The Graphic reports about a 200 million-cedi theft at Ghana Cement Works in which the cashier and two others have been put before court. In a front page lead story, the Graphic says an employee of Ghana Cement Works (GHACEM) was yesterday arraigned at an Accra Regional Tribunal charged with stealing 200.7 million cedis and 1,030 dollars belonging to the company. The accused, Peter Otoo, a cashier, was said to have embezzled the money between October 1966 and the early part of 1997. The theft was detected in February, this year. Otoo pleaded not guilty to the charge and has been granted 250 million cedis bail with a surety to be justified. The Graphic says in the dock with Otoo were two persons, Willaim Oloboye Botchway and Ishmael Colley, both traders, who have been charged with issuing false cheques and abutment of crime respectively. They also pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail in the sum of 32 million cedis each with a surety to be justified. GRI

"Nkrumaist parties sign unity pact", is the headline of another front page story in the Graphic which says three political parties of the Nkrumaist tradition yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding committing them to work towards the eventual unification of their parties. The Graphic says the parties whose leaders intialled the accord in Accra are, The People's Convention Party (PCP), People's National Convention (PNC) and the National Convention Party (NCP). The paper says the memorandum of understanding titled: Unity of Nkrumaist Political Parties", basically reaffirms the faith of the three parties "in the indivisibility of the Convention People's Party (CPP)" and pledges the irrevocable commitment of the parties to the pursuit of the vision Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President and to the unity of the fragmented Nkrumah family. GRI

The Graphic reports in its centre spread that contractors working to restore the burnt portions of the primary distillation unit of the Tema Oil Refiner (TOR) have almost completed dismantling the affected portion. All the pipelines and the pipe rack which support them as well as the pumps, have been removed and will be replaced. The primary distillation unit caught fire in July, this year when a test run was being conducted after completion of a 65 million-dollar revamping project begun in April, 1996. The Graphic quoting the Chief Executive of TOR, Mr. William Parker, said but for the fire outbreak, the refinery would have, since July, been able to increase its production level from 28,000 tonnes to 45,000 tonnes a day to meet the national requirement. Ghana currently consumes about 36,000 tonnes of gasoline a month, about 45,000 tonnes of gas oil a month, 11,000 tonnes of kerosene a month, 6,000 tonnes of aviation fuel a month and 4,000 tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) a month and all these products are now being imported mostly from Europe, the Graphic quoted Mr. Parker as saying. GRI