Page 3: Daily Graphic, July 28, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE acquittal and discharge of Kwabena Amaning, alias Tagor, and Alhaji Issah Abass of cocaine charges by the Court of Appeal has been welcomed as an opportunity for the state to reopen investigations into some high profile narcotic cases in the country.
A former Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Kofi Bentum Quantson, said the decision of the Court of Appeal should, indeed, pave the way for President John Evans Atta Mills to fulfil his promise of having all high profile narcotic cases comprehensively investigated.
“This is a must. That is the only way to reclaim Ghana’s integrity and credibility in the war against the drug menace,” he stated in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday.
Mr Quantson, who is also a former National Security Co-ordinator, said the verdict of the Court of Appeal should not be a surprise at all.
“Indeed, from the way the whole MV Benjamin cocaine saga and other narcotic cases were manipulated to suppress vital information, it is the expectable outcome,” he said.
He said there were far too many pertinent questions and issues that needed to be addressed by the Georgina Wood Committee, the Kojo Armah Committee, the Ghana Police Service, NACOB, the Attorney-General’s Department and the then Office of the Minister of National Security.
Mr Quantson, who also served as the Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), said in his view, the judgement of the Court of Appeal was an indictment on the prosecution and the investigators as a whole.
He wondered why ACP Kofi Boakye was not called to court, either as a prosecution or a defence witness, and why Mr Benjamin Ndego was also not called to court.
He said the manner in which the investigations were handled, resulting in the mysterious escape of key persons involved in the saga, left much to be desired.
For his part, Dr Kwesi Aning, who is the Head of the Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, said the judgement raised very serious issues about the quality of investigations and also the prosecutorial skills of those empowered by the state to deal with such cases.
“There is no doubt at all that there is the need to re-open investigations into all high profile narcotics cases and ensure that we deal with this challenge once and for all,” he said.
He said the danger with drug-related cases was that there were several ancillary threats to the state: Security, communities, business, national reputation and danger to public health.
“It is crucial that the Mills administration establishes a bi-partisan parliamentary or national commission to examine the threat of drugs to Ghana across board,” he said.
The Court of Appeal last Friday acquitted and discharged Tagor and Alhaji Abass after they had spent almost 20 months in prison for an alleged narcotic-related offence.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice E.K. Piesare, set aside the November 27, 2007 conviction by the Accra Fast Track High Court of 15 years’ imprisonment each with hard labour.
Other members of the panel were Mr Justice Yaw Apau and Mr Justice E.A. Addo.
The appellants were on November 27, 2007 convicted and sentenced when the court, presided over by Mr Justice Jones Victor Dotse, then a Court of Appeal judge with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, found them guilty on charges of conspiracy and engaging in prohibited business related to narcotics without authority.
That was after the Georgina Wood Committee set up to investigate an alleged 76 parcels of cocaine missing on board the MV Benjamin at the Tema Port had recommended the trial of the appellants.
In its unanimous decision, the court ordered the immediate release of the two, saying the conviction and the sentence were flawed and against the weight of Criminal Law.
The court described the lower court’s decision as a nullity and a cancerous tumour in the country’s legal anatomy which needed to be flushed out of the system.
According to the court, the charges, together with the accompanying particulars, were defective and deficient, while the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the appellants.
Monday, July 27, 2009
HORROR AT McCARTHY HILL * 65-year-old man murdered in apartment
Front Page: Daily Graphic, July 27, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Managing Director of Summit Industries Limited, Mr Kwame Kyei Apenteng-Mensah, has allegedly been killed by unknown assailants in his room at his McCarthy Hills apartment.
Residents of the area woke up to the gruesome scene on Saturday morning when the body of the 65-year-old man was found near his bed with a stab at the back of the neck.
According to the police, there were no signs that the apartment or the bedroom had been broken into, as all the doors were locked but without the keys.
A search around the area, however, showed that the bush behind the deceased’s apartment had been disturbed, meaning that someone used the bush to enter the house, the police noted.
Mr Apenteng-Mensah, whose company produces Le Country mineral water, was said to be living alone with his house help in a separate apartment from that of the other members of his family.
The Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, told newsmen that when the deceased’s house help realised the he had not come out of his room about 9 a.m., which was unusual of him, she informed other members of his family who live in different apartments but in the same yard that her boss had still not woken up.
Based on that, he said, the family members decided to check on him but found that all doors to the deceased’s apartment were locked.
The deputy commander said the family members decided to use a ladder to check through the window of the deceased’s bedroom, only to find him lying by his bed in a pool of blood.
According to him, the family members allegedly broke through the glass window of the bedroom and entered the room, upon which they found the deep cut on his neck.
