A coup in Ghana today will have bloody and heavy toll on innocent civilians as well as key opponents of the government, sections of the media and serving soldiers, a snapshot of a coup plot and a crush plan secretly prepared by the Ghana Armed Forces has revealed.
Secret documents obtained from the vaults of the Ghana Armed Forces(GAF) has revealed elaborate preparations towards a deadly and bloody assault on “dissidents” who may be plotting “subversive” attacks to overthrow the government using Radio Gold, a private radio station in Accra.
The revelation comes in the wake of claims from the Commander-In-Chief of the GAF; President John Agyekum that ex-President Rawlings is planning a coup to topple his government.
The Ghana Armed Forces documents prepared by the five Infantry battalion seen by The Enquirer indicates that the “dissidents are a mix of disgruntled politicians, political opponents of the Government of the day and disgruntled soldiers/ex-soldiers of the Ghana Armed Forces. The ex-Soldiers in particular, may have received additional training in raid and commando operations”.
The crush plan of the GAF also indicates that the dissidents may be wearing assorted cloths, carrying small arms, grenades, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG), MG, explosives any booby traps. Their mode of communication according to the documents is through the use of Mobile phones and Motorola.
The coup crush also anticipates that the dissidents may be planning to carry out kidnapping, arson and sabotage with the intention of suing Radio Gold to propagate subversive information as a precursor to an overall aim of overthrowing the incumbent Government. According to the documents is meant to capture and control Radio Gold ‘as soon as possible.
The plan also makes medical provisions for civilian casualties as well as dropping of leaflets to warn residents in the Lartebiokorshie and its surrounding arrears such as Dansoman, Kaneshie and Mateheko.
In a detailed plan as to how to execute the counter offensive, the Armed Forces documents divided the execution in five phases which included among others Capture of FM station with task Forces reorganising into cut-off, Assault troops etc.
Phase 1: of the execution stage has to do with “mobilization and marry up of troops at 5BN, Phase 2: “movement to FRV/Dispersal point, Phase 3: Encirclement, Phase 4: Assault, Phase 5: Reorganization”The assault troops according to the plan would also be expected to use routes such as the “5BN-37 Military Hospital, Intersection-Ako Adjei Interchange-Nkrumah Circle-Obetsebi Lamptey Circle-Kaneshie Market-First traffic Light-left turn to Mataheko-Russia Junction-Lartebiokoshie/Kaneshie Road-Lartebiokorshie Basic School.”
Soldiers deployed to the battlefield would be expected to make deployment that would cordon off Radio Gold and block all access roads leading to the station in order to cut off re-supply to the dissidents.
The soldiers would then be expected to carry out arrests and detention of all escaping dissidents as well as control traffic. The Armed Forces pan also entails foot and mobile patrols as and when orders are given as well as be prepared to undertake any other tasks on order.
Troops of the Armed Forces would also disarm explosives and clear booby traps and mines as well as rescue hostages.
Coup In The Making …No Sweat
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces document has already began generating controversy within the intelligence community with sharp differences in opinion on the meaning and spirit of the documents.
Whilst sections say the documents suggests conclusively that a real and imminent coup looms on Ghana, senior security officers within government have told The Enquirer that the Armed Forces is only using the crush plan as a guideline for dealing with a coup if it occurs.
“Its part of the Ghana Armed Forces’ routine training in preparation for any eventuality” a senior security officer told The Enquirer.
The officer who did not want to be quoted indicated that around this time of the year (getting to Christmas), the security services are always on the alert “because most coups take place around this time of the year.”When told that the document is conclusive and even names specific radio stations as potential casualties, the officer insisted that it was a routine training guideline.
But other security analysts say the document suggests a “real threat and a real counter plan.”Even though the Security analyst admitted that the Armed Forces conducts drills of that nature, this particular documents crosses the border of a “routine” drill.
“Coming in the wake of recent pronouncements from the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces that there is a coup, I think this real”
The Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, President Kufuor recently said thee is a coup plot against his government and the mastermind is good old Jerry Rawlings, the two time coup maker who also returned the country to constitutional democratic rule after his exploits.
Source:
The Enquirer
News from Ghana,the African Sub-Region and More!
1.11.06
Phone companies pay 56.83 million dollars as license fee
An amount of 56.83 million dollars was realised as license fee from cellular phone operators as at December 29, 2005, Prof. Michael Ocquaye, Minister of Communications told parliament on Tuesday when the House reconvened for the last session for the year.
