08.04.99

Daily Graphic

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?Miracle that never was!..Church member grabbed?, is the screamer on the front page of the

Daily Graphic. The accompanying story says a large number of people besieged Okanta, a village

near Nsawam on the Accra-Kumasi road on Tuesday following reports that a young man was in the process of resurrecting a woman, who had died and been buried about 10 days earlier. But the paper

says his alleged vision could not come to fruition and now, the pretender, Alexander Nsiah, alias Kwasi

Amankwaa, a member of the local Church of Pentecost, in the grips of the police. The Graphic quotes the police as saying that suspect is to be charged for exhumation of a body without lawful authority. According to the police, by law, it is only a Coroner who can order the exhumation of a body, the process of which should take place in the presence of a pathologist, the police and relatives of the deceased. The paper says

that police report has it that Amankwaa on Monday, started behaving abnormally and told some friends that he could resurrect Regina Agyeman, who had died at the Nsawam Government Hospital on March 17, and buried on March 27. The police account says Amankwaa, in the company of four accomplices sought the consent of Regina?s mother, her sister, who is a nurse at the hospital and her uncle, to exhume the body and resurrect the deceased. Amankwaa who is said to have been possessed, told the residents of Okanta that God had instructed him to exhume the body of Regina and bring her back to life. While Amankwaa was performing the rituals to revive Regina, the chief of the town, Nana Asare Bampoe, reported to the Nsawam Police that someone had exhumed the body of his niece. According to the police, some of the residents believed the claim by Amankwaa because when he exhumed the body, there was no sign of decomposition. But the police stated that medical experts, however, say that a well-preserved body can be in the grave for a year without signs of decomposition.

In another story, the Graphic reports that junior nurses in the Greater Accra Region have agreed to resume work today. This is in response to the agreement reached between the leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses? Association (GRNA) and the Ministers of Health and Employment and Social Welfare in Accra on

Tuesday. The paper reports the nurses as having accepted the communique issued at the end of the negotiations, calling on junior nurses to resume work immediately. The communique also stated that ?it has been confirmed that all health workers/professionals wo do overtime, would be paid allowances for extra duty hours actually done?. The Graphic says the effective date of implementation, according to the communique, will be January 1, this year. Under the agreement, payment will be based on submission of duty rosters authorised by heads of departments and institutions, and attendance books. The communique said the government had also committed itself to effect payment within a month from the submission of completed data.

Ghanaian Times

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The Ghanaian Times reports on its front page that an Accra Circcuit Tribunal yesterday refused bail to 14 suspects, including tow police constables, who are charged with the theft of eight gold bars worth 2.4 billion cedis.

The paper says the gold bars, belonging to Amansie Resources, a mining company in Ashanti, were stolen when a gang of armed men intercepted the vehicle conveying the metals to Accra on February 16, this year.

The suspects are named as: Philip Asamoa, Teddy Amevor, Emmanuel Wilson, Alexander Kwabena Biney

And Philip Kudaya, all drivers of West Coast Allied Services, a private security services company. Others are: Jonathan Otumfuor Berger, a private investigator, Godfred Amoako, a security guard, Eric Boateng, assistant supervisor, Oscar Nkrumah and Francis Mensah. The rest are: Police Constables J.K. Mensah and Alex Amoako Acheampong, Alexander Inglis, operations manager and Joseph Anane Mensah, also known as ?Alhaji?, a businessman. They have pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Graphic says the defence counsel pleaded unsuccessfuly for bail when the suspects made their second appearance before the tribunal yesterday. The paper quotes the chairperson of the tribunal, Mrs Elizabeth Anderson-Yeboah, as saying the accused could not be granted bail because the law does not allow bail for robbery suspects. Secondly, the case is still being investigated by the police. The Graphic reports that on February 6, this year, while three vehicles belonging to West Coast Allied Services were carrying gold bars worth 2.4 billion cedis from the Amansie Resources in Ashanti to Accra, they were attacked by a group of armed men in police and military uniforms. The armed men allegedly took away eight boxes of unrefined gold bars in a Nissan Patrol vehicle belonging to the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) and a Toyota pick-up. The paper quotes the prosecution as telling the court that 7 million cedis and 300 dollars belonging to Inglis (13th Accused), were also stolen.

In another front page story, the Times says Asanteman is today observing the 40th day of the death of Asantehene Otumfuo Opoku Ware II. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene-elect will sit in state at the Manhyia Palace to observe the performance of the rites. The Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, will also sit in state, reports the paper. The Times says some ?Amanhene? and various chiefs of the Kumasi Traditional Council will pay homage, while traditional rites will be performed in camera at the Palace. This will be followed at a later date by the swearing of another ?Great Oath? of allegiance to Asanteman by Otumfuo Osei Tutu, and installation and enstoolment procedures. After the observance, Otumfuo Osei Tutu will be confined for 40 days and taken through customary procedures to understand and appreciate the structures and organisation of the Manhyia Palace before he ascends the Golden Stool.