ACP Yohuno said when the house help was interrogated, she claimed that she had heard a brief noise from the deceased’s room about 12 midnight.
The Odorkor District Police Commander, Superintendent Kwaku Asare, told the Daily Graphic that the deceased only had a shirt on when the room was broken into.
He said the police did not find any implement which could have been used to commit the crime in the room.
He, however, said a search around the area showed that the bush behind the deceased’s apartment had been disturbed, an indication that someone used the bush to enter the house.
Supt Asare said everything in the deceased’s apartment was intact, except that there was no key in the door lock.
Investigations continue.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Managing Director of Summit Industries Limited, Mr Kwame Kyei Apenteng-Mensah, has allegedly been killed by unknown assailants in his room at his McCarthy Hills apartment.
Residents of the area woke up to the gruesome scene on Saturday morning when the body of the 65-year-old man was found near his bed with a stab at the back of the neck.
According to the police, there were no signs that the apartment or the bedroom had been broken into, as all the doors were locked but without the keys.
A search around the area, however, showed that the bush behind the deceased’s apartment had been disturbed, meaning that someone used the bush to enter the house, the police noted.
Mr Apenteng-Mensah, whose company produces Le Country mineral water, was said to be living alone with his house help in a separate apartment from that of the other members of his family.
The Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, told newsmen that when the deceased’s house help realised the he had not come out of his room about 9 a.m., which was unusual of him, she informed other members of his family who live in different apartments but in the same yard that her boss had still not woken up.
Based on that, he said, the family members decided to check on him but found that all doors to the deceased’s apartment were locked.
The deputy commander said the family members decided to use a ladder to check through the window of the deceased’s bedroom, only to find him lying by his bed in a pool of blood.
According to him, the family members allegedly broke through the glass window of the bedroom and entered the room, upon which they found the deep cut on his neck.
ACP Yohuno said when the house help was interrogated, she claimed that she had heard a brief noise from the deceased’s room about 12 midnight.
The Odorkor District Police Commander, Superintendent Kwaku Asare, told the Daily Graphic that the deceased only had a shirt on when the room was broken into.
He said the police did not find any implement which could have been used to commit the crime in the room.
He, however, said a search around the area showed that the bush behind the deceased’s apartment had been disturbed, an indication that someone used the bush to enter the house.
Supt Asare said everything in the deceased’s apartment was intact, except that there was no key in the door lock.
Investigations continue.
Friday, July 24, 2009
We will deal with criminals — National Security vows
Page 17: Daily Graphic, July 24, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE national security apparatus has expressed its determination to deal with armed robbery and related crimes to ensure peace and safety for all Ghanaians.
In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, Lt Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, the National Security Co-ordinator, and Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), said the war against armed robbery and other criminal activities was on course.
Lt Col Gbevlo-Lartey said the security agencies would stay focused on the task ahead of them, especially when investors, as well as hardworking and peace-loving people, needed serenity to work and sleep soundly.
“We will not allow these miscreants to torment decent people and put the whole country in fear,” he said, adding, “We will prove to all that we are, indeed, on top of the situation and that Ghana is safe for investment.”
He said the recent presentation of vehicles by the government to the security agencies was a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to fight crime.
For his part, Mr Quaye said his pledge to change the face of policing was on course, as the seeming lethargy and the lack of commitment to work as professionals on the part of policemen were over.
He said the initial response was slow but indicated that professionalism, commitment, dedication and a re-orientation to work were taking root “and the results are what we are seeing now”.
He said although there had been a drastic decline in robbery cases, the fear of armed robbery attacks was enough psychological trauma that the police wanted to deal with.
“We still have a long way to go in equipping the personnel and re-training them to deal with the changing strategies of the criminals,” he added.
Mr Quaye said he was particularly happy with the re-awakening of communities, resulting in some donating vehicles and motorcycles to the police.
He said the police had also responded appropriately to their responsibilities, although some still seemed to be living in the past.
“I am quite encouraged by the output of personnel and public co-operation so far,” he said.
He said the reward system instituted by the Police Administration was also yielding positive results because credible informants got rewarded without risking their lives.
According to the IGP, the robustness of the police in the Volta, Accra, Tema and Ashanti regions in fighting the robbers had been amazing.
He noted, for instance, that although there were few robbery cases in the Volta Region, the speed with which members of robbery gangs were arrested between 24 and 48 hours, even after they had escaped, was amazing.
Mr Quaye said the Police Administration was determined to improve the working conditions of the personnel and urged them to continue with the good work.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE national security apparatus has expressed its determination to deal with armed robbery and related crimes to ensure peace and safety for all Ghanaians.
In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, Lt Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, the National Security Co-ordinator, and Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), said the war against armed robbery and other criminal activities was on course.
