Sunday, January 31, 2010

Caught in the act

Page 14: Daily Graphic, February 1, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 27-YEAR-OLD man who had been on the police wanted list since August last year for a series of robberies at some boutiques in Accra, was on Wednesday arrested when he went to the Britz Boutique, adjacent the Granada Hotel, to attempt another robbery.
The suspect, Raymond Akwasi Sarfo, allegedly pulled a gun on the salesgirl at the Britz Boutique, tied her up and pulled her into the dressing room, before packing 37 shirts, 11 pairs of shoes and two suits into a “Ghana Must Go” bag.
He was, however, arrested after the salesgirl managed to free herself from the ropes and raised the alarm to draw passers-by to her aid.
When he was overpowered by the crowd, a gun, a dagger and a pair of scissors were retrieved from him.
At an identification parade in which other victims identified him, Sarfo, upon seeing the salesgirl, admitted that he was at her shop on Wednesday.
Until yesterday’s incident, Sarfo had been captured on Close Circuit Television (CCTV) at the Apparel Boutique at East Legon, where he had robbed and bolted with items worth GH¢10,000 on August 13, 2009.
The pictures of that incident were shown to journalists yesterday.
Briefing newsmen in Accra, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, said at about 9:30a.m. on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, the suspect went to the Britz Boutique, where he pulled a gun at the salesgirl.
She said just as he was taking the stolen items to a waiting taxi, which he had hired, the salesgirl emerged from the boutique to raise the alarm for the suspect’s arrest.
DCOP Atinga said during interrogation, Sarfo allegedly admitted committing other robberies at the M.H. Trends Boutique near the Mensvic Hotel, where items worth GH¢7,000 were stolen, Nyemi Secret Boutique and Special Plaza boutique, all at East Legon, as well as the Landy’s Boutique at West Legon on August 10, 2009, where items worth GH¢5,000 were stolen.
According to her, Sarfo mentioned Ikechuku, a Nigerian, and Paa Kodjo as his accomplices but claimed that Ikechuku had gone back to Nigeria while Paa Kodjo was currently in Kumasi processing an application form to enrol at one of the private tertiary institutions there.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Chief Justice launches code of conduct for judiciary

Page 24: Daily Graphic, January 29, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Georgina T. Wood, yesterday launched a Code of Conduct for judges, magistrates and employees of the Judicial Service of Ghana to set a standard for ethical behaviour in the judiciary.
The Code of Conduct is based on the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, which was developed by the Judicial Integrity Group, an informal gathering of chief justices and senior justices in Bangalore, India in 2001.
It outlines the values and principles that define the professional roles of judges, magistrates and employees and focuses on the practical application of those principles such as conflict of interest situations, the use of official information and public resources, receiving of gifts or benefits, among others.
At the launch, which was also used to inaugurate a provident scheme for workers of the Judicial Service, Mrs Wood said the vision to create a transparent and accountable judiciary could only be realised if the entire staff of the judicial service clearly understood that they were not above the law or immune from their obedience to the letter.
She reminded them that judicial accountability and independence underpinned public confidence in the Judicial Service, adding that a trustworthy and dependable judiciary was so critical to the success of any national anti-corruption strategy that it was believed that “judicial integrity must clearly be secured first, before other meaningful initiatives are pursued”.
According to her, corruption was one of the main obstacles to political stability, the rule of law, democratic governance and sustainable socio-economic development.
Mrs Wood said Ghanaians expected the judiciary to serve them with courage, transparency and integrity and was hopeful that with the publication of the codes, the conduct of the judiciary would inspire judicial probity among judges, magistrates and employees.
Mrs Wood gave the assurance that the Judicial Training Institute would organise and co-ordinate training on the code for all employees, judges and magistrates.
Touching on the provident fund, the Chief Justice said the main pension scheme from SSNIT did not meet the expectations of the average Ghanaian worker in the formal sector when they proceeded on retirement.
She, therefore, commended the JUSAG for the initiative to ensure that employees enjoyed a reasonably comfortable package when they went on retirement.
Mrs Wood appealed to other staff of the Judicial Service who had not yet joined the scheme to do so, since it would be to their benefit.
The President of JUSAG, Mr Adia Abdul-Latif, described retirement as nightmarish for the staff of the Judicial Service because the SSNIT pension was inadequate even for the basic necessities of life.
He said the provident fund was the insurance cover for all members who joined the scheme as the next of kin of members were entitled to GH¢1,000 on the demise of the member in addition to the full contribution and interest generated on their contribution.
He said since the scheme started in October, 2009, 500 members of staff representing 10 per cent, had joined.

Four MTTU men held over extortion

Page 24: Daily Graphic, January 28, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FOUR officials of the Accra Central Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service were yesterday arrested on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for allegedly extorting money from motorists around the Achimota Overhead Bridge.
An amount of GH¢196 was retrieved from them when they were searched on the spot by the arresting team from the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS) Bureau.
Those arrested are Inspector Joseph Karikari, Sergeant Anthony Nyarko and Lance Corporals George Rockson and Daniel Yemoh.
The Director-General of the PIPS, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Timothy Ashiley, told the Daily Graphic that an informer called the IGP, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, to inform him about the activities of the MTTU men at the Achimota Overheard.
He said the IGP consequently called the PIPS to follow up on the information to check on its veracity.
According to him, when the arresting team got to the scene, it, indeed, found the four MTTU men undertaking motor checks when they had been sent to undertake traffic management.
ACP Ashiley said when the four policemen were arrested and searched about 12:40 p.m., GH¢107 was found on L/Cpl Rockson, while GH¢89.20 was found on L/Cpl Yemoh.
He said the two senior men, Inspector Karikari and Sgt Nyarko, had taken positions elsewhere and supervising the junior ranks.
He said the policemen could not account for the source of the money.
Mr Quaye said he wanted the message to be sent to others that he meant every word of his pledge to continue the image-cleansing exercise within the service.
“It should serve as a wake-up call to others to sit up to do the work for which they were employed and not extort money from people,” he added.
It is recalled that on January 15, 2010 during the end-of-year get-together of personnel of the MTTU in Accra, the IGP told them that the Police Administration had designated this year as an image-cleansing one but it appeared they took it for a joke.
According to Mr Quaye, the actions of a few incorrigible individuals in the MTTU in particular were responsible for much of the castigation that the police had received from the public and the poor performance rating and placement of the service on the Corruption Index.
He said the situation was very embarrassing, adding, “We cannot allow a few individuals to sink the image of the service.”
The IGP reminded them that it took just a single act to damage the corporate image of the service but it would take the collective action of all personnel to cleanse that tarnished image over a period of time.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

