Page 59: Daily Graphic, May 24, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service is overwhelmed by the number of cases reported to it.
Out of a total of 243,769 cases reported to the CID last year, more than 187,933 of them are still under investigations.
The inability of the CID to deal with the numerous cases had been attributed to the neglect in terms of training of its personnel to update their investigative skills.
Personnel of the CID had since late year started a retraining programme to sharpen their investigative skills.
The figure 243,769 represents a 1.6 per cent increase in the 239,823 cases reported in 2008.
Out of the cases reported in 2009, 8,322 were rejected for investigations while 16,462 cases were closed.
Crime statistics contained in the CID’s 2009 annual report indicated that 31,052 of the reported cases were sent to court resulting in 10,352 convictions, 1,115 acquitals while 19,585 cases were still awaiting trial.
The statistics indicated that assault cases topped the list of reported cases; stealing 89,407; threatening, 61,711; fraud, 24,959; causing damage, 18,906; causing harm, 10,944; defilement, 3,368; robbery,1,373; unlawful entry, 1387 and rape 447 cases.
Touching on major offences, the statistics indicated that there was a general decline in narcotic offences for 2009 as compared to 2008 with 679 cases in 2009 as against 714 cases in 2008 representing a decline of 4.9 per cent.
The number of murder cases for 2009 declined from 430 in 2008 to as 427 2008, rape from 485 in 2008 to 447 in 2009; defilement 1,675 to 1,604 in 2009 with robbery registering 1,373 in 2009 as against 1449 in 2008.
Among its achievements, the CID mentioned the arrest of five soldiers who kidnapped the Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank, suspects who killed a pastor, a gang who usually trailed and robbed immigrants at the Kotoka International Airport, the arrest of fugitive Mathew Allen Osei and a French national, who tried to export pornographic materials of Ghanaian women and children.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Ex-convict nabbed for stealing
Page 59: Daily Graphic, May 24, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A NIGERIAN, who was released from the Ivorian prison on May 3, this year, has been arrested in Accra for breaking into three cars.
Ben Okosisi, who had in his possession, his release documents from the Ivorian authorities, had on May 11, 2010, broken into a car at Takoradi and made away with personal effects and GH¢600 belonging to his victim.
The suspect then relocated to Accra where at about 10pm on May 13, 2010, broke into two cars at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
He was, however, arrested at about the same time on May 14, 2010 when he went back to the KIA to rob again.
The Accra Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Frank Adu-Fati told newsmen in Accra today when the suspect was arrested on May 14, 2010, the key to a named hotel was found him.
He said the police, therefore, took him to the hotel for a search in the room.
According to him, a number of items including pen drives, documents and personal effects were found in the suspect’s bag.
Supt. Adu-Fati said an Electricity Company of Ghana form and a personal loan application form with an address in Takoradi was retrieved from him.
He said when the police called the contact number on the form, the owner claimed his car was broken into on May 11, 2010 at about 7pm in Takoradi and the items including a Motorola wireless radio, were stolen.
Supt. Adu-Fati said the suspect allegedly claimed he used a sharp object to open the cars.
He said the suspect’s release form from the Ivorian prison authorities, which was also retrieved from him, indicated that Okosisi served 24 months in prison for causing harm to someone he fought with.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A NIGERIAN, who was released from the Ivorian prison on May 3, this year, has been arrested in Accra for breaking into three cars.
Ben Okosisi, who had in his possession, his release documents from the Ivorian authorities, had on May 11, 2010, broken into a car at Takoradi and made away with personal effects and GH¢600 belonging to his victim.
The suspect then relocated to Accra where at about 10pm on May 13, 2010, broke into two cars at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
He was, however, arrested at about the same time on May 14, 2010 when he went back to the KIA to rob again.
The Accra Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Frank Adu-Fati told newsmen in Accra today when the suspect was arrested on May 14, 2010, the key to a named hotel was found him.
He said the police, therefore, took him to the hotel for a search in the room.
According to him, a number of items including pen drives, documents and personal effects were found in the suspect’s bag.
Supt. Adu-Fati said an Electricity Company of Ghana form and a personal loan application form with an address in Takoradi was retrieved from him.
He said when the police called the contact number on the form, the owner claimed his car was broken into on May 11, 2010 at about 7pm in Takoradi and the items including a Motorola wireless radio, were stolen.
Supt. Adu-Fati said the suspect allegedly claimed he used a sharp object to open the cars.
He said the suspect’s release form from the Ivorian prison authorities, which was also retrieved from him, indicated that Okosisi served 24 months in prison for causing harm to someone he fought with.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Ultimatum to Novotel traders
Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 22, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) have resolved that all traders at the Novotel Trading Park should relocate to the Pedestrian Mall at Odawna by Sunday.
The resolution was arrived at after an emergency RCC meeting yesterday to review the decision of the AMA to move the traders to the pedestrian mall.
The RCC had, in a letter dated May 5, 2010 and signed by its Chief Director, Mr F.T. Nartey, directed the AMA “to put on hold any movement of the traders from Novotel area to Odawna” until the RCC was convinced that the situation on the ground was conducive for the traders to move in.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the joint meeting, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, said although some minor works needed to be done, the RCC had directed the AMA to complete them latest by today to facilitate the movement of the traders.
He said some of the works included the completion of the fence wall, access for rain water to pass into the main drains and compacting the ground.
The regional minister said the AMA was also asked to move in swiftly to settle the differences among the traders and prevent their ranks from being split along political lines.
