Court orders impostor to be sent to psychiatric hospital

Ejisu (Ash), Aug 20, GNA- The Ejisu District court has ordered one Kwadwo Asare, a 28-year-old unemployed who posed as a police officer to be sent to the nearest psychiatric hospital to assess his mental capability.

The order followed the abnormal behaviour Asare put up when he was charged before the court for impersonation and stealing on Tuesday. Police Inspector E.O. Tanoh told the court that on August 14, Inspector A.K. Danquah, the Ejisu Police Station Officer, was on duty at the durbar grounds at Ejisu awaiting the arrival of President John Agyekum Kufuor who was visiting the district.

He said while at the durbar grounds Inspector Danquah saw the accused, dressed in suit, moving up and down the durbar grounds and took position behind the presidential dais.

Inspector Tanoh said Inspector Danquah confronted him to know his identity.

He said the accused claimed to be Detective Constable Alhassan from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Accra and was on the President's entourage.

Inspector Tanoh said when his colleague demanded to see his identity card, the accused could not produce it. Inspector Danquah then asked Asare him to the District Police Commander who was also at the durbar grounds but the accused refused.

He said the accused later offered to be sent to one Dr Afrifa, the brother of the Ejisu-Juaben District Chief Executive, but when he was taken to him he said he did not know the accused. The prosecution said Dr Afrifa told the police that the accused only greeted him in the morning when he was with his brother, the DCE, at the premises of the district assembly. He said the accused was therefore taken to the charge office where a search conducted on him revealed a Ghanaian passport bearing the name of Kwaku Dekyi now deceased. An old Ghanaian currency note and an identity card belonging to the Asante-Akim Rural Bank were found on him and when he was questioned, he said he was once a worker of the bank, the prosecutor said. 20 Aug. 03

NSOC 030 Social Labour Research Labour Department on man-hour lost.

Accra, Aug. 20, GNA - The Labour Department is currently conducting a research in man-hour lost in respect of strike actions and absence of duty, Mr Talic (rpt.Talic) King Essilfie, Acting Chief Labour, said this in Accra on Wednesday. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, Mr Essilfie said, the objective is to find out the effects on the economy and help create awareness among workers about the danger strikes actions pose to them and the nation in general. He said any industrial action affects the worker, his family, extended family and even social and religious contributions such as tithes and the growth of the economy. Mr Essilfie therefore, appealed to unionists to follow grievance procedures to avoid a situation that would impact negatively on their living conditions and the economy. 20 Aug. 03