Page One: November 17, 2007.
Story: Albert K. Salia
NINE people have been arrested in Accra and Kumasi by a Special Investigation Task Force for their alleged roles in the forgery of vital national documents which deprived the state of huge sums of money in domestic non-tax revenue.
They have been accused of conniving and condoning to forge and falsify official documents and pocketing the revenue that was due the state from the payment of fines, fees and charges.
They were arrested on the premises of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Births and Deaths Registry and are currently on bail.
With the exception of one of the suspects, the rest were described as middlemen.
They are Tahiru Chimburi, alias Djamba; Kojo Aboagye, James Amoako, all of whom were arrested at the DVLA offices in Accra, with Kenneth Afriyie Mensah and Ahmed Shamsudeen being arrested in Kumasi.
An official of the Births and Deaths Registry, Samuel Jojo Dolphyne, together with Ernest Amofa, 71, and his son, Nana Gyasi Amofa, and Daniel Kwasi Dwira were all arrested at the Births and Deaths Registry.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, told the Daily Graphic that the government had noticed a fall in the non-tax revenue from sources other than taxation from which traditionally most of the domestic revenue was derived.
He said although non-tax revenue had increased steadily since 2002, its mobilisation had encountered various revenue leakage problems.
The leakage, he said, included syndicates running parallel operations to duplicate and falsify documents and services provided by various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), thereby siphoning revenue which should accrue to the state.
On the methods employed, he said some corrupt MDA officials intentionally slowed down service delivery to create the environment to extort money from clients.
Others, he said, were involved in outright stealing and non lodgement of revenue collected on behalf of the government, poor accounting and reporting of revenue receipts.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said to curtail these bottlenecks, he had requested the services of the security agencies to help apprehend the perpetrators of those crimes against the state and ensure that they were prosecuted.
He said as a result, the Special Investigation Task Force was set up to embark on the exercise to stamp out the illegal operators to help minimise revenue loss to the state.
He said the exercise, which had started at the DVLA and the Births and Deaths Registry, would cover the Registrar-General’s Department and all such agencies throughout the country.
Mr Baah-Wiredu noted that members of the task force, for instance, gave out false information to some of the people arrested to process road worthy certificates, international drivers’ licences and birth certificates.
He said although the suspects refused to mention their accomplices working in those institutions, information gathered was that apart from collecting tips, the officials often pocketed the money that was due the state because of poor accounting practices and the complicity of some accounts staff.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Two in custody over ¢2.4 billion theft
Page 50: November 8, 2007.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A Senior accountant at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) and an Accra-based businessman have been grabbed in the latest scandal to hit the CAGD.
Seth Bosompem, the accountant, and Stephen Trevor Hosiosky, alias Anderson Lokko, are in custody for allegedly defrauding the state of GH ¢245,645.73 (¢2.4 billion). They were arrested when they went to the bank to cash the money.
A source close to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the CAGD, on September 12, 2007, received a letter from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to pay Facol Roads Limited GH¢245,645.73 for road marking and traffic signs undertaken on the Kumasi - Mampong, Mankessim - Tetsi, Ejisu - Kumawu - Wuraso, Obuasi - Dunkwa - Ayanfuri and Kumasi - Sunyani roads.
It said Bosompem accordingly processed payment documents and sent them to a Deputy Controller, Madam Grace Adzroe, on September 19, 2007 to be signed.
It said the documents were then forwarded to the Bank of Ghana (BOG) to credit the accounts of the Ministry of Transportation in favour of Facol Roads Ltd.
According to the source, Bosompem, on September 24, 2007, again used the same Ministry of Finance release letter to process another document and this time gave it to the Controller and Accountant General, Mr Christian Sottie, to sign and the letter was instructing the BOG to pay the same amount to the accounts of the Ministry of Transportation in favour of Facol Roads Ltd.