No more 'Monkey duties' - IGP

Page 31: Daily Graphic, January 26, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, has warned commanders of the Ghana Police Service who engage personnel of the service on privately arranged guard duties, popularly called “monkey duties”, to put an end to the practice or dance to the music.
He said the use of personnel for “monkey duties” was partially responsible for the non-availability of personnel for core police duties and the slow demise of specialised units.
Regrettably, he said, such police commanders often charged fees for their personal benefits and warned that who engaged in such practice would take the consequences.
Mr Quaye told the Daily Graphic that the message was succinctly sent to the various regional commanders and heads of specialised units at the just-ended National Police Commanders Conference at the weekend.
He said another area of concern related to abuses was the fuel distribution and allocation system in the service.
According to him, while the police cried of fuel shortages, some individuals were constantly diverting, siphoning or stealing the little that were allocated to the service.
“The situation is reportedly worse in the regions where fuel is off-loaded into private fuel dumps,” he stated.
Mr Quaye, who was inducted into office on Sunday, therefore, appealed to all regional commanders to step up their supervisory functions in this direction and indicated that the Police Administration would cause internal and external auditors to pay unannounced visits to audit the stock levels and verify the accuracy of consumption levels.
He said the commanders had also been tasked to help erase the notion that the police “were the angels of doom” as their presence on the streets with its potential deterrence against criminality was rarely noticed each time there was trouble.
He noted that over the years, policing strategies seemed to have been reactionary, which meant that crimes were committed before the police rushed to the scene, arrested suspects where possible, and investigated cases to build dockets.
“This approach to policing does not place the imperative importance of crime prevention into focus, since many lives and property were often lost before we embarked upon the processes of investigations, prosecutions etc.,” he said.
Mr Quaye, therefore, advocated for the use of problem-solving approaches, explaining that “the concept of problem solving policing works preventively to change conditions that lead to crime rather than responding over and over again to individual incidents”.
The IGP said efforts of the police in 2010 would be geared towards the systematic adoption and decentralisation of the problem-solving policing approaches, saying that “we will accordingly respond promptly, courteously and sympathetically to requests made by the public”.
He reminded personnel at various checkpoints and roadblocks that “soliciting directly or indirectly for alms and favours from road users is a very despicable act which brings the image of the service into disrepute and should, therefore, not be tolerated”.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Methodist Bishop to face disciplinary committee

