the alarming rate of drug abuse called for an urgent establishment of a drug centre to deal with the problem.
Officially, he said, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital was recording an average of three drug-related cases a day, while many more went unreported.
He said Ghanaians had also resorted to injecting drugs which meant that drug abuse was quite extensive and “again it means the drug issue is getting out of hand”.
Dr Osei told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the resort to drug injection meant that abusers had reached the maximum level of drug abuse.
“We did not know it existed in the country until some of our patients informed us about it,” he said.
He said crime associated with drug abuse, particularly drug injection, was high.
That, he explained, was because withdrawing from drug injection was painful and the user often had to commit crime to generate the cash to replace drugs.
Dr Osei said the government should not look at the cost of establishing the drug centre but should assess the benefits to be derived from it.
According to him, most drug abusers did not report to the psychiatric hospitals because they argued they were not mad.
He said some of the drug abusers found it stigmatising to visit the public psychiatric hospitals for assistance.
“That is why we need a national drug rehabilitation centre outside the public psychiatric hospitals,” he said.
Dr Osei said that would also mean building the human resource base of psychiatrists, occupational therapists and nurses, among others, to help deal with the management of drug abuse problems effectively.
Presently, he said, there were only five psychiatrists in active service when there should have been 30 in the ideal situation.
He said the government must outline incentive packages for people to be drawn into mental health practice, since the low incentives and risks associated with it did not encourage people to enter the profession.
Dr Osei, therefore, called on the government to ensure the passage of the Mental Health Bill to provide the framework to deal with mental health issues in the country.
He reminded the government and society at large that the drug menace could destroy the peace and stability prevailing in the country.
“It would become difficult to go out to certain places or at certain times of the day,” he added.
Dr Osei said research had shown in the United States of America (USA) that the government got back eight dollars on every dollar spent on drug treatment and rehabilitation.
“We should not fear spending money on drug issues because we will reap it back,” he said.
He said some drug abusers started as early as nine years old but said those who stayed in it for long died by the age of 45 or were either in prison or on sick beds.
“It is rare for any person to use drugs beyond the age of 45. Seventy per cent of users start in their teens and die before they reach 45 years,” he said.
As to which class of persons often abuse the drugs, Dr Osei said in the past, it used to be those in the high class but said that trend was changing in all segments of society.
That situation, he explained, was because cocaine and heroin were now being adulterated, which made it affordable for anyone to access it.

Police foil two robbery attempts

Page 34: Daily Graphic, September 2, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Accra Regional Police have foiled two robbery attempts at the Industrial Area offices of Ashfoam Ghana Limited and a supermarket at Amasaman.
Four suspected robbers were arrested while in the process of mobilising to attack their targets.
Two suspected robbers, Nana Kodua Nkrumah, alias Crownzy, 19, and Agyei Quao, alias Wadada, 44, were arrested last Saturday at Achimota while mobilising ammunition to feed two pistols to attack Ashfoam.
The suspects had planned to attack Ashfoam at dawn on, Monday, August 31, but police intelligence led to their arrest last Saturday while two accomplices escaped.
The other two, Stephen Agyepong, 28, and Benjamin Odugo, alias Mayor, were arrested at Sowutuom while preparing to go to Amasaman to attack a supermarket.
Two pistols and a dagger were found on them.
Briefing newsmen in Accra on Monday, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said Nkrumah allegedly contacted an ex-convict, identified only as Amara, 22, who was released from prison a month ago, to join a gang to rob the company.
He said someone close to Amara overhead Amara saying that he had just been released and did not want to be involved in any robbery case again.
ACP Yohuno said from the discussion, Amara was informed that the robbery was going to be swift so that by 6am, they would have parted company with each of them taking away their booty.
He said the police had information that Nkrumah had given pistols to Wadada for safekeeping, while they looked for ammunition to buy for the robbery expedition.
He said last Saturday, Nkrumah went to the residence of Wadada for a discussion, where he met two others, whom he claimed he did not know.
According to ACP Yohuno, unknown to the gang, the police were trailing them and just when Nkrumah and the two others were going away from the residence of Wadada, the police swooped on them, resulting in the arrest of Nkrumah and Wadada.
He said although Nkrumah had denied knowledge of the pistols, he allegedly admitted sending the red bag in which the pistols were found to Wadada.
He said Nkrumah told the police that he was a friend to Wadada’s wife and claimed that Wadada had invited him to the house to meet his (Wadada’s) wife.
In respect of the foiled Amasaman robbery, ACP Yohuno said a night patrol team saw Mayor at about 2a.m. last Thursday at Sowutuom running away from what they did not know.
He said when the patrol team pursued and arrested him, he was found to be possession of a locally-made pistol with five rounds of ammunition.
ACP Yohuno said upon interrogation, Mayor mentioned Agyepong as an accomplice in a planned robbery expedition at Amasaman.
He said Mayor led the patrol team to arrest Agyepong from his hide-out.
The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, said the police had mapped out an effective strategy to arrest the suspects before they attacked their targets.
“We are being proactive and doing intelligence-led operations,” she added.
She called on members of the public to support the police with information about the hide-outs of suspected criminals and their operations to enable the police to smoke them out.