Nii Ashitey said the AMA was also tasked to set up a management team to supervise the allocation of stalls and the movement of the traders to avoid further confusion.
According to him, some of the leaders of the traders had been accused of collecting money from the traders before allocating them stalls, saying that was not in the scheme of things for the resettlement.
The movement of the Novotel traders had generated tension between the traders and the AMA and also created a wedge between the RCC and the AMA, as the assembly felt the RCC was interfering in its work.
In the heat of the confusion, claims of ownership of the park plunged the matter into further controversy, with two other organisations claiming ownership of the land, as the authorities of the Kinbu Senior High/Technical School and representatives of a company, Dream Reality Limited, which claims to have acquired the property from the Accra City Management Company (ACMC), also entered the fray.
Yesterday’s meeting did not, however, discuss the issue of the ownership of the land, as that is to be handled at another level.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) have resolved that all traders at the Novotel Trading Park should relocate to the Pedestrian Mall at Odawna by Sunday.
The resolution was arrived at after an emergency RCC meeting yesterday to review the decision of the AMA to move the traders to the pedestrian mall.
The RCC had, in a letter dated May 5, 2010 and signed by its Chief Director, Mr F.T. Nartey, directed the AMA “to put on hold any movement of the traders from Novotel area to Odawna” until the RCC was convinced that the situation on the ground was conducive for the traders to move in.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the joint meeting, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, said although some minor works needed to be done, the RCC had directed the AMA to complete them latest by today to facilitate the movement of the traders.
He said some of the works included the completion of the fence wall, access for rain water to pass into the main drains and compacting the ground.
The regional minister said the AMA was also asked to move in swiftly to settle the differences among the traders and prevent their ranks from being split along political lines.
Nii Ashitey said the AMA was also tasked to set up a management team to supervise the allocation of stalls and the movement of the traders to avoid further confusion.
According to him, some of the leaders of the traders had been accused of collecting money from the traders before allocating them stalls, saying that was not in the scheme of things for the resettlement.
The movement of the Novotel traders had generated tension between the traders and the AMA and also created a wedge between the RCC and the AMA, as the assembly felt the RCC was interfering in its work.
In the heat of the confusion, claims of ownership of the park plunged the matter into further controversy, with two other organisations claiming ownership of the land, as the authorities of the Kinbu Senior High/Technical School and representatives of a company, Dream Reality Limited, which claims to have acquired the property from the Accra City Management Company (ACMC), also entered the fray.
Yesterday’s meeting did not, however, discuss the issue of the ownership of the land, as that is to be handled at another level.
$1.9 Billion road map to transform Police Service
Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 20, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Timothy Gobah
THE Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, yesterday launched a $1.9 billion five-year Strategic National Policing Plan for the transformation and modernisation of the Ghana Police Service.
Emoluments and other incentives will require an additional $1 billion.
Under the road map strategic policy document, 16,000 additional personnel are to be recruited by 2014 to bring the total police strength to 40,000.
Four new police training schools are also to be established in the Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Western and Northern regions, while housing will be provided for 31,000 personnel of the service by 2014.
Although the Police Service requires 5,926 vehicles to enhance its operations, it currently has 1,512 and the plan will seek to address the challenges.
At the launch, which attracted retired Inspectors-General of Police, retired commissioners and members of the Diplomatic Corps, Mr Mahama called on all stakeholders to contribute financially and materially to the attainment of the goals of the plan.
He said the government had already started with the implementation of the 2010-2014 strategic plan with the provision of funds for the completion of all ongoing or abandoned police projects across the country, while work was ongoing on the new Forensic and Ballistic Laboratory.
He said equipment, in the form of communication gadgets and vehicles, was being provided by the government.
The Vice-President said the Police Service was re-engineering itself through effective strategic planning in order to re-define its strategies to be consistent with international standards for it to continue to be relevant and respected both nationally and internationally.
He commended the police and the other security agencies for the work they had been doing to keep the country peaceful and secure, in spite of the numerous challenges they faced.
He, however, expressed regret that a few bad nuts continued to receive infamous mention in the media for one misdemeanour or another, casting a blemish on the sterling performance of the majority.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, noted that the strategic plan, which was a revised version of the old one, would be completely executed.
He said the financial resources needed for the implementation of the plan were beyond the government’s normal budgetary allocation.
He said the Police Administration would unveil each of the project-specific packages under the plan and conduct a fund-raising event to mobilise funds for their implementation.
The plan represents the second formal attempt by the Ghana Police Service to fulfil the combined specification of the strategic objectives, national policing targets and capacity-building programmes and activities to be implemented over the medium term of five years and beyond to 2020.
The purpose of the plan is to enable the service to focus on democratic policing practices, as mandated by the Constitution, in serving the communities and the people, first by reviewing prevailing socio-economic conditions, stakeholders’ expectations, other environmental factors, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the service.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Timothy Gobah
THE Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, yesterday launched a $1.9 billion five-year Strategic National Policing Plan for the transformation and modernisation of the Ghana Police Service.
Emoluments and other incentives will require an additional $1 billion.
Under the road map strategic policy document, 16,000 additional personnel are to be recruited by 2014 to bring the total police strength to 40,000.
Four new police training schools are also to be established in the Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Western and Northern regions, while housing will be provided for 31,000 personnel of the service by 2014.
Although the Police Service requires 5,926 vehicles to enhance its operations, it currently has 1,512 and the plan will seek to address the challenges.