It said this time round, Bosompem forged a Facol Roads Ltd letter directing the BOG to make direct payment into a personal account number 006020202331 being operated at the Airport Resedential Area branch of the Zenith Bank.
The source said it was later detected that the account was owned by Stephen Trevor Hosiosky.
He said the bank detected that the account name did not tally with the account number in their books and alerted Mr Sottie to cross-check the accounts details.
The BNI was then informed to investigate the matter.
According to the source, Stephen went to Zenith Bank on October 19, 2007 to fill a transfer form for the money to be transferred into his personal account and he went to the bank on October 26, 2006 to cash the money but was arrested.
It said a cheque with the face value of ¢360 million which Stephen had issued in the name of Boskin Company Ltd of which Bosompem was a director was retrieved from him.
It said Stephen mentioned Bosompem as his accomplice after he was arrested.
The source said when Bosompem was arrested, he did not deny the allegations.
The source said they had been provisionally charged with conspiracy, forgery of official documents and attempted stealing.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A Senior accountant at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) and an Accra-based businessman have been grabbed in the latest scandal to hit the CAGD.
Seth Bosompem, the accountant, and Stephen Trevor Hosiosky, alias Anderson Lokko, are in custody for allegedly defrauding the state of GH ¢245,645.73 (¢2.4 billion). They were arrested when they went to the bank to cash the money.
A source close to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the CAGD, on September 12, 2007, received a letter from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to pay Facol Roads Limited GH¢245,645.73 for road marking and traffic signs undertaken on the Kumasi - Mampong, Mankessim - Tetsi, Ejisu - Kumawu - Wuraso, Obuasi - Dunkwa - Ayanfuri and Kumasi - Sunyani roads.
It said Bosompem accordingly processed payment documents and sent them to a Deputy Controller, Madam Grace Adzroe, on September 19, 2007 to be signed.
It said the documents were then forwarded to the Bank of Ghana (BOG) to credit the accounts of the Ministry of Transportation in favour of Facol Roads Ltd.
According to the source, Bosompem, on September 24, 2007, again used the same Ministry of Finance release letter to process another document and this time gave it to the Controller and Accountant General, Mr Christian Sottie, to sign and the letter was instructing the BOG to pay the same amount to the accounts of the Ministry of Transportation in favour of Facol Roads Ltd.
It said this time round, Bosompem forged a Facol Roads Ltd letter directing the BOG to make direct payment into a personal account number 006020202331 being operated at the Airport Resedential Area branch of the Zenith Bank.
The source said it was later detected that the account was owned by Stephen Trevor Hosiosky.
He said the bank detected that the account name did not tally with the account number in their books and alerted Mr Sottie to cross-check the accounts details.
The BNI was then informed to investigate the matter.
According to the source, Stephen went to Zenith Bank on October 19, 2007 to fill a transfer form for the money to be transferred into his personal account and he went to the bank on October 26, 2006 to cash the money but was arrested.
It said a cheque with the face value of ¢360 million which Stephen had issued in the name of Boskin Company Ltd of which Bosompem was a director was retrieved from him.
It said Stephen mentioned Bosompem as his accomplice after he was arrested.
The source said when Bosompem was arrested, he did not deny the allegations.
The source said they had been provisionally charged with conspiracy, forgery of official documents and attempted stealing.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Deputy IGP defies IGP
Story: Albert K. Salia
TWO of the three most senior officers in the Ghana Police Service, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and his deputy in charge of Operations are embroiled in a war of words.
While the Police Council, in a letter dated August 24, 2007 and signed by the IGP, Mr P. K. Acheampong, has directed Dr Kofi Kesse Manfo, his deputy, to retire with effect from September 1, 2007, Dr Manfo has, on the other hand, challenged the directive, describing it as unlawful.
However, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, when reached on phone in the Sandema District of the Upper East Region, said the decision reached by the Police Council was irreversible and that Dr Manfo had to go on retirement.