Lt Col Gbevlo-Lartey said the security agencies would stay focused on the task ahead of them, especially when investors, as well as hardworking and peace-loving people, needed serenity to work and sleep soundly.
“We will not allow these miscreants to torment decent people and put the whole country in fear,” he said, adding, “We will prove to all that we are, indeed, on top of the situation and that Ghana is safe for investment.”
He said the recent presentation of vehicles by the government to the security agencies was a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to fight crime.
For his part, Mr Quaye said his pledge to change the face of policing was on course, as the seeming lethargy and the lack of commitment to work as professionals on the part of policemen were over.
He said the initial response was slow but indicated that professionalism, commitment, dedication and a re-orientation to work were taking root “and the results are what we are seeing now”.
He said although there had been a drastic decline in robbery cases, the fear of armed robbery attacks was enough psychological trauma that the police wanted to deal with.
“We still have a long way to go in equipping the personnel and re-training them to deal with the changing strategies of the criminals,” he added.
Mr Quaye said he was particularly happy with the re-awakening of communities, resulting in some donating vehicles and motorcycles to the police.
He said the police had also responded appropriately to their responsibilities, although some still seemed to be living in the past.
“I am quite encouraged by the output of personnel and public co-operation so far,” he said.
He said the reward system instituted by the Police Administration was also yielding positive results because credible informants got rewarded without risking their lives.
According to the IGP, the robustness of the police in the Volta, Accra, Tema and Ashanti regions in fighting the robbers had been amazing.
He noted, for instance, that although there were few robbery cases in the Volta Region, the speed with which members of robbery gangs were arrested between 24 and 48 hours, even after they had escaped, was amazing.
Mr Quaye said the Police Administration was determined to improve the working conditions of the personnel and urged them to continue with the good work.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Korle Bu MRI suffers another breakdown
Page 72: Daily Graphic, July 23, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI) machine at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is out of order again.
The MRI, which was inaugurated on July 27, 2005, broke down in May, 2007 due to the absence of a stabiliser to regulate and protect power supply to its Computed Tomography (CT) Scan and took more than a year before it was reconditioned.
The breakdown resulted in the flying out of Ghanaian footballer John Paintsil to Nigeria for medical examination, during the Ghana 2008 Cup of Nations.
Daily Graphic enquiries about the facility has revealed that the MRI at Korle-Bu became dysfunctional after it corroded and after power fluctuation at the hospital resulted in the burning of some key machinery.
The MRI is primarily used in medical imaging to visualise the structure and function of the body. It provides detailed images of the body in any plane and has much greater soft tissue contrast than CT, making it especially useful in neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and oncolological diseases.
Unlike the CT, it uses no ionising radiation.
The Head of the Radiology Department of the hospital, Dr Alex Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that this time round, inadequate water supply to the cheeler which cools the machine caused the breakdown.
He explained that the cheeler needed consistent water supply to ensure operations of the machine but no provision was made for a water reservoir and a pumping machine.
He said several attempts to draw the attention of the authorities to the anomaly proved futile.
He said his attention had just been drawn to the fact that there had been a leakage in the cooling system and that meant that the leakage would have to be repaired before working on the main system.
Dr Yeboah explained that although the MRI was still under warranty, it did not make business and patient-care sense to allow the machine to lie idle when all measures could have been taken to ensure that the purposes for which it was installed were realised.
He was, however, happy that the 37 Military Hospital had just installed an MRI machine while a private institution was also setting up another centre to provide options to patients.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI) machine at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is out of order again.
The MRI, which was inaugurated on July 27, 2005, broke down in May, 2007 due to the absence of a stabiliser to regulate and protect power supply to its Computed Tomography (CT) Scan and took more than a year before it was reconditioned.
The breakdown resulted in the flying out of Ghanaian footballer John Paintsil to Nigeria for medical examination, during the Ghana 2008 Cup of Nations.
Daily Graphic enquiries about the facility has revealed that the MRI at Korle-Bu became dysfunctional after it corroded and after power fluctuation at the hospital resulted in the burning of some key machinery.
The MRI is primarily used in medical imaging to visualise the structure and function of the body. It provides detailed images of the body in any plane and has much greater soft tissue contrast than CT, making it especially useful in neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and oncolological diseases.
Unlike the CT, it uses no ionising radiation.
The Head of the Radiology Department of the hospital, Dr Alex Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that this time round, inadequate water supply to the cheeler which cools the machine caused the breakdown.
He explained that the cheeler needed consistent water supply to ensure operations of the machine but no provision was made for a water reservoir and a pumping machine.
He said several attempts to draw the attention of the authorities to the anomaly proved futile.
