Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The Criminal Investigations Department unit at the Takoradi Central Police Station in the Western Region has arrested four teenagers as they attempted to sell a stolen 19-seater 207 Mercedes Benz, valued at ¢150 million, for a token ¢40 million.
The teenage suspects — Yao Amoako, 19, a driver’s mate in the stolen vehicle; Patrick Ali (aka Dodzi), 19; Ebenezer Ansah, 19; Samuel Opong (aka Paa Kwaw), 18 — were said to have stolen the vehicle from Alajo in Accra and drove it to Takoradi to sell it.
The vehicle, with registration number GW 9782 X, had its number plate removed and its ignition system destroyed. The suspects joined wires to start the engine.
The deal was said to have been masterminded by the mate of the said bus who confessed to the police.
The name of the original driver of the bus was given only as Master JB and the owner, as written on the driver’s side of the vehicle, is Abdule Rauf Abubakar of Madina in Accra.
According to the one who offered to buy the vehicle, he received a call from an accomplice in Takoradi that he had a vehicle for sale and priced it for between ¢60 million and ¢100 million.
The prospective buyer said when he saw the vehicle, he realised it had once been registered and the seats inside were not original.
“I asked the boys for the papers and Amoako, who said he was the leader of the gang, said it was a connection vehicle, that he could not produce the papers immediately and that I should find a way of registering it in my name”.
The buyer, whose name is being withheld, told the Daily Graphic, “I entered the vehicle but I realised that its ignition system had been destroyed,” he said.
“I negotiated the price from ¢100 million to ¢40 million and when they were pressing for the money, I called the police who came in to effect their arrest,” he said.
Upon interrogation, Amoako said he was Master JB’s mate and that after the close of the day’s business at 10.00 p.m. on Friday, he had informed Dodzi, who was also an expert in joining wires to start a vehicle and could also drive, about the plan to steal the vehicle.
He said their accomplices in Takoradi, Samuel Opong and Ebenezer Ansah, had also by then completed arrangements for the sale of the vehicle.
According to Amoako, Dodzi, who lived near the Railway Station in Accra, went to his (Amoako’s) residence at Odawna in Accra and they moved to Alajo where the vehicle had been parked and drove it to Takoradi, where Opong and Asare were waiting to take them to the buyer.
Asked how they managed to fuel the vehicle, Amoako said they took passengers and used the fare to buy diesel.
The police are trying to locate the owner and the driver of the vehicle in Accra.
When contacted, the Crime Officer in charge of the Takoradi Central Police Station, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dela Dzansi, said the four suspects and the vehicle were being transferred to Accra for further investigations.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Seven -Yr-Old Girl Amputated
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
One of the seven children who were caught up in last Sunday’s tragic incident at Nkontompo near Sekondi in which a grader ran into a group of Sunday School children has had her left leg amputated.
Doctors at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital are said to have done everything possible to save the situation but the damage to the left leg of Little Ruth Amoasi, 7, coupled with the high rate of infection, made it impossible for them to spare her leg.
Hospital sources said the doctors were confronted with two options — either to amputate the leg to save her life or lose her in the process of saving her leg.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic yesterday, the doctor in charge, Dr Tawiah Siame, said the flesh on the affected leg was completely dead and also badly infected.
“It was a very difficult decision for us, since that was the only option to save her life. We had to call a lot of other doctors to assess the situation and pass their comments, as well as take several photographs, all in an attempt to salvage the leg,” he said.
He said given that sad development, the hospital authorities found it difficult to make the decision known to the parents to understand the situation in which their daughter was.
“To us, life is more precious and we involved her parents because of the legal implications,” Dr Siame said.
However, the remaining six victims are in stable condition and the doctors said it was likely some of them would be discharged by yesterday.
Mrs Grace Amoasi, who could not stand the sight and the pain of her daughter losing one of her legs, is yet to come to terms with the reality.
At Ruth’s bedside were some of her family members who sobbed intermittently as they spoke to this reporter.
One of the seven children who were caught up in last Sunday’s tragic incident at Nkontompo near Sekondi in which a grader ran into a group of Sunday School children has had her left leg amputated.
Doctors at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital are said to have done everything possible to save the situation but the damage to the left leg of Little Ruth Amoasi, 7, coupled with the high rate of infection, made it impossible for them to spare her leg.
Hospital sources said the doctors were confronted with two options — either to amputate the leg to save her life or lose her in the process of saving her leg.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic yesterday, the doctor in charge, Dr Tawiah Siame, said the flesh on the affected leg was completely dead and also badly infected.
“It was a very difficult decision for us, since that was the only option to save her life. We had to call a lot of other doctors to assess the situation and pass their comments, as well as take several photographs, all in an attempt to salvage the leg,” he said.
He said given that sad development, the hospital authorities found it difficult to make the decision known to the parents to understand the situation in which their daughter was.
“To us, life is more precious and we involved her parents because of the legal implications,” Dr Siame said.
However, the remaining six victims are in stable condition and the doctors said it was likely some of them would be discharged by yesterday.
Mrs Grace Amoasi, who could not stand the sight and the pain of her daughter losing one of her legs, is yet to come to terms with the reality.