At the launch, which attracted retired Inspectors-General of Police, retired commissioners and members of the Diplomatic Corps, Mr Mahama called on all stakeholders to contribute financially and materially to the attainment of the goals of the plan.
He said the government had already started with the implementation of the 2010-2014 strategic plan with the provision of funds for the completion of all ongoing or abandoned police projects across the country, while work was ongoing on the new Forensic and Ballistic Laboratory.
He said equipment, in the form of communication gadgets and vehicles, was being provided by the government.
The Vice-President said the Police Service was re-engineering itself through effective strategic planning in order to re-define its strategies to be consistent with international standards for it to continue to be relevant and respected both nationally and internationally.
He commended the police and the other security agencies for the work they had been doing to keep the country peaceful and secure, in spite of the numerous challenges they faced.
He, however, expressed regret that a few bad nuts continued to receive infamous mention in the media for one misdemeanour or another, casting a blemish on the sterling performance of the majority.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, noted that the strategic plan, which was a revised version of the old one, would be completely executed.
He said the financial resources needed for the implementation of the plan were beyond the government’s normal budgetary allocation.
He said the Police Administration would unveil each of the project-specific packages under the plan and conduct a fund-raising event to mobilise funds for their implementation.
The plan represents the second formal attempt by the Ghana Police Service to fulfil the combined specification of the strategic objectives, national policing targets and capacity-building programmes and activities to be implemented over the medium term of five years and beyond to 2020.
The purpose of the plan is to enable the service to focus on democratic policing practices, as mandated by the Constitution, in serving the communities and the people, first by reviewing prevailing socio-economic conditions, stakeholders’ expectations, other environmental factors, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the service.
Korle-Bu to conduct DNA tests from May 24
CID overwhelmed by cases
Page 51: Daily Graphic, Nay 20, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital will, from Monday, May 24, 2010, begin conducting human identification (DNA) tests.
That will make Ghana the second country after South Africa to have the capacity to carry out DNA tests on the continent.
The €178,000 molecular biology laboratory for the DNA chromosomal analysis will be manned by one of only two Ghanaian qualified and licensed biomedical scientists, Mr Augustine E. Sagoe.
The other Ghanaian is in South Africa, where he has been practising since he was licensed six years ago.
Even before it starts operations, the Korle-Bu DNA Paternity Centre, which is located in the Central Medical Laboratory building, has received more than 112 cases from the courts, individuals and medical practitioners.
The operation of the centre is seen as a major boost to making the nation’s premier hospital a one-stop health centre for the handling of all complicated cases.
Mr Sagoe told the Daily Graphic that the centre had also been registered and accepted internationally to make its findings acceptable to all institutions in the world.
He said it would also be used for DNA shuffling and library construction for criminal record keeping purposes and also to trace the genealogy of persons seven generations back.
He said the facility would make it easier to determine the history of medical conditions as to whether they ran through families or were by accident.
Throwing more light on the facility, Mr Sagoe said a survey he conducted at the courts in 2004 showed that there were a number of unresolved cases because DNA tests needed to be conducted to confirm certain findings before judgements could be given were not available.
Some of those cases, he said, involved rape and family issues.
According to him, the facility had been inundated with a large number of requests since the news broke last year that the hospital was to start running DNA services.
He said the analyser would also be of immense benefit to parents with hermaphrodite children to determine the dominant sex while they were young, since surgery would make it possible for such children to grow up to become ‘normal’ adults.
Mr Sagoe explained that the hospital had to add an equipment called Real Timer Polymerise Chain Reactor (PCR), a new technology used to amplify and simultaneously quantify a targeted DNA molecule, explaining that its late arrival had delayed the installation process.
He, however, said all was now set for the commencement of work at the centre.
The Daily Graphic, in its August 26, 2009 edition, broke the news of the setting up of a DNA Paternity Centre at the nation’s premier hospital.
Page 51: Daily Graphic, Nay 20, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital will, from Monday, May 24, 2010, begin conducting human identification (DNA) tests.
That will make Ghana the second country after South Africa to have the capacity to carry out DNA tests on the continent.
The €178,000 molecular biology laboratory for the DNA chromosomal analysis will be manned by one of only two Ghanaian qualified and licensed biomedical scientists, Mr Augustine E. Sagoe.
The other Ghanaian is in South Africa, where he has been practising since he was licensed six years ago.
Even before it starts operations, the Korle-Bu DNA Paternity Centre, which is located in the Central Medical Laboratory building, has received more than 112 cases from the courts, individuals and medical practitioners.
The operation of the centre is seen as a major boost to making the nation’s premier hospital a one-stop health centre for the handling of all complicated cases.
Mr Sagoe told the Daily Graphic that the centre had also been registered and accepted internationally to make its findings acceptable to all institutions in the world.
He said it would also be used for DNA shuffling and library construction for criminal record keeping purposes and also to trace the genealogy of persons seven generations back.
He said the facility would make it easier to determine the history of medical conditions as to whether they ran through families or were by accident.
Throwing more light on the facility, Mr Sagoe said a survey he conducted at the courts in 2004 showed that there were a number of unresolved cases because DNA tests needed to be conducted to confirm certain findings before judgements could be given were not available.
Some of those cases, he said, involved rape and family issues.
According to him, the facility had been inundated with a large number of requests since the news broke last year that the hospital was to start running DNA services.
He said the analyser would also be of immense benefit to parents with hermaphrodite children to determine the dominant sex while they were young, since surgery would make it possible for such children to grow up to become ‘normal’ adults.
