DAILY GRAPHIC

The Graphic reports on its front page that intensive police investigations are under way to unravel the circumatances leading to the death, about a week ago, of Dr Clement Akwei, Greater Accra Director of Veterinary Services. The Graphic says police sources are however tight-lipped over the extent of investigations made so far. According to the paper, the general belief is that whoever entered Dr Akwei's house on that fateful day, wwent there with the intention of murdering him. The Graphic says however that its investigations have revealed that a few clues have come up which the police are working on. According to the paper, a well-infromed source said a staff member on secondment at the Greater Accra Rgional Veterinary Services Department from the Controller and Accountant-General's Department, was found to have embezzled 55 million cedis during an audit check by personnel of the Audit Service shortly before the doctor's death. The Graphic says during the audit check, the culprit, a lady, was said to have refunded nine million cedis of the amount embezzled. Dr Akwei, the paper says, was described as a disciplinarian by some of the workers and was said to have been of great assistance to the auditors. However, the day before the auditors' report was to be released, Dr Akwei was murdered. The Graphic says another view being held is that Dr Akwei's death could have been caused by his refusal to grant a health certificate to some businessmen who had brought in a herd of cattle suspected to be disease-infested. The,. paper says the strange thing about the whole incident is that Dr Akwei's alsatian dog, desribed as very wild and which barks at the slightest sound, did not bark when the intruder entered the house, an indication that the dog might have known the intruder. According to the Graphic, there were no signs of forcibly entry but the kitchen door key, which was detected missing two months before the incident, was found at the door after the crime. GRI

"Dr Kells ready to bring down Blay-Miezah's monies", is the headline of another front page story in the Graphic. The story says Ms. Sophia Ofori-Atta, who represented Dr John Kells, an Irish holder of Will of Dr Blay-Miezah, has given an indication that Dr Kells is prepared to repatriate monies meant for Ghana. The Grpahic says Ms Ofori-Atta, in a letter to the paper, explained this is being done because provision has been made in the Will for such disbursement. The paper says she denied ever teaming up with Dr Kells to deprive the Ghana of its share of Dr Blay-Miezah's estate, stressing that as a true patriot, that would be the last thing she would do. Ms. Ofori-Atta also refuted an allegation made by Mr gregg Frazier, an African-American friend of Dr Blay-Miezah, that the Will upon which an Accra High Court recently granted probate to Dr Kells, is invalid. Mr Frazier, according to the Graphic, had alleged that the said Will was obtained under duress, making it invalid. GRI

In a centre spread story, the Graphic reports that a lecturer at the Soil Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, has attributed the low productivity in the country's agricultural sector to the removal of subsidies on farm inputs, especially on fertilisers. The Graphic says the lecturer, Professor Yaw Ahenkorah, argued that it was wrong for the government to have accepted the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) prescription of a "no subsidy regime on agriculture" while developed countries still subsidise their agricultural sector. According to the Graphic, Prof Ahenkorah said countries of the European Community subsidise agriculture by 38 per cent while the United States and Japan subsidise theirs by 32 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively. Prof Ahenkorah was delivering a paper on: "Efficient utilisation of the Vertic soils of the Accra Plains: Prospects, constraints and way forward", at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) lectures in Accra. GRI