"The National Communications Authority has since monitored the payment of the amount by the operators to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning," he said.
The Minister was responding to a question from Mr Haruna Iddrisu, MP for Tamale South.
The MP had asked for how much was paid as licensing fee by cellular phone operators in the country and how the fee was disbursed. Responding to another question from Mr Iddrisu on the number of expatriates working with the Ghana Telecom Company (GT) and how much each of them was paid per month, the Minister said there could be only 11 expatriates at GT presently.
"Mr Speaker, GT had 25 expatriate staff.Under a new management service agreement concluded on 25 October, 2006 the maximum number of skilled expatriates staff who could be at post has been reduced to eleven.
"With regard to the contract fee payable to each expatriate staff, the Ministry has requested the Board of GT to compile the details and the Chairman of the Board has promised to deliver by 15 November 2006," he added.
Prof Ocquaye, in answer to another question, told the House that 251 out of 485 schools representing 52 per cent have been provided with telecommunication services.
Mr. Joseph Labik, member for Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo, had asked about how far the programme on extending telecommunication services to all towns and secondary schools had gone and when two schools in his constituency would benefit from
the programme.
The Minister said where telephone facilities have been provided in towns but had not yet been extended to the secondary schools in the town, a connection system known as the "last mile solutions" would be pursued to get them connected.
Earlier, Mr Boniface Gambilla, Upper East Regional Minister, told the House that the creation of the Talensi/Nabdam district and the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly and the determination of the boundary of the two administrative areas along the Tongo-Beo electoral area was one of the major factors that contributed to a conflict between two communities in the Talensi Nabdam district in the Upper East Region.
The Minister was responding to a question on findings of a committee set up last year to look into the Tongo-Beo communal clash and what was being done to resolve the conflict.
He said the committee had completed its investigations and submitted its report.
He said among the findings was that the area was sitting on a time bomb, which could explode
if immediate solution was not found. The Minister said he had set up a three-member committee to sensitise the people in the area by applying "accepted traditional norms for conflict resolutions using aspects of their culture."
"The committee is also mediating with the two communities to resolve all minor differences before the main committee's recommendation can be implemented."
"A meeting of all opinion leaders, the chief of Tongo-Beo, the Chief of Gonno and all their elders with the youth of the two communities is planned to takeoff in November to prepare the ground for the implementation of the committee's recommendation," Mr Gambilla said.
"The National Communications Authority has since monitored the payment of the amount by the operators to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning," he said.
The Minister was responding to a question from Mr Haruna Iddrisu, MP for Tamale South.
The MP had asked for how much was paid as licensing fee by cellular phone operators in the country and how the fee was disbursed. Responding to another question from Mr Iddrisu on the number of expatriates working with the Ghana Telecom Company (GT) and how much each of them was paid per month, the Minister said there could be only 11 expatriates at GT presently.
"Mr Speaker, GT had 25 expatriate staff.Under a new management service agreement concluded on 25 October, 2006 the maximum number of skilled expatriates staff who could be at post has been reduced to eleven.
"With regard to the contract fee payable to each expatriate staff, the Ministry has requested the Board of GT to compile the details and the Chairman of the Board has promised to deliver by 15 November 2006," he added.
Prof Ocquaye, in answer to another question, told the House that 251 out of 485 schools representing 52 per cent have been provided with telecommunication services.
Mr. Joseph Labik, member for Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo, had asked about how far the programme on extending telecommunication services to all towns and secondary schools had gone and when two schools in his constituency would benefit from
the programme.
The Minister said where telephone facilities have been provided in towns but had not yet been extended to the secondary schools in the town, a connection system known as the "last mile solutions" would be pursued to get them connected.
Earlier, Mr Boniface Gambilla, Upper East Regional Minister, told the House that the creation of the Talensi/Nabdam district and the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly and the determination of the boundary of the two administrative areas along the Tongo-Beo electoral area was one of the major factors that contributed to a conflict between two communities in the Talensi Nabdam district in the Upper East Region.
The Minister was responding to a question on findings of a committee set up last year to look into the Tongo-Beo communal clash and what was being done to resolve the conflict.
He said the committee had completed its investigations and submitted its report.