Mr Sagoe explained that the hospital had to add an equipment called Real Timer Polymerise Chain Reactor (PCR), a new technology used to amplify and simultaneously quantify a targeted DNA molecule, explaining that its late arrival had delayed the installation process.
He, however, said all was now set for the commencement of work at the centre.
The Daily Graphic, in its August 26, 2009 edition, broke the news of the setting up of a DNA Paternity Centre at the nation’s premier hospital.
GPRTU, AMA meeting ends in stalemate
Page 29: Daily Graphic, May 19, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A MEETING yesterday to help resolve the rumpus between the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) over the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was called off after officials of the GPRTU failed to submit their documented concerns.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, who called the meeting, had asked the GPRTU to submit its concerns on paper as a working document to facilitate the resolution of the impasse.
He urged the GPRTU to also suggest solutions on how to improve the project.
“I believe that we want to work with documents so that we will all be clear in our minds about the issues being dealt with,” he added.
Nii Ashitey expressed the hope that at the next meeting, all the chief executives of the various assemblies involved in the implementation of the project would be present.
The Department of Urban Roads (DUR) is seeking to modernise and streamline Accra’s public transportation system with the introduction of the BRT.
But the GPRTU is opposed to it because it contends that the project will keep most of its members out of job.
According to the AMA, the BRT system would involve comfortable and large buses, fixed transportation routes with designated stops, sheltered stations and all day and night service.
Passengers would have to pay their fares prior to boarding the bus through a formalised fare collection system, instead of to the bus conductors directly, and drivers would have to register as legal entities.
It is anticipated that the BRT buses will reduce congestion and air pollution because they will be able to service more commuters and will not have to wait to be filled before leaving each stop, since the drivers will be paid a fixed amount, instead of having their earnings depending on the number of passengers they carry.
The proposed BRT system, which will be implemented by the DUR, with the support of the Urban Transport Project, is jointly funded by the Government of Ghana, the World Bank, the French Agency for Development and the Global Environmental Trust Fund.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A MEETING yesterday to help resolve the rumpus between the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) over the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was called off after officials of the GPRTU failed to submit their documented concerns.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, who called the meeting, had asked the GPRTU to submit its concerns on paper as a working document to facilitate the resolution of the impasse.
He urged the GPRTU to also suggest solutions on how to improve the project.
“I believe that we want to work with documents so that we will all be clear in our minds about the issues being dealt with,” he added.
Nii Ashitey expressed the hope that at the next meeting, all the chief executives of the various assemblies involved in the implementation of the project would be present.
The Department of Urban Roads (DUR) is seeking to modernise and streamline Accra’s public transportation system with the introduction of the BRT.
But the GPRTU is opposed to it because it contends that the project will keep most of its members out of job.
According to the AMA, the BRT system would involve comfortable and large buses, fixed transportation routes with designated stops, sheltered stations and all day and night service.
Passengers would have to pay their fares prior to boarding the bus through a formalised fare collection system, instead of to the bus conductors directly, and drivers would have to register as legal entities.
It is anticipated that the BRT buses will reduce congestion and air pollution because they will be able to service more commuters and will not have to wait to be filled before leaving each stop, since the drivers will be paid a fixed amount, instead of having their earnings depending on the number of passengers they carry.
The proposed BRT system, which will be implemented by the DUR, with the support of the Urban Transport Project, is jointly funded by the Government of Ghana, the World Bank, the French Agency for Development and the Global Environmental Trust Fund.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
WATCH OUT! Coke men in grey suits, EU Police warn
Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 12, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE European Police have warned Ghana to be on the alert to the influx of drug moguls from Latin American states under the guise of bringing investment into the country.
They said the drug barons were exploiting the conducive business climate and political stability to establish bases in Ghana and other West African countries to conduct their illicit business in drugs.
The Deputy Director of the British Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) responsible for Cocaine, Mr Neil Giles; the Deputy Director-General of the French National Anti-Narcotics Bureau (OCTRIS), Mr Jean-Jacques Colombi, and Mr Andrea Rossi of the Italian Police gave the warning in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday.
The team, which also includes Antonia Mena Lopez, the Head of the National Drugs Intelligence Unit of Spain, is in the country as part of a three-nation West African tour to raise issues over the influx of drugs in and out of West Africa by Latin American barons into Europe and North America.
The team will seek to strengthen relationships with the countries visited and seek to address the operational challenges facing drug enforcement agencies in West Africa to enable the sub-region to deal with the drug problem.
Mr Giles said there was strong evidence of the drug barons using money to buy influence at the political, law enforcement and judicial levels, adding that it was important that West African countries and their citizens understood the threats posed by those barons and how to deal with them.
West Africa was the target because of the strong trade relations between it and Europe, which the barons had capitalised on in their attempt to ship large consignments of cocaine to Europe under the guise of exporting various food items and other commodities, he said.
“The threat to West Africa is real and unless we continue to operate and collaborate effectively, West Africa will be in serious trouble,” he said, and referred to the recent interception of an aircraft loaded with cocaine on the tarmac in Freetown, Sierra Leone, as a signal that with the right systems in place, West Africa could stand up to the menace.
“Ghana must be more alert. You will deter by being more alert; it is as simple as that,” he advised.
Mr Giles emphasised international collaboration and said it was because of it that the team was visiting Ghana, Senegal and The Gambia to develop a system of sharing information and working in partnership to achieve positive results.