He said he had spoken to Dr Manfo, who had expressed regret about the tone of a letter he wrote to the IGP in response to the directive from the Police Council and indicated his willingness to withdraw the letter and proceed on leave prior to retirement.
In the letter, the Police Council requested Dr Manfo, as well as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Douglas Akrofi-Asiedu and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Victor Tandoh to proceed on their terminal leave with effect from September 1, 2007.
The letter reminded them “to respond to paragraphs four, five and six of this Headquarters letter No. PO1100/269 on the above subject dated February 28, 2006.”
It drew their attention to a circular No. 22/SF 11/115 dated February 15, 1982 regarding accommodation in the service.
“You will accordingly enjoy 63 days grace from September 1, 2007 to November 2, 2007 and vacate your official residence immediately after that date,” it added.
But in a sharp rebuttal, Dr Manfo said in a letter in response that the order for him to retire could not be complied with because the directive was unlawful as the IGP acted ultra vires.
He indicated that he was shocked by the notice of the IGP.
That, the letter said, was because Dr Manfo was appointed as Deputy IGP by the President the same day the IGP was also appointed.
Dr Manfo said his position and that of the IGP were presidential appointments and consequently, it was the President who could ask either of them to retire.
“It is not you or any other authority who asks or serves us to retire,” Dr Manfo added.
He explained that if in the wisdom of the President any of his appointees needed to be replaced, retired or redeployed, he did so and that was not based on age.
Dr Manfo reminded the IGP that under the 1992 Constitution, the President had the prerogative to extend any appointee’s tenure, saying that “you cannot decide this for the President. If you do this, you will be usurping his powers”.
“If you feel I have to be retired, the way forward for you is to write to the President through the Minister for the Interior or the Police Council for his decision,” he stated.
Some senior police officers who spoke to the Daily Graphic were divided on the issue.
While some felt that the Police Council was right in its decision, others sided with Dr Manfo.
For others, the way and manner in which the issue was put in the media created the impression that it was an attempt to slight Dr Manfo.
They were of the view that the IGP could write to those occupying administrative positions such as Mr Akrofi-Asiedu and Mr Tandoh and not political appointees.
When the acting Police Public Affairs Director, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Kwesi Ofori, was contacted, he declined to comment.
TWO of the three most senior officers in the Ghana Police Service, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and his deputy in charge of Operations are embroiled in a war of words.
While the Police Council, in a letter dated August 24, 2007 and signed by the IGP, Mr P. K. Acheampong, has directed Dr Kofi Kesse Manfo, his deputy, to retire with effect from September 1, 2007, Dr Manfo has, on the other hand, challenged the directive, describing it as unlawful.
However, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, when reached on phone in the Sandema District of the Upper East Region, said the decision reached by the Police Council was irreversible and that Dr Manfo had to go on retirement.
He said he had spoken to Dr Manfo, who had expressed regret about the tone of a letter he wrote to the IGP in response to the directive from the Police Council and indicated his willingness to withdraw the letter and proceed on leave prior to retirement.
In the letter, the Police Council requested Dr Manfo, as well as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Douglas Akrofi-Asiedu and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Victor Tandoh to proceed on their terminal leave with effect from September 1, 2007.
The letter reminded them “to respond to paragraphs four, five and six of this Headquarters letter No. PO1100/269 on the above subject dated February 28, 2006.”
It drew their attention to a circular No. 22/SF 11/115 dated February 15, 1982 regarding accommodation in the service.
“You will accordingly enjoy 63 days grace from September 1, 2007 to November 2, 2007 and vacate your official residence immediately after that date,” it added.
But in a sharp rebuttal, Dr Manfo said in a letter in response that the order for him to retire could not be complied with because the directive was unlawful as the IGP acted ultra vires.
He indicated that he was shocked by the notice of the IGP.
That, the letter said, was because Dr Manfo was appointed as Deputy IGP by the President the same day the IGP was also appointed.