Front Page: Daily Graphic, January 22, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana who is alleged to have sexually misconducted himself has been summoned to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the church by February 3, 2010.
A final decision will be taken on the bishop, Rt Rev Kow Bosomefi Egyir, who is currently on suspension and holidaying in the United States of America (USA).
He was suspended after he had allegedly admitted before a pastoral committee set up to investigate the matter that he had misconducted himself sexually.
Bishop Egyir is alleged to have raped the 23-year-old daughter of another high-ranking member of the church.
The alleged victim, a student in a tertiary institution in Ghana, was alleged to have been sent by her father to deliver a parcel to the bishop when the incident allegedly took place.
Responding to allegations that the church was covering up an alleged sexual misconduct by Bishop Egyir, the Presiding Bishop of the church, the Most Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante-Antwi, told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that no issue of rape had been reported to the church.
He said even if a charge or complaint of rape was reported to the church, the church was not competent to deal with criminal matters and so it would have advised the complainant to report the case to the appropriate authorities.
Throwing more light on the allegation, the Most Rev Prof Asante-Antwi said a man purporting to be the victim’s brother reported the bishop’s alleged sexual misconduct to the church.
Consequently, a high-powered pastoral committee was set up to investigate the allegation.
The Most Rev Prof Asante-Antwi said when Bishop Egyir appeared before the committee, he allegedly admitted having misconducted himself sexually but indicated that “Bishop Egyir did not say he had raped her”.
The Presiding Bishop said sexual misconduct was an issue which the church did not deal with lightly and cited sub-sections One and Five of Section 155 of the Standing Orders of the church, which listed immorality or imprudent and unchristian behaviour or misconduct, as well as unministerial conduct, as offences.
He said after Bishop Egyir had allegedly admitted the offence, the pastoral committee suspended him from all ministerial duties, including his position as Administrative Bishop.
He said a disciplinary committee was immediately set up to prefer the appropriate charges in relation to the offences to address the issue formally.
According to him, before the charges could be laid, the bishop requested for permission to travel to the USA to attend to personal issues.
The Most Rev Prof Asante-Antwi said Bishop Egyir had written to the church to acknowledge receipt of the charges and the necessity for him to appear before the committee.
“Whether he appears or not, the church will institute further disciplinary action against him, including expulsion, which is the highest punishment. This is where we are now,” he added.
He said after the final decision had been taken, a pastoral letter would be issued to the congregation and the press because of the interest the issue had generated.
“I want to state that there is no collusion whatsoever from the church. The church is not covering up anything or anybody. What has reached us is the issue of immorality,” he said.
He said even if the bishop was prosecuted and set free by the appropriate authorities on the basis of consensuality, the church would still handle the moral aspect of the matter.
“The issue of rape has not come to our notice at all. That was not the complaint lodged with us. We do not have the capacity to deal with criminal matters and we will not do that. We will also not undertake or attempt to do anything which, by law, is the responsibility or preserve of some institution or person,” he stated.
The Presiding Bishop said anyone or institution could take up any legal action against Bishop Egyir.
“The church wishes to assure all concerned that in dealing with the allegations, it will respect the laws of the land, including the Constitution, and will not do anything to violate or undermine them,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the United States Embassy in Accra says it has not received any petition from any individual or organisation for the repatriation of the Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana to face prosecution in Ghana.
“The Ambassador, His Excellency Donald G. Teitelbum, is out of town. We have checked from the mail’s registry and from the Ambassador’s Secretary records and there is no such petition,” Ms Zainab Mahama of the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy told the Daily Graphic in response to a question as to what the embassy was doing about the petition.
She said the first time the embassy heard of it was through radio discussions on Wednesday and in the Insight newspaper.
As to what the embassy would do, she said there was nothing before the embassy for any action to be taken and it would, therefore, be difficult to say what was being done.
The petitioner, however, faxed a copy of a receipt note signed by a guard at the embassy as having received a letter from Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah.
Another source at the embassy, however, told the Daily Graphic in a separate interview that unless the bishop was criminally charged, nothing could be done about it.
It stated that even if the bishop was charged, it was only the police which could request the embassy for his repatriation.
When contacted, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, said the Attorney-General’s Department could only take up the matter after a formal complaint had been lodged.
“The petitioners can petition us so that we can take it up from there,” she said.
According to her, the A-G’s office would need witnesses to facilitate any investigations and prosecution, if there was the need.
The petitioner, Mr Osei Yeboah, who is the leader of the Resurrection Methodist Church, Adenta, described the inaction of the Methodist Church and the police as saddening and disturbing.
According to him, when persons considered as low class raped women, the police took appropriate action and the rule of law was made to work.
“When can the triumph of justice be witnessed when those who are supposed to protect the law are themselves breakers of the law and the law is only applied to the poor, weak and vulnerable in society?” he asked.
Mr Yeboah said the offence was not just about morality but a criminal one and the church must be seen to be doing the right thing and not condoning criminality.
He explained that the family could have refused to report the incident to the police because of the stigma and also the fact that the victim’s father was one of the topmost laity officials in the church.
“This rape case by the second-in-command of the Methodist Church is a clear-cut case for religious bodies, civil society and the law enforcement agencies in Ghana,” he added.

NIC raises capital for companies

Page 57: Daily Graphic, January 21, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE minimum capital of insurance companies has been increased from $1 million to $5 million.
This follows the approval by the board of the National Insurance Commission (NIC) for the increase as part of efforts to position Ghanaian insurance firms in the oil and gas business.
Mrs Nyamikeh Kyiamah, acting Commissioner of NIC, told the Daily Graphic that the increase would “ultimately allow the industry to retain more business on our market and help grow the industry”.
She said the NIC would soon initiate discussions with the insurance companies on the new levels and the modalities for implementation.
She conceded that the increase in capital base would affect some of the insurance firms as some of them were even currently operating below the prevailing $1 million capital.
Mrs Kyiamah said concerns had also been raised about the increasing number of insurance firms, resulting in some of them engaging in unhealthy industry practices.
According to her, the increase in the capital base, among other measures to be introduced, would automatically kick some of the firms out of business and retain the genuine and vibrant ones in the industry.
Mrs Kyiamah said with the enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act, Act 749, the NIC was procuring technical assistance to develop and issue comprehensive guidelines to help the insurance companies and the intermediaries comply with both the Insurance and AML/CFT Acts.
She said the AML/CFT Act required insurance companies to be reporting agencies and avoiding being used for the purposes of money laundering or for terrorist funding.
On offshore insurance, Mrs Kyiamah said Section 37 of the Insurance Act required that Ghanaian risks should be insured through Ghanaian companies and that contracts with offshore companies should be approved by the NIC.
She reminded the industry players to expect a very strong opposition from international insurers because they were already “doing the business which by law and as a matter of international practice should be done by Ghanaian companies”.
Mrs Kyiamah said the NIC would see to the enforcement of the rules since that could result in the size of the local insurance industry being doubled.
She called on the insurance companies to put in place a programme which would ensure that companies employed a number of graduates per year and gave them specific training to enable them expand their companies.
She said the life sector of the insurance business was growing fast while a full implementation of the provisions of compulsory fire insurance for owners of commercial buildings, both completed and uncompleted, would substantially increase the level of their insurance business.
She said to fully satisfy clients and increase their businesses, high skills professionalism and competence were needed to deal with the emerging challenges.
She said when the insurance companies put in place the machinery to employ graduates and trained them, the firms would “be contributing directly to the level of employment in the economy and general economic development”.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Insurance C’ssion to expose insurance malpractices

