DAILY GRAPHIC

"Caught Pants Down...He's been ordered to pay 698 million cedis", is the catchy lead front page headline in the Graphic. The accompanying story says a Member of parliament is embroiled in a legal battle over a multi-million cedi loan granted by the Ghana Cooperative Bank for the importation of fish. The fish is said to have been diverted to and sold in a neighbouring country. The MP, Mr Kwamina Bartels, NPP Member for Ablekuma North and Minority spokesman for Works and Housing, has been ordered by an Accra High Court to pay 698,082,104 cedis to the bank in respect of both the principal and an interest. The Graphic says the order was made by Mrs Justice Agnes Dordzie, following an action brought by the bank against Mr Bartels and F and K Eximport Limited for the recovery of a loan granted them in 1993. According to the Graphic judgement was given on June 24 but details became public only this week. Details made available to the paper said the company F and K Eximport Ltd. was incorporated with Mr Bartels, using his Fante name of Kwamina Essilfie, and another person, as directors. The Graphic says the company applied to the bank for a loan of 435,796,800 cedis for the importation of fish into Ghana. It says on October 21, last year, the bank commenced action at the Accra High Court against both Mr Bartels and the company claiming both the principal and accrued interest from them jointly and severally. GRI

The Graphic in a back page story reports that a group of angry "galamsey" operators at Manso Amantin, Esuaso and Benso along the Western railway line, last Tuesday morning, attacked the Takoradi-Kumasi express train with missiles. According to the Graphic the incident happened when the galamsey operators who boarded the train along the route, were approached by the management of the Ghana Railway Corporation monitoring team on the train to produce their tickets for inspection. The Graphic quoting the police says the group numbering over 90, did not buy tickets before boarding the train and when the monitoring team numbering about four, attempted to arrest them, they took advantage of their numerical strength and engaged in a scuffle with the team. As soon as tyhe train stopped at Manso, the galamsey operators managed to jump off the train but one was arrested and handed over to the Tarkwa Police. His colleagues who were enraged, threatened the monitoring team with cutlasses, knives, sticks and stones demanding the release of their colleague. Some of them started throwing stones at the train and in the commotion, the arrested person managed to escape. The Graphic says the train driver sensing danger, sped off before any serious damage could be caused to the train and harm to its passengers. the paper says though the train was notdamaged one of its guards was hit by a flying stone. Mr James Ansong a member of the monitoring team said the galamsey operators started harassing train passengers about two months ago aftwer the team was put in place. According to him an idea of a monitoring team came up when the Ghana Railway Corporation realised that while more people were using rail transport, revenue was reducing at an alarming rate. GRI

In another back page story the Graphic reports that the Tamale Police are investigating a case in which two persons used ghost names to claim pension benefits. The Graphic says, the two, Issahaku Alhassan and Dramani Issahaku Nyankpala, have been granted police enguiry bail as investigations continue. GRI