The Crusading Guide

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?Nana Konadu?s threat backfires?, says a front page banner of the Crusading Guide. According to the paper, Mr Kwamena Barels, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North and a Minority Spokesman on Works and Housing, has noted that a threatening statement reportedly made by the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, prior to the Ablekuma Central bye- election, really backfired. The Crusading

Guide says at a rally almost a week before the March 26, 1999 bye-election, Nana Konadu allegedly threatened that development would not come to the constituency if the NDC candidate, Alhaji Ismail Bawa, was not voted to replace the late MP for the area, Mr C.S. Crabbe. The paper says contrary to the ?crude?

Threat by the First Lady, Mr Victor Okuley Nortey, the NPP candidate, emerged victorious. The Crusading Guide said Mr Bartels, who was reacting to Nana Konadu?s utterances during a popular Groove FM programme, ?Hotline?, said in areas he had been monitoring since 1996, whenever the First Lady campaigned for an NDC Parliamentary candidate, the person lost the election. He cited constituencies like Ablekuma North, Ablekuma South, Ablekuma Central as well as Affigya Sekyere East. ? I will be very happy if in the year 2000 she will go round and insult the NPP or individuals during the campaign period. The NPP will certainly win?, the paper quotes Mr Bartels as saying.

GRI../

In a second front page story headlined: ?Rumours about J J?s death untrue!?, the Crusading Guide says as at press time on Tuesday April 6, this year, rumours were seriously doing the rounds that the President, Flt-Lt Jerry John Rawlings, had passed away. Indeed, there was no iota of truth in the rumours. The paper says, terribly shocked by the hearsay, it contacted the Minister in charge of State Seccurity, Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi, who promptly dismissed the rumours, saying they were unfounded. Mr Quakyi is reported as saying that there was nothing alarming about the President?s health that should cause his sudden death, a day after his return from an official visit to France. The paper says the rumours might have gone far and wide as a number of dignitaries both within and outside the country, who were contacted admitted hearing about the rumours but could not, however, ascertain the truth or otherwise of the matter. The Crusading Guide says Washington sources intimated that the rumours even ?rocked? the corridors of the State Department as early as last Friday evening before the rumours reached the shores of Ghana. The paper surmises that the rumours might not be unconnected with the announced long holiday President Rawlings had reportedly taken on the Island of Cyprus and later in the United Kingdom after the France visit. President Rawling returned home with his wife, Nana Konadu, on Easter Monday, through London, the Crusading Guide adds.

The Ghanaian Chronicle

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The Front page splash of the Ghanaian Chronicle says: ?Capital Telecom Rural Telephone contract?162 billion cedis political fraud on nation, Ex-SFO boss tells court?. In the accompanying story, the paper reports that the former acting Executive Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Mr Dominic de- Graft Aidoo, has described the 162 billion cedis rural telephone contract awarded to Capital Telecom by the then Ministry of Transport and Communications, headed by Mr Edward Salia, as a ?political fraud on the nation?. ?The Capital Telecom project contract which was investigated by the SFO, revealed nothing but political fraud involving people still holding political office in the country?, he is quoted as saying. The Cchronicle says Mr Aidoo was giving evidence at an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Nana

Gyamera Tawiah, in a case in which he has sued Mr Brian Anku Sapati, Deputy Executive Director in charge of Research and monitoring and Mr Theophilus Ashraku Cudjoe, Director in charge of investigations, both of the SFO. The paper names Mr Christian Aggrey, former Editor of the ?Ghanaian Times? and Mr William Fayorsey, as jointly sued by Mr Aidoo. According to Mr Aidoo, he became a victim of official attacks after he had sent out copies of the Capital Telecom report to the Office of the President, the government and the Bank of Ghana. The Chronicle says Mr Cudjoe and Mr Sapati have, in their defence, denied that the SFO had sent out any official report on Capital Telecom. The paper says in 1993, the Ghana Post and Telecommunications Corporation completed exclusive studies and obtained in principle, financial agreement from a United Kingdom to fund a vast rural telephone project for the northern and southern sector of Ghana. As the project was to take off, the then Ministry of Transport and Communications ordered that the project should be taken over by a local Ghanaian company, Capital Telecom, owned by Messrs Danny Ofori Atta (Chairman) and Fred Asiedu. The Post and Telecommunications Corporation swiftly signed a memorandum of understanding with Capital Telecom, which in turn signed a contract with Granger Telecommunications of the United Kingdom to supply materials for the project, the paper says. It says there was neither invitations to tender bids nor was there any opportunity made public and transparent for investors to consider, adding that the sum involved was 45 million pounds sterling (162 billion cedis).