Editorial News of Thursday, 23 October 1997

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DAILY GRAPHIC

An appeal by the Speaker of Parliament to MPs to be extra vigilant makes the lead story in the Graphic. The Graphic says the Speaker has asked members of the House to be extra vigilant in dealing with national issues of utmost important before Parliament during the current meeting. The paper says the remark by the Speaker, Mr Justice Daniel Francis Annan, apparently referring to the Value Added Tax (VAT) bill which is ranking high on the House's agenda, drew shouts of "hear! hear!" from thge Majority side. Mr Justice Annan who was welcoming members back from recess, urged them to allow greater national interest to guide them in their deliberations.

GRI

"Ayawaso West Wuogon case adjourned to October 30", is the headline of another front page story in the Graphic which says a prelliminary objection raised by Mr Samuel Cudjoe, counsel for Mrs Rebecca Adotey, in the disputed Ayawaso West Wuogon electoral case yesterday, compelled an Accra High Court to adjourn its proceedings to October 30. The court presided by Mrs Justice Agnes Dordzie, is expected to give its ruling on the objection raised by Mr Cudjoe on the adjourned date. According to the Graphic Mr Cudjoe's contention is that the applicant, Mr George Amoo, who is seeking relief from the court for a flaw in the counting of votes at the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency in the last general elections, is in essence questioning the electoral results. Mr Cudjoe sasid the essence of Mr Amoo's application which is meant to quash the results and also compel the Electoral Commission to collect and collate the results, is to defeat what is being held as the legimate result of the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. In that regard, the counsel said the only action lies in bringing a petition before a High Court, which he stated, has already been dealt? with and dismissed by another court. GRI

The Graphic in a centre spread story says the Obuasi Prisons Authority and the police are investigating an attempted escape by three inmates at the Obuasi CentralPrisons in the early hours of last Sunday, October 19. The paper says the three who are facing murder charges and are serving remand sentences, were caught inn the act of cutting through iron bars in an attempt to flee from the premises by prison officers who were on duty that day. Deputy Superintendent of Prisons, William Anoff told newsmen at Obuasi that the prisoners whose dockets are at the Attoney-General's Office in Kumasi for study, used hard saw blades to cut through portions of the iron bars while their colleagues were asleep. GRI