He said his attention had just been drawn to the fact that there had been a leakage in the cooling system and that meant that the leakage would have to be repaired before working on the main system.
Dr Yeboah explained that although the MRI was still under warranty, it did not make business and patient-care sense to allow the machine to lie idle when all measures could have been taken to ensure that the purposes for which it was installed were realised.
He was, however, happy that the 37 Military Hospital had just installed an MRI machine while a private institution was also setting up another centre to provide options to patients.
One suspected robber dies in shoot-out
Page 53: Daily Graphic, July 23, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A MEMBER of a gang of suspected armed robbers was killed at dawn yesterday during a shoot-out with security personnel at Omanjor in the Ga West District.
The police later found blood-stained clothes believed to be those of another suspect,who managed to escape with his gun-shot wounds. The clothes were found about two miles away from the house that was attacked by the armed robbers.
The escapee robber was later found dead at Adabraka, ostensibly on his way to Agbogbloshie.
The deceased have been identified only as Ofori, who died at the scene of the robbery, and Teddy, whose body was picked up at Adabraka later in the day. They are both said to be ex-convicts.
Retrieved from the assailants were two pump action guns, two locally manufactured pistols, 11 rounds of ammunition and five empty shells.
Another suspect, Moses Kwame, was saved from being lynched around Dansoman when a patrol team saw residents had pounded on him with all manner of implements.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, told the Daily Graphic that the police received a distress call from a Good Samaritan who had heard of the gunshots by the robbers in a nearby house and had gone out to seek assistance for the victims.
Upon that, a team of security personnel from the police and the military was despatched to the scene about 3 a.m.
She said when the police team arrived, the Good Samaritan led it to the scene.
DCOP Atinga said 20 metres to the house, one of the robbers who appeared to be keeping watch for the rest started firing at the police and alerted his colleagues that the police had arrived.
According to her, the suspected robber was shot in the arm to demobilise him from the weapon he was holding but he later died of the wound.
She said the second robber, who was shot in the thigh, opened fire when he realised that his colleague was down.
The police boss said before the police could move into the house, the other robbers scaled the wall and disappeared, explaining that because it was still dark it was difficult to trail them.
DCOP Atinga, however, said during the day when the police followed the bloodstains, they realised that one of the suspects had abandoned his clothes about two miles away from the scene.
She, therefore, appealed to health facilities to be on the look out for anyone who might go to them with suspected gunshot wounds.
She also urged members of the public to look out for persons who might go to any chemical or pharmacy shop to seek first aid.
DCOP Atinga commended the Good Samaritan who had called and met the police on their way to the crime scene.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A MEMBER of a gang of suspected armed robbers was killed at dawn yesterday during a shoot-out with security personnel at Omanjor in the Ga West District.
The police later found blood-stained clothes believed to be those of another suspect,who managed to escape with his gun-shot wounds. The clothes were found about two miles away from the house that was attacked by the armed robbers.
The escapee robber was later found dead at Adabraka, ostensibly on his way to Agbogbloshie.
The deceased have been identified only as Ofori, who died at the scene of the robbery, and Teddy, whose body was picked up at Adabraka later in the day. They are both said to be ex-convicts.
Retrieved from the assailants were two pump action guns, two locally manufactured pistols, 11 rounds of ammunition and five empty shells.
Another suspect, Moses Kwame, was saved from being lynched around Dansoman when a patrol team saw residents had pounded on him with all manner of implements.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, told the Daily Graphic that the police received a distress call from a Good Samaritan who had heard of the gunshots by the robbers in a nearby house and had gone out to seek assistance for the victims.
Upon that, a team of security personnel from the police and the military was despatched to the scene about 3 a.m.
She said when the police team arrived, the Good Samaritan led it to the scene.
DCOP Atinga said 20 metres to the house, one of the robbers who appeared to be keeping watch for the rest started firing at the police and alerted his colleagues that the police had arrived.
According to her, the suspected robber was shot in the arm to demobilise him from the weapon he was holding but he later died of the wound.
She said the second robber, who was shot in the thigh, opened fire when he realised that his colleague was down.
The police boss said before the police could move into the house, the other robbers scaled the wall and disappeared, explaining that because it was still dark it was difficult to trail them.
DCOP Atinga, however, said during the day when the police followed the bloodstains, they realised that one of the suspects had abandoned his clothes about two miles away from the scene.
She, therefore, appealed to health facilities to be on the look out for anyone who might go to them with suspected gunshot wounds.
She also urged members of the public to look out for persons who might go to any chemical or pharmacy shop to seek first aid.
DCOP Atinga commended the Good Samaritan who had called and met the police on their way to the crime scene.