Page 3: Daily Graphic, January 20, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE National Insurance Commission (NIC) is to conduct a special audit to expose insurance companies which are engaged in premium undercutting, which is affecting their ability to pay claims.
The acting Commissioner of the NIC, Mrs Nyamikeh Kyiamah, who made this known in Accra yesterday, warned of dire consequences for insurance companies which would be found indulging in unhealthy market practices.
At a meeting with chief executive officers of insurance companies, Mrs Kyiamah said “some of those insurance firms are demonstrating doubtful commitment to the development of our market”.
Some of the firms are alleged to show no respect for the rules and regulations of the insurance business in the country and also indulge in premium undercutting, affecting their ability to pay claims.
Mrs Kyiamah said another area of concern to the NIC was the problem of huge outstanding premium debts on the books of the insurance companies.
She said the ratio of outstanding premiums to gross premiums rose from 34 per cent in 2007 to 43 per cent in 2008, stressing that “this is a serious matter”.
She explained that the result of such huge outstanding premiums was the companies’ inability to invest and which also negatively affected their solvency position.
Mrs Kyiamah said to address some of those problems, the NIC, apart from its inspection and enforcement activities, intended to work closely with approved auditors to ensure that the internal practices of insurance firms not only complied with the law but showed a commitment to the development of the industry.
She noted that the enforcement of the rules had become more urgent as a result of the expected rapid growth in the oil and gas industry in the country.
As part of efforts to support local insurance companies, she said the NIC would design and implement a suitable Risk Based Supervision model for the Ghanaian insurance industry in line with international best practices.

Government releases $3 million for seismograph * To record earth tremors

Front Page: Daily Graphic, January 19, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE government has approved the release of $3 million for the purchase of a seismograph, the device used to measure and record earth tremors, Alhaji Collins Dauda, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has disclosed.
He told the Daily Graphic yesterday that all the necessary documentation for the release of the amount was at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning awaiting the release of the money.
The only seismograph of the Geological Survey Department broke down two years ago.
Alhaji Dauda said he was anticipating that the money would be released by the close of this week to enable the ministry to procure the equipment from Canada.
He, however, said he could not tell how soon the equipment would be brought down but indicated that because of the urgency involved, the ministry would ensure its early delivery as soon as payment was effected.
He explained that when his attention was drawn to the breakdown of the equipment, the ministry wrote to the National Procurement Board seeking approval for sole sourcing from the manufacturers, Nanometrics of Canada, due to the urgency involved, but the board declined the request for sole sourcing.
He said the board insisted that the ministry did an open tender but after he personally intervened and explained that the situation in which the country found itself did not allow for open tender, the board finally gave in.
Alhaji Dauda said the ministry, therefore, wrote to the Finance Ministry on December 29, 2009 for the release of the amount.
“As I speak with you now, officials from my ministry are following up at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for the release of the funds,” he added.
He described the earthquake hoax as a blessing in disguise because it woke everybody up to his or her responsibilities.
He, however, reminded Ghanaians that the equipment did not detect earthquake but only measured and recorded the tremor levels.
A Deputy Information Minister, Mr Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the rumours reinforced the need for mobile phone operators to register SIM cards.
He said it was emerging that the rumour had emanated from a text message, adding that tracing the source would have been easier if SIM cards had been registered.
He said the government was resolute in the registration of SIM cards and indicated that the National Communications Authority (NCA) was leading the way, with the National Security Council Secretariat monitoring events.
The National Security Co-ordinator, Lt Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, denied that the registration of SIM cards had been suspended.
He said mobile phone operators requested for an extension of time, which was granted, noting that it was wrong for anyone to say that the registration of SIM cards had been suspended.
He gave the assurance that the authorities would ensure that mobile phone operators fulfilled their obligation by the six-month extension they requested for.
Last year, mobile phone operators were given up to December to register SIM cards but some operators called for an extension of the period.

Moves to complete Police housing project

Page 31: Daily Graphic, January 19, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE government has set aside GH¢5.4 million for the completion of 38 of uncompleted housing units to house 570 police personnel across the country.
The completion of the 38 housing units would add to ongoing projects started last year to increase the stock of housing units for the Ghana Police Service.
The move will pave way for the Police Administration to review its suspension on recruitment into the Ghana Police Service by the middle of the year.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, told the Daily Graphic that it was only after the review that persons seeking recruitment into the police would know whether or not there would be enlistment.
He said it was expected that by the time the review was also done, the Police Administration would have dealt with most outstanding issues at the police barracks throughout the country, especially sending all wards of police personnel who were above 18 years and squatters out of the barracks.
He said besides the 38 housing units to be completed, there were a number of ongoing projects which were expected to be completed to increase the stock of housing units to accommodate personnel.
The Police Administration last year suspended the enlistment of persons into the Ghana Police Service because of inadequate housing facilities.
As of June last year, the police estimated that it required GH¢987.98 million to solve both its acute residential and office accommodation problems by 2011.
With more than 80 of its residential projects at different locations abandoned, about 58 per cent of the nearly 25,000 personnel are without decent accommodation, with most of them housed in “makeshift facilities” such as canteens, open workshops, kitchens and uncompleted structures.
An audit carried out in 2007 by the Ghana Audit Service (GAS) on the management of residential accommodation of the Ghana Police Service indicated that the complexity of the housing problem was a major reason for the low morale among the personnel, whose responsibility it is to maintain internal security.
It said there was a backlog of about 7,000 personnel waiting to be accommodated since 2006, while rooms measuring 16 square metres were allocated for use by two police families.
Mr Quaye said Police Service Regulations provided that wards of personnel above 18 years must not stay at the barracks.
He said the Police Administration was also exploring the feasibility of sending all non-uniform personnel to rent apartments in communities.
He, however, said the basic challenge there was the 20 per cent allowance of the salaries of personnel allocated for accommodation, which might not be adequate for personnel to get decent accommodation.
He said the Police Administration was determined to make the visibility of police to be felt all over the country, as their presence could deter crime
Mr Quaye, however, said the Police Administration was convinced that police efficiency did not refer to numbers but the competence of the personnel to deal with situations that confronted them in their day-to-day duties.
He said achieving that competence would be through training and re-training, infusion and use of electronic data, creation of criminal database, profiling of criminals and finger print analysis.
“When you have all these in place, one should be talking of efficiency.”
On tent cities, he said, the programme had taken off successfully except that the Police Administration was confronted with the challenge of men, communication gadgets and vehicle.
He said the absence of equipment had greatly hindered the expansion drive of the tent cities.
He reminded the public not to see the tent cities as a substitute for Police Stations and, therefore, called on District Assemblies and traditional authorities to support the Police Administration in the construction of permanent office and residential accommodation in their areas.
He said the response from some Regional Security Councils had been encouraging and mentioned the Eastern, Greater Accra and Central regions as giving positive signals.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Award scheme for police service

