The Ghanaian Chronicle

Jail BNI Boss

The Ghanaian Chronicle carried on its front-page a story on the treason trial of Captain James Owu, under the headline; ?Jail BNI Boss?

The story says, Mr. Akoto Ampaw, counsel for the retired Army Officer, on 3 May, 1999 filed a writ at an Accra High court on behalf of his client asking for the imprisonment of Mr. Yaw Donkor, Director of Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and Chief Inspector Frank Agbenyega, also of BNI for willfully and blatantly flouting the tribunal?s orders to transfer Owu from BNI to prison Custody on 23 March and 13 April, respectively.

The story says an affidavit submitted by Mr. Akoto Ampaw stated that the conduct of the respondents against the orders constitute, "a blatant, arrogant and contemptuous disregard for the force and authority of the Circuit Tribunal and is calculated to bring the system of administration of Justice into contempt and public ridicule".

Akoto Ampaw, the paper said, claimed in the affidavit that Owu was forcibly abducted from Sierra Leone to Ghana by its ECOMOG contingent leader and previously arraigned before court on the two said occasions.

The story said the Tribunal Chairman, Mr. Charles Quist, ordered on each occasion that Captain Owu should be transferred from BNI to prison custody, which Donkor and Agbenyuega have blatantly refused, thus constituting arrogance and a contemptuous disregard for the force and authority of the Circuit Tribunal.

"It is my respectful contention that the two are not above the laws of the land and are equally subject to the laws as any one within this jurisdiction and should be imprisoned", Ampaw was quoted as saying.

In another story, the Chronicle reports on a statement made by Dr. P. Kwesi Nduom, leading member of the Convention Party (CP) and a business Consultant that Ghanaians cannot create wealth if they destroy indigenous businessmen.

Dr. Nduom is reported in the paper?s front-page story to have urged the nation?s public and private press to desist from branding every businessman who appears successful as enemies of labour, cheats, thieves, cocaine dealers or friends of Government.

The paper says, Dr. Nduom, who was speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Independent, asked the public and private press to educate Ghanaians about the difficulties and the rewards that come with doing business in Ghana for the youth to emulate.