At Ruth’s bedside were some of her family members who sobbed intermittently as they spoke to this reporter.
British Tourists Visit Western, Central Regions
Story By Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Seven hundred and thirty five British tourists from Southampton in London docked at the Takoradi Port on last week Tuesday for a day’s tour of places of interest in the Western and Central regions.
The tourists, who were on Around Africa Tour aboard the Black Watch vessel operated by Fred Olsen Cruises, left Southampton on January 5 this year and arrived at Takoradi Port in the early hours of Tuesday.
They were taken to Kakum National Park, various forts and castles in the two regions and also had a tour of Takoradi during which they visited the Takoradi central market.
The tourists, who were so excited, described Ghanaians as friendly and warm people, adding, “we are overwhelmed by their hospitality and we will not miss the next opportunity to come back to Ghana”.
The tour, which was made possible by Sunseekers Tours, a private tour operators in the country with the aim of packaging the country’s tourist potential well for the international tourism market.
The Chief Executive Officer of Sunseekers, Mr Kwame Ansong, called on leaders of countries within the West African sub-region to embark on targeted marketing to harness the potential of countries along the west coast of Africa.
He said the level of excitement and willingness of tourists to stay longer than they anticipated should be measured so that that could prompt the countries to plan what to do to improve tourism.
He said facilities such as hotel accommodation were not adequate in Takoradi for the 735 tourists to make their stay comfortable had they decided to stay a day or two, and sadly said that “we therefore have to helplessly watch them move on”.
“The hotel accommodation in Takoradi would not be enough for the people if they decided to sleep and continue their exploration of the regions,” he said
Mr Ansong said the country had a lot to offer in terms of tourism and even though tourism demand was increasing at a faster rate there was no corresponding increase in the facilities to meet the demand.
He said there were many countries interested in contracting the Fred Olsen Cruises to include them in their world tour but they chose Ghana.
“Therefore if other countries along the cost could develop and market their countries, the ship could have moved from Ghana to Togo, Nigeria, or elsewhere along the west coast, but sadly, from Ghana the ship is moving to Sao Tome, Namibia and then to South Africa,” he said.
Seven hundred and thirty five British tourists from Southampton in London docked at the Takoradi Port on last week Tuesday for a day’s tour of places of interest in the Western and Central regions.
The tourists, who were on Around Africa Tour aboard the Black Watch vessel operated by Fred Olsen Cruises, left Southampton on January 5 this year and arrived at Takoradi Port in the early hours of Tuesday.
They were taken to Kakum National Park, various forts and castles in the two regions and also had a tour of Takoradi during which they visited the Takoradi central market.
The tourists, who were so excited, described Ghanaians as friendly and warm people, adding, “we are overwhelmed by their hospitality and we will not miss the next opportunity to come back to Ghana”.
The tour, which was made possible by Sunseekers Tours, a private tour operators in the country with the aim of packaging the country’s tourist potential well for the international tourism market.
The Chief Executive Officer of Sunseekers, Mr Kwame Ansong, called on leaders of countries within the West African sub-region to embark on targeted marketing to harness the potential of countries along the west coast of Africa.
He said the level of excitement and willingness of tourists to stay longer than they anticipated should be measured so that that could prompt the countries to plan what to do to improve tourism.
He said facilities such as hotel accommodation were not adequate in Takoradi for the 735 tourists to make their stay comfortable had they decided to stay a day or two, and sadly said that “we therefore have to helplessly watch them move on”.
“The hotel accommodation in Takoradi would not be enough for the people if they decided to sleep and continue their exploration of the regions,” he said
Mr Ansong said the country had a lot to offer in terms of tourism and even though tourism demand was increasing at a faster rate there was no corresponding increase in the facilities to meet the demand.
He said there were many countries interested in contracting the Fred Olsen Cruises to include them in their world tour but they chose Ghana.
“Therefore if other countries along the cost could develop and market their countries, the ship could have moved from Ghana to Togo, Nigeria, or elsewhere along the west coast, but sadly, from Ghana the ship is moving to Sao Tome, Namibia and then to South Africa,” he said.
Protracted chieftaincy dispute
Story Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
A protracted chieftaincy dispute at Adjua in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region has left pupils of the primary school at the mercy of the weather.
The chiefs are said to have sold part of the land designated for a school project and are also not ready to release the rest for the construction of new classrooms for the school.
As a result, the Ahanta West District Assembly is likely to allocate the fund for the school block to other communities that are ready to provide land for the project.
According to the Junior Graphic in a report filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, pupils of the only primary school in the area are sharing a three classroom block, which is in a deplorable state among classes one to six.
Classes one to three use the classrooms, while those in primary four, five and six use the veranda of the block. Sadly, anytime it rains, school work is disrupted because of leaking roofs.
The factions are also aware that the Ahanta West District Assembly is ready to finance the project but they are not ready to release the land for the project.
The head teacher of the school, Mrs. Mary Mensah, said aside the poor infrastructure, the residents of the town had also resorted to the stealing of school furniture left on the veranda for use as firewood.