Page 16: Daily Graphic, January 16, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Police Administration is instituting an awards scheme for personnel of the service who contribute exceptionally to the attainment of its goals.
The awards are, therefore, to serve as motivation and encouragement to others.
The IGP, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, told the Daily Graphic that the administration was working at the nitty-gritty of the awards to institutionalise them so that they remained part of the Police Service, irrespective of who was the head of the service.
“We want the personnel to realise that the time has come for them to wake up to their responsibilities and commitment and work assiduously for the attainment of service objectives,” he said.
Mr Quaye said the personnel could only do that if they were knowledgeable in their job requirements, specifications and the various regulations and instructions that governed their work.
He urged the personnel to strive at all times to work within those parameters.
“It is only when we do this that we will be displaying a sense of competence and professionalism in our work,” he said.
Mr Quaye gave the assurance that personnel who misconducted themselves would be punished according to service regulations and where criminal action was needed, they would be prosecuted.
The Police Administration has given a strong indication to reduce violent crime by 20 per cent this year, with special focus on armed robbery and drug trafficking.
The target is part of a five-year strategic plan to be outdoored on January 22, 2010 to all Regional Commanders and heads of specialised and operational heads.
The strategic plan outlines effective operational measures and highlights specific objectives, targets and outputs to be obtained in each given year by the respective jurisdictions, with the view to enhancing the work of the police in protecting lives and property and carrying out effective investigations, arrest and successful prosecution.
From January to November 2009, 1,276 robbery cases were recorded, as against 1,347 over the same period in 2008, representing a reduction of 5.3 per cent.
Additionally, the police recorded 598 narcotic offences between January and November 2009, as against 679 cases in the same period in 2008, representing a decline of 11.9 per cent.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

8 Alleged armed robbers nabbed

Pages 24/25: Daily Graphic, January 15, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
EIGHT young men who were allegedly preparing to embark on a robbery operation within Madina and the Trassaco Valley Estates areas have been arrested by the police.
Five pistols, a crowbar, pliers, Sellotape and other accoutrements were retrieved from the suspected armed robbers.
Those arrested are Stephen Atsu, 30, Yao Anku, 26, George Dadaku, 28, Richard Ntumy, 20, Kwame Nazah, 26, Yaw Adade, 21, Selassie Agbozo, 20 and Fred Agbenu, 26.
All the suspects are currently being held by the Madina Police.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, said at about 7p.m. on Wednesday, the Madina Police had information that four armed men had assembled at the Ritz Junction in Madina preparing to go on a robbery operation.
She said the informant indicated that the four armed men had sent an accomplice to buy ammunition for the pistols they were to use for the operation.
She said on seeing the police approach, the four men took to their heels amidst firing and indicated that when the police responded to the firing, the suspected leader, Atsu, gave up and was arrested.
DCOP Atinga said three pistols, one crowbar, a screw driver and Sellotape were retrieved from a bag Atsu was holding.
According to her, Anku was later arrested at Ashalley Botwe, where he had sought refuge and called someone to take him to Kasoa to treat an injury he sustained on his calf during the shoot-out with the police.
The Regional Police boss said at about 3:15a.m. yesterday , the police again had information that another group of men had assembled at Trassaco Valley Estates preparing for a robbery operation within the vicinity.
DCOP Atinga said with the support of some patrol teams from the region, Adade, Selassie and Fred were arrested and two pistols were in their possession.
She said Ntumy, Dadaku and Nazah were also arrested at another location within the Trassaco Valley Estates area.
She said initial investigations had established that the suspects were the new recruits of Kofi Fiagbedzi, alias Spider, who is currently on the police wanted list.

Finatrade provides market for local rice

Page 24/25: Daily Graphic, January 15, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
CONTINENTAL Commodities Trading Company (CCTC) Limited, a subsidiary of the Finatrade Group, yesterday gave meaning to its pledge to provide a guaranteed market for local rice farmers when it took delivery of 761 bags of perfumed local rice produced by farmers in the Hohoe municipality and surrounding areas.
The rice, packaged under the brand name “Pride”, was produced in partnership with ACDI/VOCA, the implementing agency of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).
Milled at Prairie Volta Ltd at Aveyime, the 761 bags constitute the first consignment of 2,000 tonnes of paddy rice at an estimated value of GH¢1 million to be delivered to CCTC.
As a result of the pledge by the CCTC to provide a guaranteed market for local farmers, the ACDI/VOCA organised 84 rice farmers, whose acreage ranged from one to 50, to produce the rice.
The Corporate Affairs Director of Finatrade, Mr John Awuni, said the initiative was evidence of Finatrade’s commitment to contribute to the promotion of local rice production and consumption in Ghana.
“Finatrade takes pride in being the first foreign rice company in Ghana to support local rice production,” he said.
He said in the last decade, the company had made consistent strides in assisting local rice growers, especially ICOUR, the Dawhenye Rice Farmers Co-operative Group and those in Afife and Kpong in the Volta Region.
Mr Awuni said in the 2010 planting season, MiDA and Finatrade, in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, would increase the number of rice farmers under the project.
“It is our firm belief that fruitful partnerships such as the Finatrade-MiDA-ACDI/VOCA project are key to the building of a vibrant local rice industry,” he said.
According to him, initiatives such as that helped to save rice businesses from foreign exchange exposure and support local rice farmers to become more productive, thereby increasing the incomes of farmers and creating employment.
Mr Awuni said Finatrade was willing to partner the government in its quest to help build a thriving local rice industry by supporting producers and various actors in the rice value chain.