Dr Manfo said his position and that of the IGP were presidential appointments and consequently, it was the President who could ask either of them to retire.
“It is not you or any other authority who asks or serves us to retire,” Dr Manfo added.
He explained that if in the wisdom of the President any of his appointees needed to be replaced, retired or redeployed, he did so and that was not based on age.
Dr Manfo reminded the IGP that under the 1992 Constitution, the President had the prerogative to extend any appointee’s tenure, saying that “you cannot decide this for the President. If you do this, you will be usurping his powers”.
“If you feel I have to be retired, the way forward for you is to write to the President through the Minister for the Interior or the Police Council for his decision,” he stated.
Some senior police officers who spoke to the Daily Graphic were divided on the issue.
While some felt that the Police Council was right in its decision, others sided with Dr Manfo.
For others, the way and manner in which the issue was put in the media created the impression that it was an attempt to slight Dr Manfo.
They were of the view that the IGP could write to those occupying administrative positions such as Mr Akrofi-Asiedu and Mr Tandoh and not political appointees.
When the acting Police Public Affairs Director, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Kwesi Ofori, was contacted, he declined to comment.
Man convicted for assaulting wife
Story: Albert K. Salia
Before proceeding to serve a five-year jail term, a 27-year-old convict yesterday turned to his wife and asked, “would you wait for me or marry another man?”
There was no answer for the man, Kwadwo Akyedee, who had been convicted for assaulting and causing harm to his two-year-old step-daughter.
Akyedee was said to have bitten the right cheek, left arm and the chest of his victim and used a cane to whip her leaving scars on her back.
The Public Relations Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), Inspector Irene Oppong, told the Daily Graphic that the victim’s mother, Madam Dina Bamante, left the little girl in the custody of her husband while she went to the market.
On her return, Madam Bamante observed marks of human bite on the victim’s right cheek, left arm and the chest.
Inspector Oppong said when Madam Bamante questioned Akyedee, he denied knowledge but later admitted that he bite her to stop her from crying.
She said at another time, a concerned citizen living in the same area saw Akyedee lashing the the victim at the back.
She said when the concerned citizen, who was the complainant in the case, questioned Akyedee as to why he was beating the little girl so inhumanely, he said he gave a chamber pot to the victim to ease herself but she rather did it on the floor.
According to Inspector Oppong, the complainant rushed to the Nungua Police to report a case of assault and abuse of the little girl by Akyedee.
She said the victim was currently on admission at the Police Hospital.
Before proceeding to serve a five-year jail term, a 27-year-old convict yesterday turned to his wife and asked, “would you wait for me or marry another man?”
There was no answer for the man, Kwadwo Akyedee, who had been convicted for assaulting and causing harm to his two-year-old step-daughter.
Akyedee was said to have bitten the right cheek, left arm and the chest of his victim and used a cane to whip her leaving scars on her back.
The Public Relations Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), Inspector Irene Oppong, told the Daily Graphic that the victim’s mother, Madam Dina Bamante, left the little girl in the custody of her husband while she went to the market.
On her return, Madam Bamante observed marks of human bite on the victim’s right cheek, left arm and the chest.
Inspector Oppong said when Madam Bamante questioned Akyedee, he denied knowledge but later admitted that he bite her to stop her from crying.
She said at another time, a concerned citizen living in the same area saw Akyedee lashing the the victim at the back.
She said when the concerned citizen, who was the complainant in the case, questioned Akyedee as to why he was beating the little girl so inhumanely, he said he gave a chamber pot to the victim to ease herself but she rather did it on the floor.
According to Inspector Oppong, the complainant rushed to the Nungua Police to report a case of assault and abuse of the little girl by Akyedee.
She said the victim was currently on admission at the Police Hospital.
IGP warns personnel
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Acheampong, has demanded punitive action against personnel of the Ghana Police Service who are found to have applied excessive use of force against suspects.