Police arrest suspected criminal
Page 53: Daily Graphic, July 23, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 28-year-old man, described by the police as a hardened criminal, was arrested yesterday morning at the Achimota Overhead.
George Aryeetey had been on the police wanted list since he engaged the police in an exchange of fire and escaped at Kwabenya six weeks ago, according to the police.
They say he is on record as having been convicted of a similar crime in 1999.
A pump action gun, three locally manufactured pistols, one empty shell and Aryeetey’s personal effects were retrieved from his room in a hotel.
He had scars from what the police said were bullet wounds on his legs, thighs and palm.
Two jewellery shops at Adabraka, with which Aryeetey was said to be associated, have been put under police guard after their owner, identified only as Alhaji and said to be the agent of Aryeetey and his gang for stolen jewellery, had absconded, leaving behind his Infinity 4x4 vehicle, with registration number GR 9943-09, on hearing that the police had arrested Aryeetey and were heading to the two shops, labelled Afebu Jewellery.
Police investigations revealed that Aryeetey, the ex-convict, had been lodging at the Akyaa Memorial Hotel for two weeks at a rate of GH¢30 per night. But there was no documentation at the hotel indicating that he was lodging there.
From Achimota to the Accra Regional Police Headquarters, people applauded the police for their efforts in dealing with the armed robbers, who have made many homes restless.
Aryeetey told the police and the media at his hotel, “I cannot count the number of robberies I have been engaged in.”
He, however, told the operational team, led by ACP Christian Yohuno, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, that after the Kwabenya incident, in which he was part of a gang that had robbed some Indians and Sri Lankans, he had been directing affairs from behind.
He had been imprisoned in 1999, he said, and had earlier been granted police enquiry bail in a similar robbery incident after his accuser allegedly exonerated him.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, and his deputy, ACP Yohuno told newsmen yesterday that six weeks ago, there was a robbery incident at Kwabenya, near Accra, which resulted in a shoot-out with the police.
She said in the course of escaping, the taxi the robbers used, with registration number GN 6813 Y, ran into a ditch.
She said Aryeetey’s father, Johnson Yeboah, later reported to the Kwabenya Police that armed robbers had attacked and seized his taxi, which was found to be the same as what Aryeetey and his gang had used.
At the time, she said, the vehicle had been towed to the Regional Police Headquarters and a search led to a laptop suspected to have been stolen.
According to her, when Aryeetey’s father was referred to the Accra Police Headquarters, he confessed to lying and admitted that it was his son who had asked him to come and claim ownership of the taxi.
DCOP Atinga said the father was charged for abetment and was currently on court bail.
For his part, ACP Yohuno said Aryeetey was arrested at the Achimota Overhead yesterday morning with the support of some passers-by.
He said Aryeetey had been responsible for most of the robberies around Achimota, Dome Pillar One and Two and Kisseman.
He said it was some members of Aryeetey’s gang who had been planning to attack the Star Oil Filling Station last Sunday but who had been arrested.
He expressed his disappointment with hoteliers who hosted persons without checking their identities.
ACP Yohuno commended the public for their support in dealing with robbers and promised to sustain the fight.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 28-year-old man, described by the police as a hardened criminal, was arrested yesterday morning at the Achimota Overhead.
George Aryeetey had been on the police wanted list since he engaged the police in an exchange of fire and escaped at Kwabenya six weeks ago, according to the police.
They say he is on record as having been convicted of a similar crime in 1999.
A pump action gun, three locally manufactured pistols, one empty shell and Aryeetey’s personal effects were retrieved from his room in a hotel.
He had scars from what the police said were bullet wounds on his legs, thighs and palm.
Two jewellery shops at Adabraka, with which Aryeetey was said to be associated, have been put under police guard after their owner, identified only as Alhaji and said to be the agent of Aryeetey and his gang for stolen jewellery, had absconded, leaving behind his Infinity 4x4 vehicle, with registration number GR 9943-09, on hearing that the police had arrested Aryeetey and were heading to the two shops, labelled Afebu Jewellery.
Police investigations revealed that Aryeetey, the ex-convict, had been lodging at the Akyaa Memorial Hotel for two weeks at a rate of GH¢30 per night. But there was no documentation at the hotel indicating that he was lodging there.
From Achimota to the Accra Regional Police Headquarters, people applauded the police for their efforts in dealing with the armed robbers, who have made many homes restless.
Aryeetey told the police and the media at his hotel, “I cannot count the number of robberies I have been engaged in.”
He, however, told the operational team, led by ACP Christian Yohuno, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, that after the Kwabenya incident, in which he was part of a gang that had robbed some Indians and Sri Lankans, he had been directing affairs from behind.