He said among the findings was that the area was sitting on a time bomb, which could explode
if immediate solution was not found. The Minister said he had set up a three-member committee to sensitise the people in the area by applying "accepted traditional norms for conflict resolutions using aspects of their culture."
"The committee is also mediating with the two communities to resolve all minor differences before the main committee's recommendation can be implemented."
"A meeting of all opinion leaders, the chief of Tongo-Beo, the Chief of Gonno and all their elders with the youth of the two communities is planned to takeoff in November to prepare the ground for the implementation of the committee's recommendation," Mr Gambilla said.
Ministry petitioned on sale of DC 10 and DC 9 Aircraft
A United States Aviation Company, CSDS Aviation Incorporated, has petitioned Ministry of Aviation over a decision by the official liquidator of Ghana Airways to stop the sale of two aircraft to the company.
Miss Gloria Akuffo, Minister of Aviation, in response to a question, told Parliament on Wednesday that it was expected that the parties involved in the sale of DC 10 and DC 9 aircraft would overcome the disagreement and conclude the deal within a month.
She was answering a question on what immediate steps the Ministry is taking to ensure that the two Ghana Airways aircraft currently parked in the open at the Kotoka International Airport did not deteriorate beyond repairs.
Ms Akuffo said Ghana Airways Company Limited had been in liquidation since June 22, 2005, and the Registrar of Companies, the Official Liquidator, advertised for the sale of the assets of the company including the aircraft and related equipment in the local and international press.
She said the liquidator received five bids from five companies, including CSDS Aviation, Lux Aerospace SA Luxembourg and Thameside Aero Space Limited, UK.
Ms Akuffo said CSDS Aviation Incorporated of USA, emerged winner and was offered the chance to purchase the two aircraft.
"The official liquidator accepted the offer of CSDS Aviation Inc of US of 820,000 dollars for the aircraft. CSDS made a deposit payment of 50,000 dollars leaving the balance of 770,000."
"The parties however could not agree on the inclusion of a clause requiring CSDS Aviation Inc. to insure the aircraft leading to a rescission of sale by the official liquidator and a refund of the deposit of 50,000 dollars to CSDS Aviation Inc.," Ms Akuffo added.
She said CSDS had since petitioned the Ministry and the matter was being investigated and expected that the issue would be resolved soon. Ms Akuffo said if the sale was concluded under the proposed sale and purchase agreement the aircraft would be dismantled and cleaned up in line with environmental safety measures and other regulations during the evacuation process.
She said should the parties however fail to resolve their differences then the official liquidator would initiate negotiations with one of the other offers among the list of bidders.
GNA
Miss Gloria Akuffo, Minister of Aviation, in response to a question, told Parliament on Wednesday that it was expected that the parties involved in the sale of DC 10 and DC 9 aircraft would overcome the disagreement and conclude the deal within a month.
She was answering a question on what immediate steps the Ministry is taking to ensure that the two Ghana Airways aircraft currently parked in the open at the Kotoka International Airport did not deteriorate beyond repairs.
Ms Akuffo said Ghana Airways Company Limited had been in liquidation since June 22, 2005, and the Registrar of Companies, the Official Liquidator, advertised for the sale of the assets of the company including the aircraft and related equipment in the local and international press.
She said the liquidator received five bids from five companies, including CSDS Aviation, Lux Aerospace SA Luxembourg and Thameside Aero Space Limited, UK.
Ms Akuffo said CSDS Aviation Incorporated of USA, emerged winner and was offered the chance to purchase the two aircraft.
"The official liquidator accepted the offer of CSDS Aviation Inc of US of 820,000 dollars for the aircraft. CSDS made a deposit payment of 50,000 dollars leaving the balance of 770,000."
"The parties however could not agree on the inclusion of a clause requiring CSDS Aviation Inc. to insure the aircraft leading to a rescission of sale by the official liquidator and a refund of the deposit of 50,000 dollars to CSDS Aviation Inc.," Ms Akuffo added.
She said CSDS had since petitioned the Ministry and the matter was being investigated and expected that the issue would be resolved soon. Ms Akuffo said if the sale was concluded under the proposed sale and purchase agreement the aircraft would be dismantled and cleaned up in line with environmental safety measures and other regulations during the evacuation process.
She said should the parties however fail to resolve their differences then the official liquidator would initiate negotiations with one of the other offers among the list of bidders.