He said such erring officers could face criminal prosecution and civil law suits, as well as liability for administrative disciplinary action, which could lead to their dismissal from the service.
The order came with a directive to all regional, divisional, district and unit commanders to organise durbars to educate police personnel under them on the limits permissible for use of force and the salient points of the Constitution, the Criminal Code and Service Instructions.
It comes in the wake of allegations of brutalities made against some security personnel including that which ended in the death of a driver, George Atuah, in the custody of the police at Suhum.
Elaborating on the directive in an interview yesterday, the acting Police Public Affairs Director, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, said the IGP issued the warning in a circular to all the commanders following public complaints about police brutalities on civilians.
DSP Ofori said the IGP conceded that the police had the legal authority to use force to execute certain tasks but such force was prescribed by law.
He said the use of force by personnel of the service in recent times had given cause for much concern by the Police Administration hence the issuance of the circular.
“It must always be borne in mind that the use of force outside the limits permissible by law may bring the Police Service into disrepute,” he noted.
The IGP, he said, reminded the personnel that Article 15 (2) of the Constitution frowned on torture and other kinds of degrading treatment.
He said the IGP reminded the personnel further that Section 31 of the Criminal Code, 1960 stipulated the grounds on which force might be used by any person against another and that included members of the Ghana Police Service.
“Notably, Sections 32 to 45 of the Criminal Code then give further explanation of the grounds for the use of force as mentioned in Section 31 of the Code,” he added.
As regards the use of force by means of firearms, the IGP reminded the personnel that Service Instruction Number 97 provided the guidelines for personnel as to when they were justified to use force by way of firearms.
Those, he said, included when attacked by an armed criminal and the officer’s life was in immediate danger and all other means of defending himself had provided ineffective.
DSP Ofori said Mr Acheampong reminded the personnel that they could also used firearms to effect the dispersal of a riotous mob which was attacking or attempting to attack life and property, to prevent the escape or to effect the arrest or recapture of a person convicted of a serious felony or under arrest charged with a felony and to effect the arrest of a person who had committed a felony and was resisting arrest my armed force in such a manner as to endanger the life of the police officer concerned.
He entreated members of the public to co-operate with the police in law enforcement and the general maintenance of law and order.
He advised the public against doing anything to compromise law enforcement.
DSP Ofori said the public needed to co-operate with the police during arrests, random stops and searches and any police operation.
He said the police would continue to enlist public support in the discharge of their duties.
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Acheampong, has demanded punitive action against personnel of the Ghana Police Service who are found to have applied excessive use of force against suspects.
He said such erring officers could face criminal prosecution and civil law suits, as well as liability for administrative disciplinary action, which could lead to their dismissal from the service.
The order came with a directive to all regional, divisional, district and unit commanders to organise durbars to educate police personnel under them on the limits permissible for use of force and the salient points of the Constitution, the Criminal Code and Service Instructions.
It comes in the wake of allegations of brutalities made against some security personnel including that which ended in the death of a driver, George Atuah, in the custody of the police at Suhum.
Elaborating on the directive in an interview yesterday, the acting Police Public Affairs Director, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, said the IGP issued the warning in a circular to all the commanders following public complaints about police brutalities on civilians.
DSP Ofori said the IGP conceded that the police had the legal authority to use force to execute certain tasks but such force was prescribed by law.
He said the use of force by personnel of the service in recent times had given cause for much concern by the Police Administration hence the issuance of the circular.
“It must always be borne in mind that the use of force outside the limits permissible by law may bring the Police Service into disrepute,” he noted.
The IGP, he said, reminded the personnel that Article 15 (2) of the Constitution frowned on torture and other kinds of degrading treatment.
He said the IGP reminded the personnel further that Section 31 of the Criminal Code, 1960 stipulated the grounds on which force might be used by any person against another and that included members of the Ghana Police Service.