When contacted, the Ahanta West District Chief Executive, Mr Kwesi Biney, expressed regret at the conditions under which the children had to study.
He reminded the two factions that the children were being deprived of a sound learning environment because of the entrenched positions they had taken on the dispute.
The DCE confirmed that those involved in the dispute were aware that the assembly had set aside money for the construction of a classroom block but said "it will go to another community since the factions are not ready to compromise for the development of the community".
He bemoaned the fact that the chiefs had sold part of the land earmarked for the construction of the school.
In a related development, the nursery department of the school, is crowded with between 70 and 100 children in one small classroom which has very poor ventilation.
Teachers of the nursery department have no choice but to endure the heat in the classroom and continuously wipe off their sweat while teaching.
A protracted chieftaincy dispute at Adjua in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region has left pupils of the primary school at the mercy of the weather.
The chiefs are said to have sold part of the land designated for a school project and are also not ready to release the rest for the construction of new classrooms for the school.
As a result, the Ahanta West District Assembly is likely to allocate the fund for the school block to other communities that are ready to provide land for the project.
According to the Junior Graphic in a report filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, pupils of the only primary school in the area are sharing a three classroom block, which is in a deplorable state among classes one to six.
Classes one to three use the classrooms, while those in primary four, five and six use the veranda of the block. Sadly, anytime it rains, school work is disrupted because of leaking roofs.
The factions are also aware that the Ahanta West District Assembly is ready to finance the project but they are not ready to release the land for the project.
The head teacher of the school, Mrs. Mary Mensah, said aside the poor infrastructure, the residents of the town had also resorted to the stealing of school furniture left on the veranda for use as firewood.
When contacted, the Ahanta West District Chief Executive, Mr Kwesi Biney, expressed regret at the conditions under which the children had to study.
He reminded the two factions that the children were being deprived of a sound learning environment because of the entrenched positions they had taken on the dispute.
The DCE confirmed that those involved in the dispute were aware that the assembly had set aside money for the construction of a classroom block but said "it will go to another community since the factions are not ready to compromise for the development of the community".
He bemoaned the fact that the chiefs had sold part of the land earmarked for the construction of the school.
In a related development, the nursery department of the school, is crowded with between 70 and 100 children in one small classroom which has very poor ventilation.
Teachers of the nursery department have no choice but to endure the heat in the classroom and continuously wipe off their sweat while teaching.
Nine police officers busted
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
Nine police officers have been busted and interdicted on suspicion of their involvement in cocaine trade.
Police sources said the officers deserted their posts in Accra to escort five suspected dealers to Half Assini to retrieve parcels of cocaine that had been washed ashore the Gulf of Guinea.
The sources said the nine policemen, who were armed with AK 47 assault rifles, pistols and several rounds of ammunition for their intended operation at Nyamebekyere-Mile 32, a Police/CEPS checkpoint at Apremdo, near Takoradi in the Western Region, had been interdicted.
This brings to 50 the number of police personnel who have been interdicted for various acts of misconduct within a month of the launch of an exercise to flush out drug-tainted nuts from the service.
Five other suspected drug dealers have been arrested while five saloon cars that were being used by the suspects at the time of their arrest have been impounded.
The affected policemen are L/Cpl Ben Somuah, G/L/Cpl Ebenezer Quao Afatsao and L/Cpl Daniel Kagya, all of the Armoured Car Squadron in Accra; G/Cpl George Obuobi of the Darkuman Police Station and G/Constable John Mensah-Grey of the Service Workshop attached to the Regional Headquarters, Accra.
The others are G/Constable Cudjoe Mensah, L/Cpl Gideon Sakabito and G/Constable Dennis Agyeman, all of the La Police Station.
The suspected drug dealers are Eric Asamoah, 35, a businessman and a resident of London; Kwame Attah Yeboah, 33, a car dealer; Kodjo Annim alias Olympio, 35, a businessman; Alex Addo, 36, a car dealer, and Kwasi Kumeke, 27, a businessman, all from Accra.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, confirmed the story and said following the event, a high-powered delegation from the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, led by the Deputy Director General of the CID, Mr Patrick Timbilla, had been dispatched to the area.
He said for sometime now the security agencies had been receiving information that a vessel from an unidentified origin had discharged some parcels of substances suspected to be cocaine into the Atlantic Ocean and believed the parcels would be washed ashore on the west coast of Ghana, especially in the Western Region.
The IGP said the information further had it that a number of suspected drug dealers mainly from Accra had been marauding along the beaches from Sekondi to Half-Assini and paying huge sums of money to fishermen and persons along the beaches to assist to retrieve the parcels.
He said the security personnel at the various checkpoints were put on high alert while a number of policemen were quickly deployed to beef up security at all the checkpoints in the region in order to track them down.
Those positioned at the Apremdo Police Checkpoint near Takoradi spotted a BMW 4X4 with a DVLA number plate, a VW Golf with registration number GE 9487 X, a Nissan Sentra with registration number GW 6309 X and Geo Prism saloon car with registration number GE 4501 W and intercepted them while in a convoy.