Police to reduce crime

Front Page: Daily Graphic, January 14, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Police Administration has given strong indication to reduce violent crime by 20 per cent this year with special focus on armed robbery and drug trafficking.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye told the Daily Graphic in Accra that the target was part of a five-year strategic plan to be outdoored on January 22, 2010 to all Regional Commanders and heads of specialised and operational heads.
He said the strategic plan outlined effective operational measures and highlights specific objectives, targets and outputs to be obtained in each given year by the respective jurisdictions with the view of enhancing the work of the police in protecting life and property, effective investigations, arrest and successful prosecution.
From January 2009 to November 2009, 1,276 robbery cases were recorded as against 1,347 over the same period in 2008, representing a reduction of 5.3 per cent.
Additionally, the police also recorded only 598 narcotic offences from January 2009 to November, 2009 as against 679 cases within the same period in 2008, representing a decline of 11.9 per cent.
Mr Quaye said the crime situation was largely under control especially armed robbery which caused havoc and concerns in the populace.
He said with the kind of results so far achieved, the public should be convinced that the government was not relenting on its promise to clamp down on criminals.
“What is expected of us is to consider our role as stakeholders to collectively fight crime, reducing criminality, providing justice for all and ensuring transformation and reformation of these miscreants so that they can revert to societies reformed and changed to help with economic development of the communities and the country at large,” he said.
Mr Quaye said the police hitherto worked to contain crime based on directives from the Police Headquarters through the adoption of strategies and appropriate responses.
He said the police were now adopting a scientific approach to criminal investigations and cited the most recent busting of the four armed robbers who reportedly killed a pastor on December 30, last year.
The IGP said the Police Administration was seeking to improve policing through its visibility and investigative skills of personnel.
He said the structures, capacities and facilities of the Crime and Forensic Laboratory were to be greatly enhanced so that pieces of evidence sent there would be properly and scientifically analysed.
“The laboratory should be capable to properly analyse drugs sent there, question documents, analyse finger-prints picked from crime scene and also facilitate computerised criminal research and ballistic examination among others,” he said.
He noted that the Police Administration expected population to grow, new settlements, new businesses and commercial activities among other things to expand within the period which would also come with increased crime.
“We pray that poverty and unemployment levels will also reduce so that we meet our targets,” he said.
He said the Police Administration would also be reviewing its Human Resource stock to ensure that capable and qualified staff, ability to perform, numbers and distribution of personnel were seriously scrutinised.
Mr Quaye said database to provide information readily would be created and developed and also link annual budgets to strategic planning.

Man kills wife, 25, commits suicide

Front Page: Daily Graphic, Janaury 14, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 60-year-old man has committed suicide by hanging after allegedly stabbing his 25-year-old wife, Florence Ama Prah, to death.
Edward Kwadwo Marfo was found hanging on a tree in the compound house in which he lived at Santa Maria in Accra.
Although tenants in the house described the relationship between Marfo and his wife as lovely, since they did things in common, Marfo’s father-in-law later indicated that all was not rosy in the marriage, as the man suspected his wife of engaging in extra marital affairs.
The love-hate relationship hit its summit when Marfo allegedly denied responsibility for Ama’s pregnancy.
Ama’s decomposed body was later retrieved from their apartment, with her intestines gushed out and the body covered with a cloth ostensibly after Marfo had stabbed her, possibly last Monday night.
The posture of Marfo as he hung on the tree also raised questions for investigators as his feet were firmly rooted on the ground.
A bloodstained knife suspected to have been used in the attack and a crowbar were found lying close to Ama’s body.
Marfo had, on Monday afternoon, taken their two children, identified only as Korantemaa, five, and Nana Owusu, two, to his father-in-law’s house within the same vicinity, with the allegation that Ama had abandoned the children and could not be traced.
The last person who saw Marfo was the daughter of the landlord, Ms Janet Addy, who claimed the man had bought tea from her about 11 p.m. on Tuesday night.
She said when she was retiring to bed about 11:30 p.m., Marfo asked for the key to the toilet in the house.
Marfo’s father-in-law, Mr Kwadwo Prah, 46, recalled a misunderstanding between her daughter and her husband over a pregnancy which Marfo claimed he was not responsible for.
He said Marfo had accused his wife of sleeping around and that the pregnancy was the result of her infidelity.
According to him, Ama had to abort the pregnancy because of the misunderstanding over it and indicated that he (Prah) had spent three hours last Sunday night resolving another problem between the deceased couple.
He said the couple had been bringing the children to his house and, therefore, he had not suspected that there was any problem when the children were sent to him last Monday afternoon.
Some tenants in the house claimed that the last time they had seen Ama in the house was last Monday afternoon.
The landlord, Mr Ransford Addy, said he had been woken up by his wife that one of the tenants was shouting in the house about 3 a.m. yesterday.
He said when he stepped out of the room onto the main yard of the house, he found the deceased hanging on the tree.
He said it was at that point that they became suspicious and when they approached the entrance of the deceaseds’ door to call Ama, they were met with an unusual odour.
He said he quickly rushed to the police station to report the incident.
Mr Addy said Marfo had only told him recently that he was not financially sound as a result of challenges he had been encountering in his "Pure water" business.

