DAILY GRAPHIC

The Graphic says lawyers in Brong Ahafo are reportedly shying away from defending Mrs Rosemary Frimpong Quartey, the 28-year-old wife of a police constable who allegedly battered her five-and-half-year-old stepson to death with a carpenter's hammer at Sunyani recently. The paper says a highly-placed legal source at Sunyani said yesterday that almost all the lawyers contacted by the husband of the accused and relatives have turned down the request. The Graphic says the source could not give reasons for the stand taken by the lawyers. It says it is however believed to be centreed on security, considering the fact that the life of the accused is already being threatened by some people who are demanding instant justice for her act aqnd this could be extended to the lawyers. According to the Graphic, the legal source said the woman would have to apply to the Legal Aid Board for assistance. GRI

"Sad end of a 65-year-old man", is the headline of another front page story which says a 65-year-old man of Atebubu in the Brong Ahafo Region who left the comfort of his bedroom to pass the night with his girl-friend, was found dead the following day. The body of the deceased, Mr Henry Owusu, was found almost naked some 50 metres from the girl-friend's house. According to the Graphic the 30-year-old girl-friend, Ama Twea and her unemployed boy-friend, Peter Owusu, 35, have been arrested and will be put before the Atebubu Community Tribunal tomorrow. GRI

In a back page story, the Graphic reports the defeat of Kumasi Asante Kotoko by Dawu Youngsters. The paper says Kumasi Asante Kotoko began this year's football season on a gloomy note when they suffered a 2-3 defeat at the hands of Dawu Youngsters in their first 1997 ABC Premier League encounter at the Kumasi stadium yesterday. According to the Graphic, Kotoko exposed their ineffectiveness in attack, midfield and defence as they gave away early chances in the game and succumbed to a more experienced and tactfully disciplined Dawu side. GRI