The IGP said the vehicles were thoroughly searched but nothing incriminating was found in them. However, the occupants were highly suspected to be dealers who were being given protection and security by the police officers.
Further investigations indicated that two of the suspected persons, Kodjo Annim and Eric Asamoah, were known dealers in Accra.
On June 1, 2007 all the suspects were arraigned before the District Magistrate’s Court at Sekondi and were remanded in police custody to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Mr Acheampong said on June 1, 2007, at about 9:45 a.m. an unregistered Nissan Primera saloon car was also spotted at Samenye Barrier at the Elubo-Half-Assini junction and when it was stopped for inspection the driver sped off.
He said a message was sent out to other checkpoints to look for and arrest the occupants of the vehicle and on the same day at 11:00 a.m., the vehicle pulled up at the Nyamebekyere-Mile 32 Police/CEPS Checkpoint on the Takoradi-Axim road.
The IGP said the occupants of the vehicle comprised three policemen and two civilians and the three policemen first alighted from the vehicle leaving the two civilians that included the driver.
He said while the driver was being directed to park properly for the vehicle to be searched he reversed at top speed and sped off towards Axim leaving the policemen behind.
The policemen were consequently arrested and handed over to the Regional CID, Sekondi and on June 2, 2007 the unregistered Nissan Primera with a trial number plate was found abandoned in the bush on the outskirts of Nsein near Axim.
A search in the bush by the police revealed two AK 47 assault rifles and magazines loaded with seven and four rounds of ammunition respectively.
The three policemen were also remanded in prison custody by the District Magistrate’s Court in Sekondi to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Nine police officers have been busted and interdicted on suspicion of their involvement in cocaine trade.
Police sources said the officers deserted their posts in Accra to escort five suspected dealers to Half Assini to retrieve parcels of cocaine that had been washed ashore the Gulf of Guinea.
The sources said the nine policemen, who were armed with AK 47 assault rifles, pistols and several rounds of ammunition for their intended operation at Nyamebekyere-Mile 32, a Police/CEPS checkpoint at Apremdo, near Takoradi in the Western Region, had been interdicted.
This brings to 50 the number of police personnel who have been interdicted for various acts of misconduct within a month of the launch of an exercise to flush out drug-tainted nuts from the service.
Five other suspected drug dealers have been arrested while five saloon cars that were being used by the suspects at the time of their arrest have been impounded.
The affected policemen are L/Cpl Ben Somuah, G/L/Cpl Ebenezer Quao Afatsao and L/Cpl Daniel Kagya, all of the Armoured Car Squadron in Accra; G/Cpl George Obuobi of the Darkuman Police Station and G/Constable John Mensah-Grey of the Service Workshop attached to the Regional Headquarters, Accra.
The others are G/Constable Cudjoe Mensah, L/Cpl Gideon Sakabito and G/Constable Dennis Agyeman, all of the La Police Station.
The suspected drug dealers are Eric Asamoah, 35, a businessman and a resident of London; Kwame Attah Yeboah, 33, a car dealer; Kodjo Annim alias Olympio, 35, a businessman; Alex Addo, 36, a car dealer, and Kwasi Kumeke, 27, a businessman, all from Accra.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, confirmed the story and said following the event, a high-powered delegation from the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, led by the Deputy Director General of the CID, Mr Patrick Timbilla, had been dispatched to the area.
He said for sometime now the security agencies had been receiving information that a vessel from an unidentified origin had discharged some parcels of substances suspected to be cocaine into the Atlantic Ocean and believed the parcels would be washed ashore on the west coast of Ghana, especially in the Western Region.
The IGP said the information further had it that a number of suspected drug dealers mainly from Accra had been marauding along the beaches from Sekondi to Half-Assini and paying huge sums of money to fishermen and persons along the beaches to assist to retrieve the parcels.
He said the security personnel at the various checkpoints were put on high alert while a number of policemen were quickly deployed to beef up security at all the checkpoints in the region in order to track them down.
Those positioned at the Apremdo Police Checkpoint near Takoradi spotted a BMW 4X4 with a DVLA number plate, a VW Golf with registration number GE 9487 X, a Nissan Sentra with registration number GW 6309 X and Geo Prism saloon car with registration number GE 4501 W and intercepted them while in a convoy.
The IGP said the vehicles were thoroughly searched but nothing incriminating was found in them. However, the occupants were highly suspected to be dealers who were being given protection and security by the police officers.
Further investigations indicated that two of the suspected persons, Kodjo Annim and Eric Asamoah, were known dealers in Accra.
On June 1, 2007 all the suspects were arraigned before the District Magistrate’s Court at Sekondi and were remanded in police custody to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Mr Acheampong said on June 1, 2007, at about 9:45 a.m. an unregistered Nissan Primera saloon car was also spotted at Samenye Barrier at the Elubo-Half-Assini junction and when it was stopped for inspection the driver sped off.
He said a message was sent out to other checkpoints to look for and arrest the occupants of the vehicle and on the same day at 11:00 a.m., the vehicle pulled up at the Nyamebekyere-Mile 32 Police/CEPS Checkpoint on the Takoradi-Axim road.