“Notably, Sections 32 to 45 of the Criminal Code then give further explanation of the grounds for the use of force as mentioned in Section 31 of the Code,” he added.
As regards the use of force by means of firearms, the IGP reminded the personnel that Service Instruction Number 97 provided the guidelines for personnel as to when they were justified to use force by way of firearms.
Those, he said, included when attacked by an armed criminal and the officer’s life was in immediate danger and all other means of defending himself had provided ineffective.
DSP Ofori said Mr Acheampong reminded the personnel that they could also used firearms to effect the dispersal of a riotous mob which was attacking or attempting to attack life and property, to prevent the escape or to effect the arrest or recapture of a person convicted of a serious felony or under arrest charged with a felony and to effect the arrest of a person who had committed a felony and was resisting arrest my armed force in such a manner as to endanger the life of the police officer concerned.
He entreated members of the public to co-operate with the police in law enforcement and the general maintenance of law and order.
He advised the public against doing anything to compromise law enforcement.
DSP Ofori said the public needed to co-operate with the police during arrests, random stops and searches and any police operation.
He said the police would continue to enlist public support in the discharge of their duties.
Murder suspect arrested
Story: Albert K. Salia
TWO years after a love relation had turned sour and resulted in the gruesome murder of a man with the alleged connivance of his wife, the police are closing in on the perpetrators.
So far, five of the perpetrators have been arrested, the latest of whom was arrested by the police at the weekend from his hideout at Somanya in the Eastern Region.
Kofi Gumego, the suspect, had been in hiding since the murder of Stanilus Noah Tetteh at dawn of May 30, 2005.
The only person yet to be arrested is Stella Tetteh-Teikunor, wife of the deceased, who absconded after her alleged involvement was disclosed by one of the suspects.
Those arrested are Dade Wayo, Yao Davordzi alias Alhaji, Gabriel Obo Kudjo and Ahia Gumego, currently on bail.
A source close to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the arrest of Gumego should send a signal to Stella and all other criminals that they could run but could not hide from the law no matter how long it would take.
Recalling the incident, the source said Stella made a report to the Kwabenya Police at about 4 a.m. on May 30, 2005 that some men broke into her house at about 2 a.m. and attacked them.
It said Stella claimed she could not find her husband after the attack.
The source said a police team went to her house and detected that the main door had not been tampered with although the door to the master bedroom had been broken into.
It said the deceased was found lying in a prone position in front of his bed in a pool of blood and had multiple wounds on his face and at the back of his head.
According to the source, a man identified only as Michael, who lived with the couple, told the police team that he (Michael) opened the door to let in the deceased who had returned home at about 10 p.m. on May 29, 2005.
It said a few minutes later, Stella also came home after which he (Michael) locked the main gate and the main door to the house.
It said Michael said he later heard Stella knocking on the door to the bedroom but the deceased did not open it, resulting in Stella telling the deceased that she was going to sleep in the hall.
Michael, the police said, claimed he heard Stella scream and then later the deceased shouted “who was that” and then a bang on a door.
According to the source, Michael said a man entered his room to attack him but after a struggle the attacker escaped.
It said Michael said he later came out of the room to see the main door ajar and scaled the wall to a house two doors away from the deceased’s residence to call a police patrol team.
The source said when the police probed Stella further, she then said the attackers had tied her hands and asked her to lead them to her husband’s room where she saw the men kill him.
It said Stella further alleged that the attackers also ransacked her husband’s car before leaving after which she boarded a car to the police station to lodge a complaint.
The police said a brother of the deceased, Mr Adam Tetteh, told the police that the deceased had told him that he had on some months earlier received an anonymous call and the caller had told him (deceased) that Stella had hired their services at a cost of $9,000 to kill him.
According to the police, when Stella was confronted by the deceased and his brother, she admitted taking $9,000 from her husband but denied that it was meant to pay the services of people hired to kill him.
The source said Stella reportedly returned the money to the deceased after that confrontation.