He, however, said that would require having partners with integrity, saying that “in the face of the resourcefulness of the traffickers, they will interfere with the political, judicial and law enforcement systems to have their way”.
Mr Giles commended Ghana for being at the forefront in the fight against drugs.
Mr Colombi said there had been a dramatic decline in the courier traffic from Ghana to European, noting that what that meant was that “what we are doing here is bearing fruit”.
He said Ghana had been able to find the right response to dealing with courier traffickers but was quick to add that it could also mean that the drug barons had changed their ways, hence the need to collaborate and look elsewhere.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE European Police have warned Ghana to be on the alert to the influx of drug moguls from Latin American states under the guise of bringing investment into the country.
They said the drug barons were exploiting the conducive business climate and political stability to establish bases in Ghana and other West African countries to conduct their illicit business in drugs.
The Deputy Director of the British Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) responsible for Cocaine, Mr Neil Giles; the Deputy Director-General of the French National Anti-Narcotics Bureau (OCTRIS), Mr Jean-Jacques Colombi, and Mr Andrea Rossi of the Italian Police gave the warning in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday.
The team, which also includes Antonia Mena Lopez, the Head of the National Drugs Intelligence Unit of Spain, is in the country as part of a three-nation West African tour to raise issues over the influx of drugs in and out of West Africa by Latin American barons into Europe and North America.
The team will seek to strengthen relationships with the countries visited and seek to address the operational challenges facing drug enforcement agencies in West Africa to enable the sub-region to deal with the drug problem.
Mr Giles said there was strong evidence of the drug barons using money to buy influence at the political, law enforcement and judicial levels, adding that it was important that West African countries and their citizens understood the threats posed by those barons and how to deal with them.
West Africa was the target because of the strong trade relations between it and Europe, which the barons had capitalised on in their attempt to ship large consignments of cocaine to Europe under the guise of exporting various food items and other commodities, he said.
“The threat to West Africa is real and unless we continue to operate and collaborate effectively, West Africa will be in serious trouble,” he said, and referred to the recent interception of an aircraft loaded with cocaine on the tarmac in Freetown, Sierra Leone, as a signal that with the right systems in place, West Africa could stand up to the menace.
“Ghana must be more alert. You will deter by being more alert; it is as simple as that,” he advised.
Mr Giles emphasised international collaboration and said it was because of it that the team was visiting Ghana, Senegal and The Gambia to develop a system of sharing information and working in partnership to achieve positive results.
He, however, said that would require having partners with integrity, saying that “in the face of the resourcefulness of the traffickers, they will interfere with the political, judicial and law enforcement systems to have their way”.
Mr Giles commended Ghana for being at the forefront in the fight against drugs.
Mr Colombi said there had been a dramatic decline in the courier traffic from Ghana to European, noting that what that meant was that “what we are doing here is bearing fruit”.
He said Ghana had been able to find the right response to dealing with courier traffickers but was quick to add that it could also mean that the drug barons had changed their ways, hence the need to collaborate and look elsewhere.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Police nab four criminals
Page 19: Daily Graphic, May 11, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FOUR suspected criminals, including a former jail bird, have been arrested by the police in Accra.
While two of the suspects are alleged armed robbers, the other two have been arrested in connection with a murder case and a suspected money doubling scam, respectively.
They are John Amewugah, David Agbanyo, the alleged robbers, Festus Kwabena Oppong, the suspected murderer, and Charles Kobena Asiedu, the alleged money doubler.
While Amewugah was said to have been released from the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in February this year for his involvement in a bullion robbery at Teshie in 2003, Agbanyo was part of the gang that robbed a Ghanaian diplomat in March this year.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said the police had information that some armed robbers were planning to rob a forex bureau at Achimota on April 23, 2010.
He said plain-clothes policemen were subsequently detailed to the location of the forex bureau to lay ambush.
He said unknown to the suspected robbers, the owner of the bureau did not open for business on that day.
According to him, the police rushed on the robbers to arrest them but succeeded in apprehending only Amewugah, while his other accomplices, including one identified only as Awudu, escaped.
ACP Yohuno said a foreign pistol with six rounds of ammunition was retrieved from Amewugah.
He said it was later gathered that Awudu had been part of the bullion van robbery at Teshie but he managed to escape to Nigeria and returned only recently.
On Agbanyo, he said the suspect sought refuge in Ho in the Volta Region after the raid on the diplomat’s house, during which one of the accomplices, John Kofi Fiagbedzi, alias Spider, was killed.
He said one of the robbery victims of Spider and his gang identified Agbanyo as the person who had shot him in his left arm at Sakumono and took away his Range Rover in January this year.
With regard to Oppong, ACP Yohuno said the suspect visited a friend of his, Kofi Appiah, the caretaker of a house at Adusa, near Pokuase, on November 9, 2009 to pass the night.
He explained that Appiah and Oppong were both natives of Apedwa in the Eastern Region.
According to ACP Yohuno, Oppong had heard that money had been sent to Appiah to continue with the construction of the house in which he was staying.
He said the suspect asked Appiah to give him part of the money but Appiah allegedly refused, resulting in a quarrel between them.
ACP Yohuno said about 1:30 a.m., the suspect entered Appiah’s room, picked a bottle and hit Appiah’s forehead with it when he saw Appiah lying supine.
He said Appiah, in an attempt to escape from the room, fell along the way and the suspect allegedly hit Appiah’s neck with an object, killing him instantly.