The IGP said the occupants of the vehicle comprised three policemen and two civilians and the three policemen first alighted from the vehicle leaving the two civilians that included the driver.
He said while the driver was being directed to park properly for the vehicle to be searched he reversed at top speed and sped off towards Axim leaving the policemen behind.
The policemen were consequently arrested and handed over to the Regional CID, Sekondi and on June 2, 2007 the unregistered Nissan Primera with a trial number plate was found abandoned in the bush on the outskirts of Nsein near Axim.
A search in the bush by the police revealed two AK 47 assault rifles and magazines loaded with seven and four rounds of ammunition respectively.
The three policemen were also remanded in prison custody by the District Magistrate’s Court in Sekondi to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Super Glue In Lover’s Ear
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
To punish his girlfriend who had deserted their home for six months after over six-years of turbulent relationship, a young man decided to teach her a lesson.
Benjamin Kumi, a trader, cunningly replaced the content of his partner’s ear drop with super glue and managed to get it to her at her new home.
The unsuspecting victim who has a chronic ear problem also took it, applied it and got deaf in the left ear for several agonising hours.
Fortunately for her, the glue had been removed at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, Kumi has been charged for causing unlawful harm to his partner by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at the Western Regional Headquarters in Sekondi and has been arraigned before the Sekondi Magistrate Court.
He pleaded guilty and the court sent him to prison for nine months with hard labur. In addition, Kumi is to pay ¢2 million as compensation to the woman, Vida Kyei.
According to the Unit Commander of DOVVSU, Ms Cecilia Arko, even though they were not married, Kumi and his girlfriend lived together as a couple at Adakope, a suburb of Sekondi.
She said Kumi and the girlfriend, Vida Kyei, always had problems over minor issues and at a point, Vida left their home at Adakope to stay with her uncle at Port-Quarters in Takoradi.
The saga began when Kumi, who who did not take kindly to this decided to punish Vida for leaving him.
According to Ms Arko, after planning his scheme, Kumi went to buy super glue and poured it into one of the empty ear drop containers that Vida had finished using and boldly went to her at Takoradi and handed it over to her.
Vida, apparently unaware of Kumi’s intentions took the drug and told Kumi that she had no grudge against him so he could visit her at home any time he was in Takoradi.
Ms Arko said Vida later applied the ‘drop’ in her left ear and in some few seconds, the drop hardened and completely sealed her ear together with her ear-ring coupled with severe pains.
Ms Arko said the uncle got angry and demanded to know where she bought the drug and, to his surprise she said it was Kumi who sent it to her from their former house.
She said the uncle then made a report to the police and Kumi was arrested.
Kumi upon interrogation, at first denied knowledge but later admitted switching the contents of the super-glue and the ear-drop, pleading that he did not know what came over him.
To punish his girlfriend who had deserted their home for six months after over six-years of turbulent relationship, a young man decided to teach her a lesson.
Benjamin Kumi, a trader, cunningly replaced the content of his partner’s ear drop with super glue and managed to get it to her at her new home.
The unsuspecting victim who has a chronic ear problem also took it, applied it and got deaf in the left ear for several agonising hours.
Fortunately for her, the glue had been removed at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, Kumi has been charged for causing unlawful harm to his partner by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at the Western Regional Headquarters in Sekondi and has been arraigned before the Sekondi Magistrate Court.
He pleaded guilty and the court sent him to prison for nine months with hard labur. In addition, Kumi is to pay ¢2 million as compensation to the woman, Vida Kyei.
According to the Unit Commander of DOVVSU, Ms Cecilia Arko, even though they were not married, Kumi and his girlfriend lived together as a couple at Adakope, a suburb of Sekondi.
She said Kumi and the girlfriend, Vida Kyei, always had problems over minor issues and at a point, Vida left their home at Adakope to stay with her uncle at Port-Quarters in Takoradi.
The saga began when Kumi, who who did not take kindly to this decided to punish Vida for leaving him.
According to Ms Arko, after planning his scheme, Kumi went to buy super glue and poured it into one of the empty ear drop containers that Vida had finished using and boldly went to her at Takoradi and handed it over to her.
Vida, apparently unaware of Kumi’s intentions took the drug and told Kumi that she had no grudge against him so he could visit her at home any time he was in Takoradi.
Ms Arko said Vida later applied the ‘drop’ in her left ear and in some few seconds, the drop hardened and completely sealed her ear together with her ear-ring coupled with severe pains.
Ms Arko said the uncle got angry and demanded to know where she bought the drug and, to his surprise she said it was Kumi who sent it to her from their former house.
She said the uncle then made a report to the police and Kumi was arrested.
Kumi upon interrogation, at first denied knowledge but later admitted switching the contents of the super-glue and the ear-drop, pleading that he did not know what came over him.
Cashier Held Over GH¢20,000
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
A cashier at the Takoradi Branch of the Merchant Bank who allegedly capitalised on the illiteracy and trust of a customer of the bank to steal a cheque leaflet from the customer’s cheque book, forged his signature and withdrew GH¢20,000 (¢200 million) from his account has been arrested.
The suspect, Aaron Afful, was also alleged to have diverted various sums of other customers’ deposits into the accounts of his creditors as a way of settling debts he owed them.
