The Finance Minister, Mr Kwame Peprah is reported to have come in for strong criticism when President Jerry Rawlings spoke at the "Farmers Day" at Bolgatanga at the weekend. The Evening News in its lead story, says the President did not mince words in blaming Mr Peprah and the dismissed Energy and Mines Minister, Mr Fred Ohene-Kena, for the circumstances leading to the recent financial problems of the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC).

The paper says President Rawlings did not mention names but by implications, he was referring to the two. The Evening News says Mr Peprah is currently the chairman of the AGC Board, while Mr Ohene-Kena ceased to be a member immediately after being fired as a Minister. According to the Evening News story, the two who served as government technical representatives on the board, were accused of failing to furnish the government with the required information on AGC at the needed time.

"Government's technical representatives on the board of AGC, who have been there before the floatation of shares and who had knowledge of Lonmin's merger proposals even before the recent major falls and rises in gold prices, should have provided briefs and proposals strategies at a much earlier stage", the President is quoted as saying.