He said Oppong then took Appiah’s body and locked it in a room, after which he took away two LCD television sets, ladies’ bags, pieces of cloth and a travelling bag.
ACP Yohuno said the suspect later gave the items to his girlfriend for safekeeping.
He said investigations led to Oppong’s arrest last Friday when he was about to board a vehicle at La Paz, a suburb of Accra.
On Asiedu, ACP Yohuno said a chop box loaded with toilet rolls and covered with fake dollar notes was arrested yesterday morning when he and his accomplices, yet to be identified, wanted to double money for an unsuspecting client.
He said two Qurans, two whisks and some beads (tasbars) were retrieved from the suspect.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FOUR suspected criminals, including a former jail bird, have been arrested by the police in Accra.
While two of the suspects are alleged armed robbers, the other two have been arrested in connection with a murder case and a suspected money doubling scam, respectively.
They are John Amewugah, David Agbanyo, the alleged robbers, Festus Kwabena Oppong, the suspected murderer, and Charles Kobena Asiedu, the alleged money doubler.
While Amewugah was said to have been released from the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in February this year for his involvement in a bullion robbery at Teshie in 2003, Agbanyo was part of the gang that robbed a Ghanaian diplomat in March this year.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said the police had information that some armed robbers were planning to rob a forex bureau at Achimota on April 23, 2010.
He said plain-clothes policemen were subsequently detailed to the location of the forex bureau to lay ambush.
He said unknown to the suspected robbers, the owner of the bureau did not open for business on that day.
According to him, the police rushed on the robbers to arrest them but succeeded in apprehending only Amewugah, while his other accomplices, including one identified only as Awudu, escaped.
ACP Yohuno said a foreign pistol with six rounds of ammunition was retrieved from Amewugah.
He said it was later gathered that Awudu had been part of the bullion van robbery at Teshie but he managed to escape to Nigeria and returned only recently.
On Agbanyo, he said the suspect sought refuge in Ho in the Volta Region after the raid on the diplomat’s house, during which one of the accomplices, John Kofi Fiagbedzi, alias Spider, was killed.
He said one of the robbery victims of Spider and his gang identified Agbanyo as the person who had shot him in his left arm at Sakumono and took away his Range Rover in January this year.
With regard to Oppong, ACP Yohuno said the suspect visited a friend of his, Kofi Appiah, the caretaker of a house at Adusa, near Pokuase, on November 9, 2009 to pass the night.
He explained that Appiah and Oppong were both natives of Apedwa in the Eastern Region.
According to ACP Yohuno, Oppong had heard that money had been sent to Appiah to continue with the construction of the house in which he was staying.
He said the suspect asked Appiah to give him part of the money but Appiah allegedly refused, resulting in a quarrel between them.
ACP Yohuno said about 1:30 a.m., the suspect entered Appiah’s room, picked a bottle and hit Appiah’s forehead with it when he saw Appiah lying supine.
He said Appiah, in an attempt to escape from the room, fell along the way and the suspect allegedly hit Appiah’s neck with an object, killing him instantly.
He said Oppong then took Appiah’s body and locked it in a room, after which he took away two LCD television sets, ladies’ bags, pieces of cloth and a travelling bag.
ACP Yohuno said the suspect later gave the items to his girlfriend for safekeeping.
He said investigations led to Oppong’s arrest last Friday when he was about to board a vehicle at La Paz, a suburb of Accra.
On Asiedu, ACP Yohuno said a chop box loaded with toilet rolls and covered with fake dollar notes was arrested yesterday morning when he and his accomplices, yet to be identified, wanted to double money for an unsuspecting client.
He said two Qurans, two whisks and some beads (tasbars) were retrieved from the suspect.
And Palmer-Buckle wept!
Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 10, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, broke down in tears on several occasions on Sunday, May 8, 2010, as he preached a sermon of forgiveness and reconciliation at the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church (MUCC).
The church was the same venue where last Sunday some irate members desecrated parts of the buildings in protest against some policies and demands of the Metropolitan Archbishop who was expected at the church for a confirmation service.
Not only was the visit to the MUCC unannounced; the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle also acknowledged that it was the second time he was shedding tears since joining the priesthood.
Intermittently breaking down in tears as he delivered the sermon, the Metropolitan Archbishop urged the congregation to use the unhappy incident to begin a new life by forging ahead in unity, love and peace.
“If, in any way, I have offended anyone, either by my utterances or actions, I ask for forgiveness for myself and for my priests,” he said and urged them to leave behind them the sad incident that occurred at the precincts of the church during his visit there last week.
“We can’t let our hearts be troubled or be afraid because of what happened here last Sunday,” he told the congregation in a sermon.
He reminded them that the church was not a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners, as Jesus Christ indicated in Luke 5:31-32, that “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts.”
He, therefore, urged them to acknowledge their faults together and resolve them, for God might have a good purpose for what happened.
According to him, the congregation could not afford to let the world believe that they did the unthinkable or that the church was at loggerheads with itself.
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said what happened at the precincts of the church, the timing of the incident and its nature made him convinced that the perpetrators were neither Christians nor members of the MUCC.
He said the church had a duty to pray for the perpetrators so that the Holy Spirit would draw them to Christ.
He reminded the parishioners that the martyrs of Uganda were the pride of the church and pride of the lay apostolate, as the 22 men and women, including a 14-year-old boy, Kizito, died for their faith.
