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| Alleged bribery of ruling party officials dominates Ghana newspapers
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Accra, Ghana (PANA) -
The alleged bribery of some Ghanaian government officials
in the 1980s and 1990s by a British construction company, Mabey and Johnson agai
n
took the centre stage during the week with the media giving all the attention t
h
ey could.
The state-owned Graphic newspaper took up the London visit by the Attorney-Gener
al and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, on the demand of President John
Evans Atta Mills to obtain first-hand information on the case that involves seve
r
al former and present members of government.
â?Bribery case: AG coming with the factsâ?, was a headline of the Graphic whic
h said the Attorney-General was expected to return from UK Wednesday night â?aft
er acquiring the relevant documents, including transcripts of witnesses,â? on th
e trial of Mabey and Johnson (M&J), during which allegations of bribery were mad
e
against some top Ghanaian officials.
It said Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu also held meetings with top directors and other high-
ranking officials of the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to build data for a thoro
u
gh investigation into the allegations of corruption made against the Ghanaians.
The company pleaded guilty to bribery in several Third World countries, includin
g Jamaica, Mozambique and Tanzania.
The Graphic said a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa,
said Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu â?had a successful meeting with the SFO and also establi
shed a medium of communication with the office in the UK."
He said the minister was expected to brief the President first before briefing t
he cabinet later.
President Mills ordered Mould-Iddrisu to begin thorough investigation into the m
atter in which M&J had claimed in a court in London that it had paid bribes to i
n
fluence the award of contracts in Ghana in the 1980s and 1990s.
The state-owned Ghanaian Times said in a story with the headline: â?NDC denies
knowledge of Maney and Johnson bribery scandal" that the ruling National Democra
t
ic Congress (NDC) has denied knowledge of the M&J bribery scandal levelled again
s
t some top officials of the party.
It said in a press statement issued in Accra and signed by the party's national
chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei that â?Records available to the party do not reveal
receipts of any such funds from the said company or its agents.â?
Mabey and Johnson pleaded guilty at a Southwark Crown Court in London to charges
of corruption and paying Ghanaian government officials a total of 470,000 pound
s
in bribes in the 1980s and 1990s.
The statement said: â?The party regrets the attempts to link the NDC to the cas
e. For the records, the NDC wishes to categorically state that it has never rece
i
ved funds form Mabey and Johnson.â?
Private newspaper, The Chronicle, said the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)
branch in the UK and Ireland has called for the immediate dismissal of all gover
n
ment officials who have been implicated in the scandal.
It has also called on Parliament to call the Attorney-General and Minister of Ju
stice to answer questions about the allegations.
The NPP said Parliament should set up an independent body to manage the reparati
on money that has been released by the court to the government of Ghana to ensur
e
that it is used judiciously.
The celebration of teachers' day on Monday also took the front pages with Presid
ent Mills pldeging to enhance allowances for teachers.
The Times' story with the headline â?Teachers stipend takes offâ? said Mills h
as announced plans by the government to initiate action this academic year to im
p
lement teachers' allowances proposed in the ruling NDC's manifesto.
He said under the programme, priority would be given to teachers in deprived are
as of the country and those who teach science, mathematics, technical and vocati
o
nal subjects.
Mills said this in a speech read on his behalf by Vice President John Dramani Ma
hama at this year's â?Best Teacher Awardâ? ceremony in Ho in the Volta Region.
He said government would play its part in the positive transformation of the liv
es of the entire society into an enlightened one by investing in teachers now.
The Graphic's story with the headline â?Special allowances package this yearâ?
, said teachers in deprived areas, as well as those who teach science, mathemati
c
s, technical and vocational subjects will start enjoying special allowances from
this academic year.
The policy will be in line with the teachers' allowances package as proposed in
the manifesto of the NDC.
The President also encouraged teachers to take advantage of distance education a
s a convenient alternative for upgrading themselves, since it is one of the gove
r
nment's packages for teachers.
â?Government's financial support on this programme to cover tuition fees will b
e maintained and enhanced periodically,â? the President said.
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| Accra - 10/10/2009 |
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