GNA
31.10.06
Load shedding will be suspended between Nov 1-5th
The Ministry of Energy on Tuesday announced that the load shedding programme should be suspended from November 1-5 in support of the National Immunization Days.
"In order to support the immunization programme this year and also to ensure that the health delivery targets of government are met, government has decided that the current loan shedding programme should be suspended from November 1-5," a statement signed by Mr S.Q. Barnor for the Minister of Energy said.
The statement said the load shedding programme would resume on November 6.
About six million children under five years of age are targeted to be immunized against polio during this year's National Immunisation Days (NIDs) scheduled from November 1-5.
During the same period, about 5.065 million children from nine months to
59 months are expected to be immunized against measles while Vitamin A Supplement would also be administered.
In addition, 2.1 million free insecticide treated nets (ITNs) would be presented to children under-two to boost the survival of millions of children for the fight against malaria.
This year's NID is an Integrated Child Health Campaign aimed at reducing under-five mortality rate by two-thirds by the year 2015.
GNA
"In order to support the immunization programme this year and also to ensure that the health delivery targets of government are met, government has decided that the current loan shedding programme should be suspended from November 1-5," a statement signed by Mr S.Q. Barnor for the Minister of Energy said.
The statement said the load shedding programme would resume on November 6.
About six million children under five years of age are targeted to be immunized against polio during this year's National Immunisation Days (NIDs) scheduled from November 1-5.
During the same period, about 5.065 million children from nine months to
59 months are expected to be immunized against measles while Vitamin A Supplement would also be administered.
In addition, 2.1 million free insecticide treated nets (ITNs) would be presented to children under-two to boost the survival of millions of children for the fight against malaria.
This year's NID is an Integrated Child Health Campaign aimed at reducing under-five mortality rate by two-thirds by the year 2015.
GNA
Cocoa Processing Company pays 1.5 billion cedis dividend to State
Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), a major confectionery manufacturer, on Tuesday paid 1.55 billion cedis in dividend to the government of Ghana, its majority shareholder.
This is the first time the company has paid any dividend to government since it was listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange three years ago. CPC successfully floated 40 per cent of the shares of the sole shareholder to the public in 2003.
Nana Obiri Boahen, Board Chairman of CPC, said the initial challenges faced by the company had been subdued while its expansion and rehabilitation programme embarked on in 2004 with the view to increase overall throughput capacity from 25,000 to 65,000 metric tonnes annually was well on course and substantially accomplished.
The first phase of the programme involving the construction of a state-of-the-art 30,000-metric tons per annum capacity liquor plant was completed and commissioned in November last year.
Nana Boahen said the second phase, which will deal with the refurbishment of the old cocoa factory in order to increase its capacity from 25,000 to 35,000 tons per annum had started and expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2007.
The expansion is expected to generate an annual turnover of 100 million dollars for the company. Besides this physical transformation, the company was undergoing a major structural reorganisation, which will substantially boost its efficiency, Nana Boahen added.
This is expected to result in job cuts, he said, but added that the company was committed to an amicable settlement for the job losses. He appealed to government to continue to support the company to achieve its set goals.
In response, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance, said government would do all it could to support local industries and companies to become competitive.
He said the expansion works being carried out by the company was in line with government’s vision to process at least 40 per cent of local production of cocoa, which had been growing steadily reaching 730,000 tons in the 2005/06 cocoa season.
This is the first time the company has paid any dividend to government since it was listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange three years ago. CPC successfully floated 40 per cent of the shares of the sole shareholder to the public in 2003.
Nana Obiri Boahen, Board Chairman of CPC, said the initial challenges faced by the company had been subdued while its expansion and rehabilitation programme embarked on in 2004 with the view to increase overall throughput capacity from 25,000 to 65,000 metric tonnes annually was well on course and substantially accomplished.
The first phase of the programme involving the construction of a state-of-the-art 30,000-metric tons per annum capacity liquor plant was completed and commissioned in November last year.
Nana Boahen said the second phase, which will deal with the refurbishment of the old cocoa factory in order to increase its capacity from 25,000 to 35,000 tons per annum had started and expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2007.
The expansion is expected to generate an annual turnover of 100 million dollars for the company. Besides this physical transformation, the company was undergoing a major structural reorganisation, which will substantially boost its efficiency, Nana Boahen added.
This is expected to result in job cuts, he said, but added that the company was committed to an amicable settlement for the job losses. He appealed to government to continue to support the company to achieve its set goals.