He had been imprisoned in 1999, he said, and had earlier been granted police enquiry bail in a similar robbery incident after his accuser allegedly exonerated him.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, and his deputy, ACP Yohuno told newsmen yesterday that six weeks ago, there was a robbery incident at Kwabenya, near Accra, which resulted in a shoot-out with the police.
She said in the course of escaping, the taxi the robbers used, with registration number GN 6813 Y, ran into a ditch.
She said Aryeetey’s father, Johnson Yeboah, later reported to the Kwabenya Police that armed robbers had attacked and seized his taxi, which was found to be the same as what Aryeetey and his gang had used.
At the time, she said, the vehicle had been towed to the Regional Police Headquarters and a search led to a laptop suspected to have been stolen.
According to her, when Aryeetey’s father was referred to the Accra Police Headquarters, he confessed to lying and admitted that it was his son who had asked him to come and claim ownership of the taxi.
DCOP Atinga said the father was charged for abetment and was currently on court bail.
For his part, ACP Yohuno said Aryeetey was arrested at the Achimota Overhead yesterday morning with the support of some passers-by.
He said Aryeetey had been responsible for most of the robberies around Achimota, Dome Pillar One and Two and Kisseman.
He said it was some members of Aryeetey’s gang who had been planning to attack the Star Oil Filling Station last Sunday but who had been arrested.
He expressed his disappointment with hoteliers who hosted persons without checking their identities.
ACP Yohuno commended the public for their support in dealing with robbers and promised to sustain the fight.
Drugs control your life ... Stop it!
Page 9: Daily Graphic, July 23, 2009.
Article: Albert K. Salia
GHANA joined the rest of the world on Friday, June 26, 2009, to climax a three-year anti-drugs campaign launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the sub-theme, “Illicit drug trafficking”.
The campaign, which was launched on June 26, 2007 with the slogan, "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs", had been celebrated with focus on different aspects of drug control to commemorate the International Day Against Illicit Drug Trafficking. In 2007, the sub-theme was drug abuse while in 2008 the emphasis was on drug cultivation and production. For this year, the focus is on illicit drug trafficking.
The sub-theme for this year’s commemoration of the International Day Against Illicit Drug Trafficking aims at raising awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society. No individual, family or community is safe where illicit drugs take control. Drugs may control the body and mind of individual consumers, the drug crop and drug cartels may control farmers, illicit trafficking and crime may control communities.
It is in the light of this that the campaign seeks to inspire people and mobilise support for drug control. The international campaign "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs" communicates that the destructive effects of illicit drugs concern us all. Their use harms individuals, families and society at large.
Teenagers and young adults are particularly vulnerable to using illicit drugs. The prevalence of drug use among young people is more than twice as high as that among the general population. At this age, peer pressure to experiment with illicit drugs can be strong and self-esteem is often low. Also, those who take drugs tend to be either misinformed or insufficiently aware of the health risks involved.
The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, notes that, "drugs are also poisoning the region’s (West Africa) youth since the foot soldiers in this growing trade are paid for their services with cocaine. As a result, the vulnerability of West Africa to drugs and crime is deepening even further".
A consultant psychiatrist and a member of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Dr J. B. Asare, also notes that, “the use of drugs in Ghana is mainly an activity of the youth. About 80 per cent of drug related admissions to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital are between the ages of 16 and 29 years. As more youth become addicted, our investment in our children and the human resource base of our country is being threatened”.
It is in this vein that the UNODC campaign seeks to reach out to young people, who often talk about the "highs" induced by illicit drugs but may not be aware of the many "lows". Illicit drug use is a concern because it poses a threat to their health. Negative effects vary depending on the type of drug consumed, the doses taken and the frequency of use. All illicit drugs have immediate physical effects, but they can also severely hinder psychological and emotional development, especially among young people. Leading a healthy lifestyle requires making choices that are mindful of body and mind. To make these choices, young people need guidance from role models and need to get the facts about drug use. The international campaign provides young people and others with tools to educate themselves about the health risks associated with illicit drug use.
One cannot run away from the untimely deaths through accidents; upsurge in the number of the mentally derailed; increase in crime rate; unnecessary deformities; disorderliness and disregard for elders. These are obvious dangers posed by illicit drugs on Ghana and its citizens.
The economic impact of drug abuse on businesses whose employees abuse drugs can be significant. Economically, businesses often are affected because employees who abuse drugs sometimes steal cash or supplies, equipment, and products that can be sold to get money to buy drugs.
Moreover, absenteeism, lost productivity and increased use of medical and insurance benefits by employees who abuse drugs affect a business financially.