It said the relationship between the couple became strained thereafter.
It said further investigations revealed that between March and April 2005, Stella allegedly sought the assistance of Ahia Gumego, a fetish priest at Agyekpo-Somanya, to use his spiritual powers to kill the deceased.
The source said Stella later approached Ahia Gumego to resort to physical means to kill the deceased, since the spiritual means was delaying and allegedly promised to pay him GH¢5,000 (¢50 million).
It said Ahia later recruited the suspects including his brother, Kofi Gumego, to execute the job.
The police said the suspects went to New Ashongman on board a Tico taxi and parked a few metres away from the deceased’s house.
According to the police, Gabriel and the taxi driver were left behind in the taxi while the rest scaled the wall of the deceased’s house, murdered him and took some of his personal belongings away.
“It was at this stage that Stella, in order to cover her involvement, feigned injury and went to lodge a complaint with the Kwabenya police,” it added.
The source said the autopsy report indicated that the deceased died from depressed fractures of skull and sharp object head injuries.
TWO years after a love relation had turned sour and resulted in the gruesome murder of a man with the alleged connivance of his wife, the police are closing in on the perpetrators.
So far, five of the perpetrators have been arrested, the latest of whom was arrested by the police at the weekend from his hideout at Somanya in the Eastern Region.
Kofi Gumego, the suspect, had been in hiding since the murder of Stanilus Noah Tetteh at dawn of May 30, 2005.
The only person yet to be arrested is Stella Tetteh-Teikunor, wife of the deceased, who absconded after her alleged involvement was disclosed by one of the suspects.
Those arrested are Dade Wayo, Yao Davordzi alias Alhaji, Gabriel Obo Kudjo and Ahia Gumego, currently on bail.
A source close to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the arrest of Gumego should send a signal to Stella and all other criminals that they could run but could not hide from the law no matter how long it would take.
Recalling the incident, the source said Stella made a report to the Kwabenya Police at about 4 a.m. on May 30, 2005 that some men broke into her house at about 2 a.m. and attacked them.
It said Stella claimed she could not find her husband after the attack.
The source said a police team went to her house and detected that the main door had not been tampered with although the door to the master bedroom had been broken into.
It said the deceased was found lying in a prone position in front of his bed in a pool of blood and had multiple wounds on his face and at the back of his head.
According to the source, a man identified only as Michael, who lived with the couple, told the police team that he (Michael) opened the door to let in the deceased who had returned home at about 10 p.m. on May 29, 2005.
It said a few minutes later, Stella also came home after which he (Michael) locked the main gate and the main door to the house.
It said Michael said he later heard Stella knocking on the door to the bedroom but the deceased did not open it, resulting in Stella telling the deceased that she was going to sleep in the hall.
Michael, the police said, claimed he heard Stella scream and then later the deceased shouted “who was that” and then a bang on a door.
According to the source, Michael said a man entered his room to attack him but after a struggle the attacker escaped.
It said Michael said he later came out of the room to see the main door ajar and scaled the wall to a house two doors away from the deceased’s residence to call a police patrol team.
The source said when the police probed Stella further, she then said the attackers had tied her hands and asked her to lead them to her husband’s room where she saw the men kill him.
It said Stella further alleged that the attackers also ransacked her husband’s car before leaving after which she boarded a car to the police station to lodge a complaint.
The police said a brother of the deceased, Mr Adam Tetteh, told the police that the deceased had told him that he had on some months earlier received an anonymous call and the caller had told him (deceased) that Stella had hired their services at a cost of $9,000 to kill him.
According to the police, when Stella was confronted by the deceased and his brother, she admitted taking $9,000 from her husband but denied that it was meant to pay the services of people hired to kill him.
The source said Stella reportedly returned the money to the deceased after that confrontation.
It said the relationship between the couple became strained thereafter.