In response, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance, said government would do all it could to support local industries and companies to become competitive.
He said the expansion works being carried out by the company was in line with government’s vision to process at least 40 per cent of local production of cocoa, which had been growing steadily reaching 730,000 tons in the 2005/06 cocoa season.
Water, electricity tariffs go up from November 1
Water and electricity tariffs, which were to go up from last May, come into effect from Wednesday, November 1, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announced on Tuesday.
A gazette announcing the increases said for residential units, consumption of between one and 300 units of electricity would attract 700 cedis per unit, from 301 to 600 units would attract 1,200 cedis per unit while 600 units and above attract 5,000 cedis per unit.
For non-residential areas, 1-300 units attract 1,029 cedis per unit, between 300 and 600 units would be 1,250 units while 600 units and above attract 1,450 cedis per unit.
For water, the rate for between zero and 20,000 litres for metered domestic use would attract 4,850 cedis per 1,000 litres while consumption of 20,000 litres and above is 6,750 cedis per 1,000 litres.
The rate for unmetered houses the flat rate per month is 28,794 cedis per 1,000 litres, while the rate for public stand pipes is 4,850 cedis per 1,000 cedis.
The flat rate for commercial in industrial oranisations and public and government departments is 8,150 cedis per 1,000 litres while the special commercial rate is 20,375 per litre.
A statement signed by Mr Kwame Pianim, Chairman of the PURC, said in line with the policy of discontinuation of the automatic adjustment, the utility companies were being invited henceforth to submit their request for tariff adjustment based on detailed cost buildup to enable the Commission to minimize inefficiencies and avoid transmitting such management inefficiencies to the consuming public.
The PURC said the utility companies should endeavour to cut cist and improve the delivery of utility services to consumers. "The VRA (Volta River Authority) and ECG (Electricity Company of Ghana) are requested to adhere strictly to the load shedding programme in order to minimize inconveniences to the consuming public.
"Investors are being encouraged to explore opportunities to invest in the energy and water sectors to take advantage of the obvious shortages in the supply of these essential services."
The statement said it had become obvious that the country could no longer depend upon government resources and those of VRA to provide adequate and reliable energy supplies needed to fuel the nation's accelerated growth agenda.
"We need to make the environment attractive to independent power producers. For these investors, an economic tariff is of strategic and primary consideration."
The PURC said for the average consumer, it had become increasingly clear that conservation must not only be encouraged but be enjoined by a realistic tariff structure that reflected the scarcity value of the utility services.
"For the average worker, it is in the long term more desirable to pay a little bit more for dependable and realistic electricity rather than continue with current uneconomic tariff and its accompanying unreliable and disruptive supply that destroy people's appliances acquired after long years of savings."
GNA
A gazette announcing the increases said for residential units, consumption of between one and 300 units of electricity would attract 700 cedis per unit, from 301 to 600 units would attract 1,200 cedis per unit while 600 units and above attract 5,000 cedis per unit.
For non-residential areas, 1-300 units attract 1,029 cedis per unit, between 300 and 600 units would be 1,250 units while 600 units and above attract 1,450 cedis per unit.
For water, the rate for between zero and 20,000 litres for metered domestic use would attract 4,850 cedis per 1,000 litres while consumption of 20,000 litres and above is 6,750 cedis per 1,000 litres.
The rate for unmetered houses the flat rate per month is 28,794 cedis per 1,000 litres, while the rate for public stand pipes is 4,850 cedis per 1,000 cedis.
The flat rate for commercial in industrial oranisations and public and government departments is 8,150 cedis per 1,000 litres while the special commercial rate is 20,375 per litre.
A statement signed by Mr Kwame Pianim, Chairman of the PURC, said in line with the policy of discontinuation of the automatic adjustment, the utility companies were being invited henceforth to submit their request for tariff adjustment based on detailed cost buildup to enable the Commission to minimize inefficiencies and avoid transmitting such management inefficiencies to the consuming public.
The PURC said the utility companies should endeavour to cut cist and improve the delivery of utility services to consumers. "The VRA (Volta River Authority) and ECG (Electricity Company of Ghana) are requested to adhere strictly to the load shedding programme in order to minimize inconveniences to the consuming public.
"Investors are being encouraged to explore opportunities to invest in the energy and water sectors to take advantage of the obvious shortages in the supply of these essential services."