It is important to appreciate that other crimes whose effect might not be physical but subtle are the economic and commercial crimes associated with drugs. Counterfeiting, currency trafficking, smuggling, tax evasion, bribery, corruption, money laundering are examples of such drug-related crimes which hit weak national economies of states where drug trafficking thrives.
It must be understood that these are corrosive crimes since they undermine the nation, thereby, directly or indirectly generating negative forces that can create political, economic and social tensions. They are crimes that kill slowly but surely.
As K. B. Quantson puts it, "weak economies, with weak weightless currencies, over-liberalised economic policies, in an environment of inordinate, even irrational dependence on foreign consumer items, some of them more exotic than our circumstances dictate, are particularly attractive to drug-dealing because of the ready foreign exchange that they provide".
Certainly, we need not forget the impact on our criminal justice system and the various state institutions that no more function as required because the drug cartels have taken hold of them.
According to the UNODC, many assume that the illicit drug trade is a source of employment without any costs for those unable to find productive work in other sectors. But inevitably the employment gains generated by the drug trade are more than offset by various side effects. Two such effects include the inevitable spillover from drug production into consumption, which impacts negatively on productivity, and the sacrifice of resources diverted from legitimate and more sustainable investments.
Criminal entrepreneurship in any economy introduces a parasitic, anti-competitive approach to doing business as intimidation, violence and extortion rather than free-market competition serve as the primary determinants of resource allocation.
It is important to note that because drug addicts attach little or no value at all to their lives, they consider it a strenuous task to value other people’s lives. To them, life is valueless. Most gory accident scenes that characterize the roads of this country could be a resultant effect of the actions of these addicts who ride bikes or drive cars under the influence of drugs. While some victims lost their lives in the process, others are left with permanent deformities.
David Friedman contends that the link between drugs and violent crime could occur in three ways: violent crime by consumers of drugs, violent crime associated with the production and distribution of drugs, or violent crime directly associated with the attempt to enforce drug prohibition.
Besides, there are crimes such as armed robberies, rape and other violent ones that leave in their wake not only the physical damage inflicted but traumatic scars that haunt the victims for a long time.
The Executive Director of the UNODC, Antonio Maria Costa, warns that the drug problem in West Africa, "is growing exponentially and threatening to turn the region into an epicentre of lawlessness and instability. This is the last thing West Africa needs".
Certainly, no one can run away from the fact that drugs controls his or her life. You might not be trading in drugs or consuming drugs. But it is important to note that drugs do indeed control everyone’s life.
The onus of curbing this menace from escalating lies on all and sundry; nobody is exempted. From the home-front, parents should take it upon themselves to educate, monitor and caution their children on inherent dangers these drugs pose to their lives. This responsibility neither lies on parents alone non the teachers in schools. Both parents and teachers, community elders, government authorities and the general public should be involved in the collective fight against this social menace.
Educational institutions are not left out. They have an enormous task being a key player in children’s life. The task before them involves educating the children on the negative effect of drugs. This could be enhanced by establishing Drug Free Club in schools with the view to propagate the message effectively through debate, drama, workshops and seminars. This means augmenting the efforts of parents who are playing their roles at the home-front and the government through its agencies such as the Narcotics Control Board, Ghana Education Service and the police.
Article: Albert K. Salia
GHANA joined the rest of the world on Friday, June 26, 2009, to climax a three-year anti-drugs campaign launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the sub-theme, “Illicit drug trafficking”.
The campaign, which was launched on June 26, 2007 with the slogan, "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs", had been celebrated with focus on different aspects of drug control to commemorate the International Day Against Illicit Drug Trafficking. In 2007, the sub-theme was drug abuse while in 2008 the emphasis was on drug cultivation and production. For this year, the focus is on illicit drug trafficking.
The sub-theme for this year’s commemoration of the International Day Against Illicit Drug Trafficking aims at raising awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society. No individual, family or community is safe where illicit drugs take control. Drugs may control the body and mind of individual consumers, the drug crop and drug cartels may control farmers, illicit trafficking and crime may control communities.
It is in the light of this that the campaign seeks to inspire people and mobilise support for drug control. The international campaign "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs" communicates that the destructive effects of illicit drugs concern us all. Their use harms individuals, families and society at large.
Teenagers and young adults are particularly vulnerable to using illicit drugs. The prevalence of drug use among young people is more than twice as high as that among the general population. At this age, peer pressure to experiment with illicit drugs can be strong and self-esteem is often low. Also, those who take drugs tend to be either misinformed or insufficiently aware of the health risks involved.
The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, notes that, "drugs are also poisoning the region’s (West Africa) youth since the foot soldiers in this growing trade are paid for their services with cocaine. As a result, the vulnerability of West Africa to drugs and crime is deepening even further".