Police probe two suspected suicide cases

Page 3: Daily Graphic, January 12, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police are investigating two suspected suicide cases which have rocked Odorkor and Chantan, both communities in Accra, involving a 42-year-old transport owner and a 32-year-old first-year student of the Pentecost University College, respectively.
The first of the suicide cases occurred last Friday when the transport owner, Isaac Kwarteng, allegedly used a sponge to hang himself on a ceiling fan in his bedroom at Odorkor.
Then this morning, jealousy was said to have driven Samuel Akpah of the Pentecost University College to hang himself with a necktie on a nim tree at Chantan.
The immediate cause of Kwarteng’s case is yet to be established.
Bernice Amedeke, 26, a fiancĂ© of Sammy’s, screamed and wailed at the Mile Seven Police Station and asked that she be allowed to join Sammy, wherever he might be.
She said Sammy left the house about 4:30 a.m. yesterday with a necktie in hand.
According to her, when she asked him where he was going, since he had never left the house at that time of the day before, the deceased ignored her.
Ms Amedeke said just when she was about following him to seek an answer to her question, she got a call and stayed back to listen to it.
She said she followed up to the possible places Sammy could have gone to, since he was unemployed.
She said she returned to the house only to hear on radio that someone had committed suicide at a park near Alhaji, a suburb of Chantan.
Ms Amedeke said she quickly took a taxi to the place, only to find the deceased hanging on a nim tree.
As to whether there had been any misunderstanding between them, she said Sammy had suspected her of having an affair but she denied it.
She said the situation got worse when she returned home with a flower with Italian written on it.
She said when she said she was taking it to a priest to explain what it meant, Sammy raised an alarm that the flower confirmed that she was having an affair.
According to her, she was a Catholic and it was the Catholic Church that supported her training as a caterer and decorator and, therefore, the only place and the people she knew were the Catholic Church and its members.
Ms Amedeke said when she explained to Sammy that the only place she went was the church, he still did not believe her.
She said after a number of heated arguments, she decided to park out of Sammy’s house last Saturday, but the matter was resolved by the deceased’s aunt.
She said to the best of her knowledge, there was no problem between them.
The Mile Seven Police Commander, DSP Alice Gyamfi, confirmed the story and said the body of the deceased had been taken to the Police Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
On the Odorkor incident, the District Police Commander, Superintendent Kwaku Asare, said the police received the report about 9 p.m. last Friday, after the deceased’s wife, Ms Adwoa Yeboah, had raised an alarm when she returned from market.
He said Kwarteng allegedly used a sponge to hang himself on the ceiling fan in the bedroom, adding that the body had been taken to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary for autopsy pending further investigations.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Pastor's killers grabbed

Front Page: Daily Graphic, January 7, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE suspected killers of Rev Peter Nii Addy, head of the Enchi branch of the Light House Chapel, who was robbed of some property and murdered in Accra while attending a colleague’s wedding, have been arrested.
A desktop computer and two laptops retrieved from the suspects were identified as those stolen during the attack on the Gbawe Bulemin residence of Rev Frederick Adu Acheampong, founder of the Frontline Glory Chapel, where Reverend Addy was murdered.
Among other items retrieved were three pump-action guns, cartridges, machetes and masks.
The weapons were retrieved from a pit where the suspected robbers had hidden and covered them with tree stumps to prevent detection.
The killers of Rev Addy were said to have carried out another robbery and raped a lady in another house in the area on that same night of December 30, 2009.
Three of the four robbers were picked up last night at Asofaa near Ofankor while preparing to launch another attack.
The four suspects arrested are Ebow Kwabena, 30, Kofi Yeboah, 30, Osei Prempeh, 23, and Yaw Asamoah, 30.
The left thumb of Kofi Yeboah had been chopped off from what he said was a gunshot from a pistol he was practising with.
Rev Peter Nii Addy, 26, who was in Accra with his wife who was six months pregnant to attend the wedding of a Bishop of the Light House Chapel in Accra, was killed in cold blood by the armed robbers after he told them he did not have money on him.
Osei Prempeh was identified as one of the armed robbers who attacked Mrs Christiana Love at Sowutuom on May 11, 2007 during which they robbed her of her wedding ring and other items.
Prempeh is said to have also been discharged by an Accra Circuit Court in 2009 over another robbery case.
The Daily Graphic in its December 31, 2009 edition reported the killing of Rev Addy by armed robbers, who had stormed the Gbawe residence of Rev Acheampong at about 1 a.m.
After attacking the residence of the pastor, the robbers also attacked the residence of Alhaji Seidu, a businessman, and took away seven mobile phones, three DVD players and GH¢360.
One of the robbers also raped a 19-year-old lady in the residence of Alhaji Seidu.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday after leading newsmen to the robbery site and where the weapons were hidden, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, said 12 hours after the robbery incident, the police were able to retrieve some of the stolen items from some of the receivers.
She said the police were able to know the identities of the armed robbers and thereafter put in all its intelligence machinery into operation.
According to her, Ebow Kwabena was arrested at Prankese near Kade on January 3, 2010.
DCOP Atinga said Ebow allegedly confessed to taking part in the robbery and led the police to the site where the weapons were hidden.
She said after retrieving the items, the police heard that the other suspects were marshalling forces to attack a Ghanaian returnee (Burger) on the night of January 5, 2010.
She said Asamoah was arrested when he went to the site to collect the weapons for the operation that night.
DCOP Atinga said the police went to a place at Asofaa near Ofankor, where the suspects were to assemble before striking and subsequently arrested Kofi Yeboah and Osei Prempeh.
The Accra police boss said the group had admitted to being responsible for most of the robbery cases around Gbawe and Ablekuma.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Nine robberies recorded December 24-30

