GHANAIAN TIMES

"Another 'stray' bullet...Driver's mate killed, Driver brutally assaulted", is the banner headline in the Times. The accompanying pathetic story says a driver's mate, Kwaku Abeiku, 30, died instantly at the weekend when a bullet from a policeman's gun hit him at the back of the head and penetrated the forehead. The incident occurred under the Kaneshie foot-bridge in Accra. The Times says the policeman, whose name is being withheld, had signalled the driver of a 'trotro' vehicle, Nana Yaw ,to stop when he was caught driving through a "one-way" lane, but he ignored the order. According to the Times, the policeman then aimed at the vehicle and fired, killing the driver's mate on the spot . The paper says the driver was later caught and beaten up mercilessly by a reinforcement of army and police personnel. He was then sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital by the chairman of the Kaneshie-Dansoman branch of the GPRTU, Mr Kweku Manu, who came to his rescue. The Times says an eye-witness said not even persuasions from anjother policeman to his colleague not to fire, could deter him. GRI

In another front page story the Times reports Ghanaians marrying through satellite. The story has it that Ghanaian couples on Saturday joined 30 million others world-wide in plural blessing of their marriages via satellite transmission from the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in Washington D.C, United States. The Times says the ceremony, under the theme: "Blessing 97", was officiated by the Reverend and Mrs Sun Myung Moon, founder of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. It is the third such international celebration of marriages organised by the church. The Times says in Accra some of the couples, in full bridal attires, converge on the National Theatre for the ceremony. GRI

In a back page story headlined: "Ex-gratia for Assemblymen", the Times reports that the government has given approval for the payment of ex-gratia awards of about 350,000 cedis to each Assembly member at the end of their tenure of office next year. The Times says the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kwamena Ahwoi announcxed this at Ayoo, Bongo in the Upper East Region, when he commissioned a 705.8 million-cedi two--storey office complex for Bongo District Assembly. The Minister, the Times says, also announced that guidelines for the use of the district assemblies' common fund, have been revised. GRI