The Chronicle

"At the criminal libel trial of Free Press...Nana Konadu is dishonest, not trustworthy... Counsel tells court.", is the screamer on the front page of the Chronicle. The paper quotes Mr Akoto Ampaw, counsel for Tommy Thompson Books Limited, and Eben Quarcoo, former editor of the "Free Press" as telling an Accra Circuit tribunal that the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman- Rawlings, is dishonest and can therefore not be a credible witness. The accused have pleaded not guilty to two counts of intentionally libeling the First Lady. The Chronicle says Mr Ampaw who was making a submission of "no case" in the on-going trial of the accused for criminal libel, prayed the court to acquit and discharge his clients because they have no case to answer. Mr Ampaw told the tribunal that it is not defamatory to say that some one carries gold abroad. "Indeed, it is because of the mistake understanding of the complainant of the import of such statement that during cross-examination she attempted to deny ever carrying gold when she travels abroad and at first denied wearing gold ornaments when abroad, thus gratuitously exposing hersef as a dishonest and untrustworthy witness", he is reported as saying The paper says Nana Konadu, in her evidence before the court last year, denied categorically that shecarried gold abroad and contended that she wore fashion jewellery and not pure gold when travelling abroad.