A consultant psychiatrist and a member of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Dr J. B. Asare, also notes that, “the use of drugs in Ghana is mainly an activity of the youth. About 80 per cent of drug related admissions to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital are between the ages of 16 and 29 years. As more youth become addicted, our investment in our children and the human resource base of our country is being threatened”.
It is in this vein that the UNODC campaign seeks to reach out to young people, who often talk about the "highs" induced by illicit drugs but may not be aware of the many "lows". Illicit drug use is a concern because it poses a threat to their health. Negative effects vary depending on the type of drug consumed, the doses taken and the frequency of use. All illicit drugs have immediate physical effects, but they can also severely hinder psychological and emotional development, especially among young people. Leading a healthy lifestyle requires making choices that are mindful of body and mind. To make these choices, young people need guidance from role models and need to get the facts about drug use. The international campaign provides young people and others with tools to educate themselves about the health risks associated with illicit drug use.
One cannot run away from the untimely deaths through accidents; upsurge in the number of the mentally derailed; increase in crime rate; unnecessary deformities; disorderliness and disregard for elders. These are obvious dangers posed by illicit drugs on Ghana and its citizens.
The economic impact of drug abuse on businesses whose employees abuse drugs can be significant. Economically, businesses often are affected because employees who abuse drugs sometimes steal cash or supplies, equipment, and products that can be sold to get money to buy drugs.
Moreover, absenteeism, lost productivity and increased use of medical and insurance benefits by employees who abuse drugs affect a business financially.
It is important to appreciate that other crimes whose effect might not be physical but subtle are the economic and commercial crimes associated with drugs. Counterfeiting, currency trafficking, smuggling, tax evasion, bribery, corruption, money laundering are examples of such drug-related crimes which hit weak national economies of states where drug trafficking thrives.
It must be understood that these are corrosive crimes since they undermine the nation, thereby, directly or indirectly generating negative forces that can create political, economic and social tensions. They are crimes that kill slowly but surely.
As K. B. Quantson puts it, "weak economies, with weak weightless currencies, over-liberalised economic policies, in an environment of inordinate, even irrational dependence on foreign consumer items, some of them more exotic than our circumstances dictate, are particularly attractive to drug-dealing because of the ready foreign exchange that they provide".
Certainly, we need not forget the impact on our criminal justice system and the various state institutions that no more function as required because the drug cartels have taken hold of them.
According to the UNODC, many assume that the illicit drug trade is a source of employment without any costs for those unable to find productive work in other sectors. But inevitably the employment gains generated by the drug trade are more than offset by various side effects. Two such effects include the inevitable spillover from drug production into consumption, which impacts negatively on productivity, and the sacrifice of resources diverted from legitimate and more sustainable investments.
Criminal entrepreneurship in any economy introduces a parasitic, anti-competitive approach to doing business as intimidation, violence and extortion rather than free-market competition serve as the primary determinants of resource allocation.
It is important to note that because drug addicts attach little or no value at all to their lives, they consider it a strenuous task to value other people’s lives. To them, life is valueless. Most gory accident scenes that characterize the roads of this country could be a resultant effect of the actions of these addicts who ride bikes or drive cars under the influence of drugs. While some victims lost their lives in the process, others are left with permanent deformities.
David Friedman contends that the link between drugs and violent crime could occur in three ways: violent crime by consumers of drugs, violent crime associated with the production and distribution of drugs, or violent crime directly associated with the attempt to enforce drug prohibition.
Besides, there are crimes such as armed robberies, rape and other violent ones that leave in their wake not only the physical damage inflicted but traumatic scars that haunt the victims for a long time.
The Executive Director of the UNODC, Antonio Maria Costa, warns that the drug problem in West Africa, "is growing exponentially and threatening to turn the region into an epicentre of lawlessness and instability. This is the last thing West Africa needs".
Certainly, no one can run away from the fact that drugs controls his or her life. You might not be trading in drugs or consuming drugs. But it is important to note that drugs do indeed control everyone’s life.
The onus of curbing this menace from escalating lies on all and sundry; nobody is exempted. From the home-front, parents should take it upon themselves to educate, monitor and caution their children on inherent dangers these drugs pose to their lives. This responsibility neither lies on parents alone non the teachers in schools. Both parents and teachers, community elders, government authorities and the general public should be involved in the collective fight against this social menace.
Educational institutions are not left out. They have an enormous task being a key player in children’s life. The task before them involves educating the children on the negative effect of drugs. This could be enhanced by establishing Drug Free Club in schools with the view to propagate the message effectively through debate, drama, workshops and seminars. This means augmenting the efforts of parents who are playing their roles at the home-front and the government through its agencies such as the Narcotics Control Board, Ghana Education Service and the police.
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