It said further investigations revealed that between March and April 2005, Stella allegedly sought the assistance of Ahia Gumego, a fetish priest at Agyekpo-Somanya, to use his spiritual powers to kill the deceased.
The source said Stella later approached Ahia Gumego to resort to physical means to kill the deceased, since the spiritual means was delaying and allegedly promised to pay him GH¢5,000 (¢50 million).
It said Ahia later recruited the suspects including his brother, Kofi Gumego, to execute the job.
The police said the suspects went to New Ashongman on board a Tico taxi and parked a few metres away from the deceased’s house.
According to the police, Gabriel and the taxi driver were left behind in the taxi while the rest scaled the wall of the deceased’s house, murdered him and took some of his personal belongings away.
“It was at this stage that Stella, in order to cover her involvement, feigned injury and went to lodge a complaint with the Kwabenya police,” it added.
The source said the autopsy report indicated that the deceased died from depressed fractures of skull and sharp object head injuries.
Hearing impairment of 2000 persons saved
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Audiology Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has salvaged the future of more than 2,000 persons who would have otherwise ended up at any of the country’s schools for the deaf.
Eighteen months into the operation of the unit, known as the Hearing Assessment Centre, a third of the number were referred for hearing aid.
The head of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department of the hospital, Dr E. D. Kitcher, told the Daily Graphic that it had been established that 209 of the children, whose parents claimed they could not talk, were found to have hearing impairment.
He said after the provision of some hearing aid, the children were now talking and in the mainstream educational institution.
The hospital invested more than ¢1.4 billion to establish a new Hearing Assessment Centre and received support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which provided the equipment valued at $100,000.
It is furnished with the latest equipment to assess hearing disabilities in humans, from infants to the aged.
Dr Kitcher said since the establishment of the centre, the hearing capabilities of day-old babies were being examined for rectification.
He described the setting up of the centre as a good decision by the management of the hospital and that in developed countries, the Hearing Assessment Centre was the first point of call for persons visiting the ENT Departments.
That, he explained, was because an assessment would help the ENT specialist do a proper diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Dr Kitcher said the unit currently needed £23,000 to sponsor one medical person to train in the fixing of hearing aids and appealed to philanthropists for support.
He said admission had already been secured for the person but the Ministry of Health said it did not have the funds to sponsor the person.
He said currently, patients who needed hearing aid were referred to private institutions which had them.
Dr Kitcher said if the centre had the requisite trained personnel to fix the hearing aid, it would save the patient some cost.
THE Audiology Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has salvaged the future of more than 2,000 persons who would have otherwise ended up at any of the country’s schools for the deaf.
Eighteen months into the operation of the unit, known as the Hearing Assessment Centre, a third of the number were referred for hearing aid.
The head of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department of the hospital, Dr E. D. Kitcher, told the Daily Graphic that it had been established that 209 of the children, whose parents claimed they could not talk, were found to have hearing impairment.
He said after the provision of some hearing aid, the children were now talking and in the mainstream educational institution.
The hospital invested more than ¢1.4 billion to establish a new Hearing Assessment Centre and received support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which provided the equipment valued at $100,000.
It is furnished with the latest equipment to assess hearing disabilities in humans, from infants to the aged.
Dr Kitcher said since the establishment of the centre, the hearing capabilities of day-old babies were being examined for rectification.
He described the setting up of the centre as a good decision by the management of the hospital and that in developed countries, the Hearing Assessment Centre was the first point of call for persons visiting the ENT Departments.
That, he explained, was because an assessment would help the ENT specialist do a proper diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Dr Kitcher said the unit currently needed £23,000 to sponsor one medical person to train in the fixing of hearing aids and appealed to philanthropists for support.
He said admission had already been secured for the person but the Ministry of Health said it did not have the funds to sponsor the person.
He said currently, patients who needed hearing aid were referred to private institutions which had them.
Dr Kitcher said if the centre had the requisite trained personnel to fix the hearing aid, it would save the patient some cost.
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