Page 30: Daily Graphic, January 4, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THERE were nine robberies between December 24 and December 30, 2009 in the Accra and Brong Ahafo regions.
There were also three disasters, made up of one suspected murder and two fire outbreaks within the same period.
Out of the robbery cases, two were car-snatching incidents, one street robbery, one highway and three residential robberies, with Accra registering eight of the cases.
Five of the robbery cases took place on Boxing Day, between the hours of 12 midnight and 8:30am.
Reviewing the crime situation within the Yuletide with the Daily Graphic, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Cephas Arthur, said at about 6:30pm on December 24, 2009, three young men, armed with locally made pistols attacked Mr Eric Gerbs at the Pantang Junction and took away his Mitsubishi pick-up with registration number GT 1744 Z.
He said the robbers also collected the victim’s GH¢1,100 and one carton of pineapple juice.
He said on Boxing Day at about 12:05am, three armed robbers attacked a Lebanese at his residence at Agyiri-Ganor and robbed him of GH¢1,200, four mobile phones and four laptops.
ASP Arthur said at about 1am on the same day, six armed men attacked a businesswoman at Channel V, Nungua and took away GH¢1,200 from her residence, broke into her stores and robbed her of an unspecified amount, being her daily sales and assorted mobile phone cards, all valued at GH¢50,000.
According to him, one person, identified as Michael Akuffo, had been arrested on suspicion of being part of the gang that robbed the woman.
ASP Arthur said three men also attacked another woman at her residence at the Trade Fair area at about 2am and robbed her of GH¢1,500, $200 and three mobile phones.
On the fourth robbery incident on Boxing Day, he said at about 5:30am two men who hired a taxi with registration number GR 7114-09 from Accra to Kaneshie, snatched the taxi from the driver when they got to the TV Africa area. The taxi was, however, found abandoned at Tema.
He said the last of the robbery incidents on Boxing Day took place at about 8:30am at Amasaman when two men, who had hired a taxi with registration number GE 8631-09 from Ofankor to Amasaman robbed the driver of his two mobile phones, licence and other documents.
He said the police had arrested one person, Kofi Densu, in connection with the case.
ASP Arthur said the other robbery cases were recorded at Gbawe in Accra on December 30, 2009, one of which resulted in the death of Rev. Peter Nii Addy, while the second involved the robbing of Alhaji Seidu, also in Gbawe on the same day.
Touching on the other cases, ASP Arthur said the body of a male adult was found lying at a spot near the St John’s School at Achimota on Christmas Day.
He said the police found the body lying in a prostrate position with blood and foam oozing from both ???her??? nostrils and mouth. When the body was inspected, the police saw marks of assault, suggesting foul play.
ASP Arthur said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue, awaiting autopsy.
He said fire also engulfed the Komkomba Market on December 28, 2009 destroying some wooden structures.
He said another fire outbreak was recorded on December 30, 2009 at Tantra Hill in Accra resulting in the death of two children in a kiosk.
ASP Arthur said the only incident recorded in the Brong Ahafo Region was when residents of Sampa arrested three men who were part of a gang of five, attacking and robbing travellers on the Sampa-Beblei road.
He said the residents were able to retrieve GH¢410, two shotguns, 25 mobile phones and 16 cartridges from the three suspects: Issah Abdulai, 22; Issifu Haruna, 20, and a third suspect, identified only as Sulley, aged 20.
He said the suspects have been handed over to the police.

Four robbers grabbed * In separate incidents

Page 3: Daily Graphic, January 2, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FOUR young men, who took part in two separate robbery incidents on December 29 and 30, 2009, have been arrested by the police.
One of them, Randy Naab, 21, single-handedly attacked and robbed the D’Angello Boutique on December 30, 2009, while the remaining, Jonathan Yartey, alias Paa Joe, Enoch Okpoti Ashong and Masawudu Awudu attempted to snatch a taxi.
The timely arrival of the police on the scene, however, averted the robbery.
The police were able to retrieve 17 jeans trousers, nine T-shirts, GH¢100 and two mobile phones from Randy Naab.
The Osu District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Peter Yembilla, told newsmen that about 2:30 p.m. on December 30, 2009, Randy entered the D’Angello Boutique at Osu on the pretext of buying some jeans trousers.
He said the suspect sought to know the prices of the trousers from the sales girl on duty.
According to him, just when the lady got closer to him, Randy pulled a pistol at her and took her to a storeroom, bound and gagged her with a cellotape.
Mr Yembilla said Randy then allegedly pulled the trousers of the sales girl down, lifted her blouse and sucked her breasts after she had pleaded that the suspect should not rape her.
The District Commander said the suspect then picked up 17 jeans trousers, nine T-shirts, two mobile phones and GH¢100 from the boutique and left.
Mr Yembilla said the sales girl struggled to the entrance of the boutique where a passer-by assisted her in removing the cellotape on her mouth and untying her hands and legs.
He said after giving the alarm, the suspect was seen 50 metres away from the boutique selling the items and was subsequently arrested.
He said the suspect led the police to a makeshift apartment near the La Lagoon on the Teshie Road, where idols and other accoutrements such as five machetes were retrieved.
With regard to the attempted car snatching incident, the La District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Yao Tettegah, said a patrol team overheard screaming of someone for a help, and drove to the area.
He said the police saw Enoch struggling with the taxi driver, but allegedly took to his heels on seeing the police.
He said the police pursued Enoch amidst firing of warning shots, attracting other patrol teams to the area.
Mr Tettegah said after Enoch was arrested, he mentioned Paa Joe and Awudu as his accomplices, leading to their arrest.