He has been charged with fraud and is currently being held by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police Command to aid in investigations into the matter.
Daily Graphic investigations revealed that a customer of the bank who could not write always withdrew money with cheques with the assistance of his nephew.
Unfortunately for the customer, a quarry contractor, his nephew was not around on June 15, 2007 when he wanted to withdraw some money for his business. When he went to the bank, he was assisted by Afful to write a cheque for ¢85 million which he signed.
While the contractor was waiting for his money, Afful asked him to give him the cheque book to enable him (Afful) to check something for him. According to Afful’s own confession, he then went back to the office and removed one leaflet which directly followed the white cheque reorder form from the cheque book.
The cashier then allegedly forged the customer’s signature and succeeded in withdrawing ¢200 million.
Unfortunately for Afful, the customer issued a cheque for ¢200 million months later to cover his indebtedness. He was surprised when the creditor came back to tell him that he (the contractor) did not have enough money in his account so the cheque had been dishonoured.
The angry customer then stormed the bank where the records indicated that the said amount had been withdrawn earlier. He then reported to the police and the bank officials were invited.
The contractor said Afful had requested for his (the contractor’s) cheque book to check something for him the day he had gone to withdraw the ¢85 million. He, therefore, believed Afful was a key suspect in the matter.
During investigations, it came to light that the cheque leaflet had been removed by Afful.
Upon interrogation, Afful admitted the offence, as well as the diversion of part of other customers’ deposits into his creditors’ accounts.
He is currently being held by the police in Sekondi for further investigations.
A cashier at the Takoradi Branch of the Merchant Bank who allegedly capitalised on the illiteracy and trust of a customer of the bank to steal a cheque leaflet from the customer’s cheque book, forged his signature and withdrew GH¢20,000 (¢200 million) from his account has been arrested.
The suspect, Aaron Afful, was also alleged to have diverted various sums of other customers’ deposits into the accounts of his creditors as a way of settling debts he owed them.
He has been charged with fraud and is currently being held by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police Command to aid in investigations into the matter.
Daily Graphic investigations revealed that a customer of the bank who could not write always withdrew money with cheques with the assistance of his nephew.
Unfortunately for the customer, a quarry contractor, his nephew was not around on June 15, 2007 when he wanted to withdraw some money for his business. When he went to the bank, he was assisted by Afful to write a cheque for ¢85 million which he signed.
While the contractor was waiting for his money, Afful asked him to give him the cheque book to enable him (Afful) to check something for him. According to Afful’s own confession, he then went back to the office and removed one leaflet which directly followed the white cheque reorder form from the cheque book.
The cashier then allegedly forged the customer’s signature and succeeded in withdrawing ¢200 million.
Unfortunately for Afful, the customer issued a cheque for ¢200 million months later to cover his indebtedness. He was surprised when the creditor came back to tell him that he (the contractor) did not have enough money in his account so the cheque had been dishonoured.
The angry customer then stormed the bank where the records indicated that the said amount had been withdrawn earlier. He then reported to the police and the bank officials were invited.
The contractor said Afful had requested for his (the contractor’s) cheque book to check something for him the day he had gone to withdraw the ¢85 million. He, therefore, believed Afful was a key suspect in the matter.
During investigations, it came to light that the cheque leaflet had been removed by Afful.
Upon interrogation, Afful admitted the offence, as well as the diversion of part of other customers’ deposits into his creditors’ accounts.
He is currently being held by the police in Sekondi for further investigations.
Couple Held For Trafficking Three Girls
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVISU) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a couple for allegedly attempting to traffic three young girls from Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire.
The couple, Kwesi Nyame, 27, and Akuba Kojokyirie, were reported to have lured the children, aged 10, 12 and 13, during break-time at school with the promise of lucrative jobs and happy lifestyles in Cote d’Ivoire which would be the envy of their compatriots back home.
They were arrested with the girls while crossing the Ghana side of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border at Jewi Wharf.
The girls, whose names were withheld, have since been re-united with their families.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic shortly before the couple were whisked to court, Nyame said he was a farm labourer at Nsuekyiri in Cote d’Ivoire.
He said his master asked him to look for young girls to help his sister, who was a food vendor.
“I then proceeded to Ghana, met the girls and told them about my mission and they all agreed to go with me. So I was taking them to my master who had provided funds for their transport to Nsuekyiri,” he said.
Asked if he had informed the families of the children, he retorted in vernacular, “Master, that was the mistake I made. That was because the children told me that if I did so, their parents would not agree.”
He said that was the first time he had been asked to bring children to Cote d’Ivoire but it was not for any bad intention.
“I was just responding to my master’s call and it has landed me in trouble, with handcuffs on my hands and on my wife’s,” he said.
According to the Unit Commander of the DOVVISU, Ms Cecelia Arko, the couple were arrested after somebody who knew the children had confronted Nyame over where he was taking the children to.
She said when Nyame could not provide any tangible answer, the informant called the families of the children at Nbem in the Jomoro District to enquire if they had authorised the suspects to travel to Cote d’Ivoire with the children.
