Police arrest four members of Atebubu youth association

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) Sept. 24, '98

Four executive members of the Atebubu youth association (AYA) have been arrested by the police over the demolition of a building which was being rehabilitated for use as the office of the Atebubu town council. Members of the association allegedly went on rampage and pulled down the building because, according to them "as a swish building, it was not fit to be used as a town council office." A security source told newsmen that membes of the association claimed that the government has provided 12 million cedis for the construction of a new office building for the council and did not understand why an old building was being rehabilitated for the purpose. It said the members therefore converged on the building on the 10th of this month with pick axes and other implements and amid accusations against the district chief executive of embezzling the 12 million cedis, demolished it. This was ldays after they had pasted "stop work by AYA" on the building which used to house the district office of the information services department.

Australian investor before court.

An Australian investor today appeared before an Accra Circuit Tribunal charged with defrauding by false pretences. Jacob Mordacai Singer pleaded not guilty and was remanded in Police Custody to reappear tomorrow for the tribunal to consider an application for bail made by his Counsel. Remanding Singer, the chairman of the tribunal, Mrs Owusu Arhin, said she would consider admitting the accused to bail if he could provide his bank statement, passport and evidence of his investments in the country. Prosecuting Police Inspector Alex Yartey Tawiah had opposed bail because police investigations were not completed and that being a foreigner, Singer could abscond from the jurisdiction of the court. Mr Awuku Yeboah, counsel for Singer, had argued that his client had substantial interest in the country and would, therefore, not run away. He said Singer has a suit pending before an Accra High court against a mining concern for defrauding him of 200,000 dollars. Inspector Tawiah told the tribunal that somewhere in January 1997, there was a publication in the media about the maltreatment of illegal Ghanaian immigrants in Australia. He said one Mr Matinson showed the publication to Singer, who said he could assist Ghanaians to go to Australia legally. Later, Mr Matinson in a conversation with one Isaac Ofoe Akpetor, a businessman, told him about Singer's offer and he expressed interest in it. Mr Akpetor was subsequently introduced to Singer, who demanded 2,000 dollars for the initial processing of documents and 500,000 cedis to make telephone calls to Australia. He said Singer promised Mr Akpetor a package, which included securing a visa for him from the Australian High Commission in Nigeria, getting him a job in Australia and arranging for him to marry an Australian to enable him get citizenship. In the course of the transaction, Singer asked for his passport and an additional 6,000 dollars, which Mr Akpetor paid. But after the payment, he did not see Singer for a long time. Mr Akpetor then travelled to Nigeria, where he learnt from the Commission that his passport had not been sent there for processing. When Mr Akpetor came back, he lodged a complaint with the police, and Singer was arrested. Counsel for defence said the charge was a frame-up. He said evidence would be led to show that it was those who duped Singer, who have conspired to get him deported.

New Juaben launches festival

The launching of this year's 'Akwantukese' festival which marks the 120th anniversary of the migration of the people of New Juaben from old Juaben in Ashanti to the Koforidua municipality, begins on November 1, this year. The one-week cultural bonanza was launched at Koforidua last year by Dassebere (Dr) Oti Boateng, President of the New Juaben traditional council, to enable the youth in the traditional area to learn about the culture and history of the people of the area. Nana Ampim Darko Akore, Mawerehene and chairman of the planning committee announced this at a meeting of the traditional council at Koforidua. He said the one-week festival, which would include football competitions among the various communities in the New Juaben municipality, would be climaxed with a durbar of chiefs at Jackson's park, Koforidua, on November eight. Daasebere Oti Boateng said the first phase of the rehabilitation work on the palace of the New Juabenmanhene would be commissioned during the festival.

COCOBOD cautions buying companies not to disclose forecasts.

The Ghana COCOBOD has cautioned Licensed Buying Companies not to disclose crop production forecasts for foreign correspondents who report on the country's cocoa output. This is because, forecasts of cocoa production have a direct effect on world prices. In this vein, estimates given by the COCOBOD are always on the conservative side. According to the COCOBOD in order to obtain favourable world market prices for the country, Licensed-buying Companies should resist the temptation to offer such information as their counterparts in neighbouring countries have done. Ghana's Cocoa beans is recognised world wide for its high-grade quality and attracts better pricing. But a revelation of the production figures of cocoa could place buyers at an advantage to quote unfair prices.