Accra (Greater Accra) 16th June '99

Hubert Frank, a Swiss national, was on Tuesday sentenced to one month's imprisonment in hard labour by a circuit tribunal in Accra after he had been found guilty on a charge of defaming the President of the Republic of Ghana.

The tribunal ordered that the accused be deported after serving the sentence.

Frank, 48 and a former supervisor of Bilfinger and Burger, a road construction company, pleaded not guilty.

Police Inspector E. K. Dunyo told the tribunal that in May 1997, Mr Elliot Amedzekor, the complainant and a former worker of the company, was asked by his foreman to fill a silo with cement.

The complainant requested for protective clothing, including boots, nose cover and goggles, because the work environment was "dangerous".

Mr Amedzekor contacted Frank, who was the supervisor at the concrete section for the protective clothing, but he refused to supply them.

Instead, the prosecution said, Frank shouted defamatory remarks about the President.

The prosecution said Mr Amedzekor told the accused that he would report him to the Police.

The accused told the complainant, "with Ghana Police, it is a matter of money".

The matter was then reported to the Police.

In his defence Frank denied making those statements and said he was framed up.