The unit commander said the parents of the children expressed surprise at the development and based on that the informant made a report to Immigration authorities at the border, who effected the arrest of the couple.
The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVISU) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a couple for allegedly attempting to traffic three young girls from Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire.
The couple, Kwesi Nyame, 27, and Akuba Kojokyirie, were reported to have lured the children, aged 10, 12 and 13, during break-time at school with the promise of lucrative jobs and happy lifestyles in Cote d’Ivoire which would be the envy of their compatriots back home.
They were arrested with the girls while crossing the Ghana side of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border at Jewi Wharf.
The girls, whose names were withheld, have since been re-united with their families.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic shortly before the couple were whisked to court, Nyame said he was a farm labourer at Nsuekyiri in Cote d’Ivoire.
He said his master asked him to look for young girls to help his sister, who was a food vendor.
“I then proceeded to Ghana, met the girls and told them about my mission and they all agreed to go with me. So I was taking them to my master who had provided funds for their transport to Nsuekyiri,” he said.
Asked if he had informed the families of the children, he retorted in vernacular, “Master, that was the mistake I made. That was because the children told me that if I did so, their parents would not agree.”
He said that was the first time he had been asked to bring children to Cote d’Ivoire but it was not for any bad intention.
“I was just responding to my master’s call and it has landed me in trouble, with handcuffs on my hands and on my wife’s,” he said.
According to the Unit Commander of the DOVVISU, Ms Cecelia Arko, the couple were arrested after somebody who knew the children had confronted Nyame over where he was taking the children to.
She said when Nyame could not provide any tangible answer, the informant called the families of the children at Nbem in the Jomoro District to enquire if they had authorised the suspects to travel to Cote d’Ivoire with the children.
The unit commander said the parents of the children expressed surprise at the development and based on that the informant made a report to Immigration authorities at the border, who effected the arrest of the couple.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Accident on the High Seas
JOMORO :
Accident on the High Seas
What should have passed off as a normal fishing trip for daily bread by seven fishermen, turned tragic when their boat was run into by a supply ship in the deep waters off Half Assini in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, resulting in the drowning of four of them.
The remaining three were rescued by the crew of the ship.
According to the Daily Graphic in a story filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, as of press time, a search team organised to help retrieve the bodies of the four drowned fishermen had not yet achieved its mission.
The names of the four were given as Okantah Duodu, 52; Felix Odenke Annan, 37; Ayitey Armah, 41, all from Osu in the Greater Accra Region, and Kobina Andrew, 51, from Sekondi.
The names of the three rescued fishermen were also given as Michael Tetteh, 41; William Annan Osam, 23, and Sui Mensah, 45.
The fishermen were said to have anchored and were fast asleep in their canoe, after many hours of fishing, waiting for the dawn of the next day to sail back to their base in Sekondi with their catch when the Supply Platform Ship, belonging to Seacon Madison, moving in the same direction, collided with their canoe.
The supply ship was said to be moving from Abidjan to Togo.
The badly damaged canoe was washed ashore the coast of Esiama in the Nzema East District.
Apart from the four dying and their canoe being damaged, the outboard motor, hooks, fuel and other fishing tools were also lost in the collision.
When the Daily Graphic contacted one of the survivors on telephone, he said "My brother, I cannot say anything now. I am traumatized; I cannot think straight, and I have too much on my mind." "It will be difficult for me to tell you something without recollecting the painful incident that night. I am not OK, my brother. I beg you; I am sorry," he said, as his voice faded off on the telephone.
The Graphic said a source informed it that the fishermen had sailed from Sekondi on July 4, 2007 for their usual fishing expedition.
They had fished throughout the night into the next day and had had enough for the night. They then decided to anchor to take a rest to regain their strength so that they could sail back to their base in Sekondi in the morning.
The source said at the time of the incident, all the seven men were sleeping and so they could not see the supply ship approaching. One of them who woke up started shouting but it was too late for him to wake his colleagues up before the giant ship ran into their canoe, resulting in the death of the four.
The captain of the ship then ordered the crew to stop for them to search for the fishermen in the canoe, but after 18 hours of search, they managed to rescue only three of them.
The captain and his men then moved to the Sekondi Naval Base where they reported the incident.
The families of the four in Accra, Sekondi and New Takoradi, according to the source, had been contacted by officials in Takoradi to inform them about the disaster.
The Chairman of the Land-Hook Canoe Fishermen Association, Mr Emmanuel Oninku, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, was grateful to the captain for stopping the supply ship to rescue the victims. He said other captains would have ignored them.
He said at the moment the three rescued fishermen were doing well, having been told to return to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Clinic in Takoradi if they complained of pains.
Asked if they had to sleep on the ocean, the fishermen laughed and said it was a normal practice, explaining that they did not use compasses or other sophisticated maps, as such when they became tired they anchored and rested till dawn before sailing back to the shore.
Accident on the High Seas
What should have passed off as a normal fishing trip for daily bread by seven fishermen, turned tragic when their boat was run into by a supply ship in the deep waters off Half Assini in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, resulting in the drowning of four of them.
The remaining three were rescued by the crew of the ship.
