DAILY GRAPHIC

The Graphic reports that President Jerry John Rawlings has urged the Auditor-General to invoke the law empowering his office to request the suspension of salaries and allowances of any public officer who fails without just cause, to respond to an audit query issued by the Auditor-General, within 30, days. In a fronf page story headlined: "Combating financial improprieties... Rawlings asks A-G to use powers", the Graphic says the President made the call at a meeting with the Auditor-General, Mr O.T. Prempeh at the Castle yesterday at which the President showed concern about the Auditor- General's report which has continued to expose financial improprieties of many government organisations. President Rawlings, the Graphic says, therefore called on the Auditor-General to use all the powers he has undere the law, to ensure financial discipline at all levels of government machinery. GRI

In another front page story the Graphic reports that people who commit sexual offences other than rape, are to be tried summarily rather than through indictment under the proposed amendment to the Criminal Code. Summary trials are less formal, restricted to misdemeanour and more efficient while trial by indictment involves elaborate committal proceedings starting from lower courts for committal for trial at the superior courts. It usually involves capital offences and first degree felonies. According to the Graphic, Dr Obed Asamoah, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice made this known when he opened a one-day conference of African Women Lawyers Association in Accra yesterday. Dr Asamoah explained that the decision would help expedite trial of defilement and other sexual cases and also allow the Attorney- General to determine which court should deal with a particular case, considering the gravity of the offence. GRI

"Ministry to adopt bidding system...For road contracts", is the headline of a back page story of the Graphic which says the Ministry of Roads and Transport is to replace negotiated contracts with the bidding system to ensure competitive pricing for contracts. Mr Edward Salia, the sector Minister, who announced this at Cape Coast on wednesday, said negotiations would be resorted to only under emergency situations. The Minister was interacting with some contractors in the Central Region after an inspection tour of on-going road projects in the region. GRI

In another back page story, the Graphic reports lthat tutors of Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School (OKESS) in Kumasi have threatened to withdraw their services by next week if immediate steps are not taken to stop the encroachment on the school's lands and threats to their lives by thugs employed by the encroachers. Under the headline: "OKESS tutors give ultimatum", the Graphic says the tutors have also appealed to the chiefs scrambling for the school's lands not to involve the Manhyia Palace and the name of the Asantehene in their scramble for land. The Graphic says the tutors announced their resolve at a press conference in Kumasi yesterday to express their disgust at the action of the encroachers and the danger to their lives. GRI