“I love you all. I need your love. Please love your priests, love one another,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Parish Pastoral Council of the MUCC has rendered an unqualified apology for the incident.
It said an investigative committee had been set up to look into the incident and urged anyone who had information on the incident to get in touch with the committee.
A statement issued by the PPC and read during yesterday’s church service noted that a date for repentance, renewal and re-dedication of the church would be announced later.
Members of the MUCC on May 2, 2010 received a rude shock when they turned up for worship only to find the sanctity of the church desecrated with human excreta and offensive posters by unknown persons.
The act was said to have been carried out at 3 a.m. in protest against some policies and demands of the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle, who was expected at the church for a confirmation service.
The first church service, which was to begin at 6:30 a.m., was delayed, as members had to wait for the mess and the strong stench which filled the air to be cleansed. The service eventually took place without any incident.
The perpetrators also tampered with the electrical works, ceiling fans and public address system of the church.
Story: Albert K. Salia
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, broke down in tears on several occasions on Sunday, May 8, 2010, as he preached a sermon of forgiveness and reconciliation at the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church (MUCC).
The church was the same venue where last Sunday some irate members desecrated parts of the buildings in protest against some policies and demands of the Metropolitan Archbishop who was expected at the church for a confirmation service.
Not only was the visit to the MUCC unannounced; the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle also acknowledged that it was the second time he was shedding tears since joining the priesthood.
Intermittently breaking down in tears as he delivered the sermon, the Metropolitan Archbishop urged the congregation to use the unhappy incident to begin a new life by forging ahead in unity, love and peace.
“If, in any way, I have offended anyone, either by my utterances or actions, I ask for forgiveness for myself and for my priests,” he said and urged them to leave behind them the sad incident that occurred at the precincts of the church during his visit there last week.
“We can’t let our hearts be troubled or be afraid because of what happened here last Sunday,” he told the congregation in a sermon.
He reminded them that the church was not a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners, as Jesus Christ indicated in Luke 5:31-32, that “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts.”
He, therefore, urged them to acknowledge their faults together and resolve them, for God might have a good purpose for what happened.
According to him, the congregation could not afford to let the world believe that they did the unthinkable or that the church was at loggerheads with itself.
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said what happened at the precincts of the church, the timing of the incident and its nature made him convinced that the perpetrators were neither Christians nor members of the MUCC.
He said the church had a duty to pray for the perpetrators so that the Holy Spirit would draw them to Christ.
He reminded the parishioners that the martyrs of Uganda were the pride of the church and pride of the lay apostolate, as the 22 men and women, including a 14-year-old boy, Kizito, died for their faith.
“I love you all. I need your love. Please love your priests, love one another,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Parish Pastoral Council of the MUCC has rendered an unqualified apology for the incident.
It said an investigative committee had been set up to look into the incident and urged anyone who had information on the incident to get in touch with the committee.
A statement issued by the PPC and read during yesterday’s church service noted that a date for repentance, renewal and re-dedication of the church would be announced later.
Members of the MUCC on May 2, 2010 received a rude shock when they turned up for worship only to find the sanctity of the church desecrated with human excreta and offensive posters by unknown persons.
The act was said to have been carried out at 3 a.m. in protest against some policies and demands of the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle, who was expected at the church for a confirmation service.
The first church service, which was to begin at 6:30 a.m., was delayed, as members had to wait for the mess and the strong stench which filled the air to be cleansed. The service eventually took place without any incident.
The perpetrators also tampered with the electrical works, ceiling fans and public address system of the church.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Headmistress held for indecent assault of nursery pupils
Pages 16/17: Daily Graphic, May 7, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE headmistress of a nursery school at the Mallam Atta Market in Accra has been arrested for alleged indecent assault on pupils of the nursery.
The suspect, Cornelia Garbah, is currently on bail and is due to appear before court on May 10, 2010.
Four of her victims have so far been identified.
Cornelia has, however, denied any wrongdoing.
The Tesano Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Bossoh, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that a couple reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service on April 26, 2010 that Cornelia had been inserting her fingers into the vagina of their seven-year-old daughter.
He said as a part of the report issued by a medical officer after examining the victim, it was indicated that the victim had told the medical officer that Cornelia had been doing it to other girls.
According to Chief Supt Bossoh, the police went to the school to invite the headmistress for questioning and also to identify the other victims.
He said when the three other victims were identified, they all confirmed that Cornelia had been inserting her fingers into their private parts while they were on break.
He said the victims also showed the police the corner in the suspect’s office where she had been inserting her fingers into their private parts.
Chief Supt Bossoh said the victims alleged that Cornelia oftentimes sent anyone of them to buy either water or porridge for her during the break period.
Upon their return, he said, the suspect took them to the corner in her office to commit the offence, after which she would warn them not to tell anyone.
Chief Supt Bossoh said the victims claimed that each time they screamed for help, Cornelia shouted at them to keep quiet, saying that the victims claimed the act had been repeated several times.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE headmistress of a nursery school at the Mallam Atta Market in Accra has been arrested for alleged indecent assault on pupils of the nursery.
The suspect, Cornelia Garbah, is currently on bail and is due to appear before court on May 10, 2010.
Four of her victims have so far been identified.
Cornelia has, however, denied any wrongdoing.
The Tesano Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Bossoh, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that a couple reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service on April 26, 2010 that Cornelia had been inserting her fingers into the vagina of their seven-year-old daughter.