According to the Daily Graphic in a story filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, as of press time, a search team organised to help retrieve the bodies of the four drowned fishermen had not yet achieved its mission.
The names of the four were given as Okantah Duodu, 52; Felix Odenke Annan, 37; Ayitey Armah, 41, all from Osu in the Greater Accra Region, and Kobina Andrew, 51, from Sekondi.
The names of the three rescued fishermen were also given as Michael Tetteh, 41; William Annan Osam, 23, and Sui Mensah, 45.
The fishermen were said to have anchored and were fast asleep in their canoe, after many hours of fishing, waiting for the dawn of the next day to sail back to their base in Sekondi with their catch when the Supply Platform Ship, belonging to Seacon Madison, moving in the same direction, collided with their canoe.
The supply ship was said to be moving from Abidjan to Togo.
The badly damaged canoe was washed ashore the coast of Esiama in the Nzema East District.
Apart from the four dying and their canoe being damaged, the outboard motor, hooks, fuel and other fishing tools were also lost in the collision.
When the Daily Graphic contacted one of the survivors on telephone, he said "My brother, I cannot say anything now. I am traumatized; I cannot think straight, and I have too much on my mind." "It will be difficult for me to tell you something without recollecting the painful incident that night. I am not OK, my brother. I beg you; I am sorry," he said, as his voice faded off on the telephone.
The Graphic said a source informed it that the fishermen had sailed from Sekondi on July 4, 2007 for their usual fishing expedition.
They had fished throughout the night into the next day and had had enough for the night. They then decided to anchor to take a rest to regain their strength so that they could sail back to their base in Sekondi in the morning.
The source said at the time of the incident, all the seven men were sleeping and so they could not see the supply ship approaching. One of them who woke up started shouting but it was too late for him to wake his colleagues up before the giant ship ran into their canoe, resulting in the death of the four.
The captain of the ship then ordered the crew to stop for them to search for the fishermen in the canoe, but after 18 hours of search, they managed to rescue only three of them.
The captain and his men then moved to the Sekondi Naval Base where they reported the incident.
The families of the four in Accra, Sekondi and New Takoradi, according to the source, had been contacted by officials in Takoradi to inform them about the disaster.
The Chairman of the Land-Hook Canoe Fishermen Association, Mr Emmanuel Oninku, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, was grateful to the captain for stopping the supply ship to rescue the victims. He said other captains would have ignored them.
He said at the moment the three rescued fishermen were doing well, having been told to return to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Clinic in Takoradi if they complained of pains.
Asked if they had to sleep on the ocean, the fishermen laughed and said it was a normal practice, explaining that they did not use compasses or other sophisticated maps, as such when they became tired they anchored and rested till dawn before sailing back to the shore.
Mum’s Attempt To kill Six-Week-Old Baby Fails
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A 17-year-old mother last Friday attempted to prematurely end the life of her six-week-old baby girl, allegedly out of frustration.
She is said to have wrapped the infant in a piece of cloth, concealed her in a zipped fertiliser bag and pushed it deep under the bed for many hours.
According to police sources, the suspect, Ama Kaya, took that decision because she could not bear the additional burden of taking care of the baby and Kay’s four siblings.
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
However, the baby was rescued by a co-tenant who, having been attracted by her weak cries, raised an alarm.
Kaya has since been arrested by the police and is in the custody of the Social Welfare Department in Sekondi, while investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the baby is on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital. Kaya told the Daily Graphic at the hospital, where she was made to breast-feed the baby, that she took the decision to enable her to return to her small-scale mining business, also known as “galamsey”, to provide food for herself and her siblings, whose survival depended on her.
The teenage suspect is said to have lost both her parents, who left her four siblings to cater for. She was made pregnant by one of the galamsey operators who refused to take responsibility.
The Metropolitan Director of Social Welfare, Mrs Deborah Daisy Kwabia, said the action of the teenage mother resulted from neglect by the man whom she claimed had made her pregnant.
A 17-year-old mother last Friday attempted to prematurely end the life of her six-week-old baby girl, allegedly out of frustration.
She is said to have wrapped the infant in a piece of cloth, concealed her in a zipped fertiliser bag and pushed it deep under the bed for many hours.
According to police sources, the suspect, Ama Kaya, took that decision because she could not bear the additional burden of taking care of the baby and Kay’s four siblings.
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
However, the baby was rescued by a co-tenant who, having been attracted by her weak cries, raised an alarm.
Kaya has since been arrested by the police and is in the custody of the Social Welfare Department in Sekondi, while investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the baby is on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital. Kaya told the Daily Graphic at the hospital, where she was made to breast-feed the baby, that she took the decision to enable her to return to her small-scale mining business, also known as “galamsey”, to provide food for herself and her siblings, whose survival depended on her.
The teenage suspect is said to have lost both her parents, who left her four siblings to cater for. She was made pregnant by one of the galamsey operators who refused to take responsibility.
The Metropolitan Director of Social Welfare, Mrs Deborah Daisy Kwabia, said the action of the teenage mother resulted from neglect by the man whom she claimed had made her pregnant.
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