He said as a part of the report issued by a medical officer after examining the victim, it was indicated that the victim had told the medical officer that Cornelia had been doing it to other girls.
According to Chief Supt Bossoh, the police went to the school to invite the headmistress for questioning and also to identify the other victims.
He said when the three other victims were identified, they all confirmed that Cornelia had been inserting her fingers into their private parts while they were on break.
He said the victims also showed the police the corner in the suspect’s office where she had been inserting her fingers into their private parts.
Chief Supt Bossoh said the victims alleged that Cornelia oftentimes sent anyone of them to buy either water or porridge for her during the break period.
Upon their return, he said, the suspect took them to the corner in her office to commit the offence, after which she would warn them not to tell anyone.
Chief Supt Bossoh said the victims claimed that each time they screamed for help, Cornelia shouted at them to keep quiet, saying that the victims claimed the act had been repeated several times.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Bureau receives 864 cases against policemen
Page 46: Daily Graphic, May 5, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) received 864 complaints from all parts of the country against police personnel last year.
Investigations into 551 of the complaints have been completed while 313 cases are still under investigation.
The complaints bordered on extortion, 47; misconduct, 243; misappropriation of exhibits, 53; unprofessional handling of cases, 136, and unlawful arrest and detention, 79.
The rest are police brutality, 67; meddling in civil cases, 96; withholding of exhibits, 66, and harassment and intimidation, 78.
Forty-nine of the police personnel were dismissed in 2009 and 43 interdicted while seven have so far been dismissed in 2010 with 37 on interdiction.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, who disclosed this in an interview, explained that other personnel whose offences did not warrant dismissals suffered other forms of punishment including reduction in rank.
He said he made it a policy on assumption of office in May last year that for him to succeed, he had to ensure that the service would not tolerate any offensive acts or misdeeds.
Mr Quaye said such a move was essential to winning the trust and confidence of the people especially the informants.
According to him, the image-cleansing exercise that he declared was paying off as people were not just reporting the misdeeds of police personnel, but that the offenders got punished.
He said personnel who were found to be indulging in criminal practices were dismissed, particularly those who blatantly got involved in crime or colluded with businessmen to defraud.
Mr Quaye said there was a policy in place to identify and flush out such criminal police personnel out of the service.
“The heat is on us because we do not want the public to see us as doing nothing about those criminal characters. We are cleansing ourselves so that we have policemen and women worthy of the uniform to remain and do their work in confidence,” he said.
The IGP said there were some personnel, both superiors and junior ranks, who were even exposing their colleagues to the Police Administration, saying “that should tell you things are now different”.
He said the Police Administration would tackle the image-cleansing agenda more robustly this year and gave the assurance that “we will purge ourselves”.
Mr Quaye said from the beginning of the year, he made it a policy to show a zero tolerance for robbery, respond promptly to distress calls and improve response time.
He said the Police Administration made use of its scarce resources and succeeded in achieving maximum returns.
Mr Quaye attributed the successes so far to the zoning of Accra/Tema into much smaller units and holding commanders accountable for any robberies.
“The credit should come to all of us, especially the informants who have partnered us effectively. For once, they have shown trust and confidence in the Police Administration. They openly come to us without fear of being exposed or cheated. This is something laudable,” he said.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) received 864 complaints from all parts of the country against police personnel last year.
Investigations into 551 of the complaints have been completed while 313 cases are still under investigation.
The complaints bordered on extortion, 47; misconduct, 243; misappropriation of exhibits, 53; unprofessional handling of cases, 136, and unlawful arrest and detention, 79.
The rest are police brutality, 67; meddling in civil cases, 96; withholding of exhibits, 66, and harassment and intimidation, 78.
Forty-nine of the police personnel were dismissed in 2009 and 43 interdicted while seven have so far been dismissed in 2010 with 37 on interdiction.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, who disclosed this in an interview, explained that other personnel whose offences did not warrant dismissals suffered other forms of punishment including reduction in rank.
He said he made it a policy on assumption of office in May last year that for him to succeed, he had to ensure that the service would not tolerate any offensive acts or misdeeds.
Mr Quaye said such a move was essential to winning the trust and confidence of the people especially the informants.
According to him, the image-cleansing exercise that he declared was paying off as people were not just reporting the misdeeds of police personnel, but that the offenders got punished.
He said personnel who were found to be indulging in criminal practices were dismissed, particularly those who blatantly got involved in crime or colluded with businessmen to defraud.
Mr Quaye said there was a policy in place to identify and flush out such criminal police personnel out of the service.
“The heat is on us because we do not want the public to see us as doing nothing about those criminal characters. We are cleansing ourselves so that we have policemen and women worthy of the uniform to remain and do their work in confidence,” he said.
The IGP said there were some personnel, both superiors and junior ranks, who were even exposing their colleagues to the Police Administration, saying “that should tell you things are now different”.
He said the Police Administration would tackle the image-cleansing agenda more robustly this year and gave the assurance that “we will purge ourselves”.
Mr Quaye said from the beginning of the year, he made it a policy to show a zero tolerance for robbery, respond promptly to distress calls and improve response time.
He said the Police Administration made use of its scarce resources and succeeded in achieving maximum returns.
Mr Quaye attributed the successes so far to the zoning of Accra/Tema into much smaller units and holding commanders accountable for any robberies.
“The credit should come to all of us, especially the informants who have partnered us effectively. For once, they have shown trust and confidence in the Police Administration. They openly come to us without fear of being exposed or cheated. This is something laudable,” he said.
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