The statement said it had become obvious that the country could no longer depend upon government resources and those of VRA to provide adequate and reliable energy supplies needed to fuel the nation's accelerated growth agenda.
"We need to make the environment attractive to independent power producers. For these investors, an economic tariff is of strategic and primary consideration."
The PURC said for the average consumer, it had become increasingly clear that conservation must not only be encouraged but be enjoined by a realistic tariff structure that reflected the scarcity value of the utility services.
"For the average worker, it is in the long term more desirable to pay a little bit more for dependable and realistic electricity rather than continue with current uneconomic tariff and its accompanying unreliable and disruptive supply that destroy people's appliances acquired after long years of savings."
GNA
Government will take decision on ex-President when necessary - Bartels
Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Information and National Orientation, on Tuesday said the government would take a decision on ex-President Jerry John Rawlings when it became satisfied with the intelligence information gathered on his reports of his bid to stage a coup.
He said it would not be wise to disclose security information to the
public and that the decision as to whether the ex-President should be arrested and prosecuted would be done when necessary.
For now, however, government would just give him “close marking”, Mr Bartels said at a press conference to react to some statements the ex-President made last Thursday when he reacted to accusations by President John Agyekum Kufuor that he had allegedly been soliciting funds from an oil rich country to stage a coup in Ghana.
"When you have a man with the kind of history Mr Rawlings is made of, you don't play with him, rather you give him close marking.” He said the conference was unique because it was the first time the New Patriotic Party had decided to respond to the many effusions of the former President which had come to be known as "boom speeches".
Some of the statements that Mr Bartels reacted to included whether ex-president Rawlings was planning a coup, whether President Kufuor was being whitewashed by the West, alleged complaints of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan about the conduct of the judiciary in Ghana as well as allegation of corruption and cocaine scandals.
Mr Bartels said ex-President Rawlings was expected to deny that he was planning a coup and it would have been strange if he actually admitted it. "Ex-President Rawlings is known in this country as a serial coup-maker involved in three coups, one of which failed...but we all have the history of Rawlings' second coming which brought in the PNDC era to guide us."
He said nobody in Ghana who had the experience of ex-President Rawlings from 1979 to date and had even made a cursory study of Ghana's history would make the mistake that given the chance the ex-president would not organize another coup.
Part of the problem between the ex-President and President Kufuor started soon after he handed over in 2001 and he and his wife went to Switzerland and instructed the Ambassador to release 30,000 dollars for her treatment which the Ambassador politely refused.
Touching on the other allegations, he said it was not US President George Bush and UN Prime Minister Tony Blair alone who held President Kufuor in high esteem but that most world leaders admired him for his ability to turn Ghana's economy around, respect for human rights and the rule of law, among other things.
He said it was strange that ex-president Rawlings could think that the government could control CNN and the BBC and other foreign media, adding that government remained committed to freedom of speech, expression and independence of the media and did not even control Ghana's state media.
He said this was in contrast to what happened during the PNDC and NDC eras when the media was controlled and gagged by subtle methods and journalists were detained.
On cocaine Mr Bartels said under the administration of the former President, the US 1999 report on narcotics said 300 cases of illicit drugs, including cocaine had gone unpunished between 1994 and 1999 in Ghana.
He said it was unfortunate that ex-President Rawlings was trying to bring Mr Annan into partisan politics in Ghana and asked the public should ignore those remarks.
Mr Bartels said the Armed Forces had appealed to the ex-President to stop drawing them into politics when he had a problem with the government. Mr Bartels said at the conference, during which slides of atrocities committed during the PNDC era were shown, that there had been no kangaroo courts and political detainees in Ghana's prisons, adding that 146 people went missing or were murdered during the PNDC era.
In an answer to a question as to whether those slides undermined the national reconciliation process, Mrs Gloria Akuffo, Aviation Minister, said "it was important to remind ourselves of where we came from in order not to repeat those mistakes as we move forward".
GNA
He said it would not be wise to disclose security information to the
public and that the decision as to whether the ex-President should be arrested and prosecuted would be done when necessary.
For now, however, government would just give him “close marking”, Mr Bartels said at a press conference to react to some statements the ex-President made last Thursday when he reacted to accusations by President John Agyekum Kufuor that he had allegedly been soliciting funds from an oil rich country to stage a coup in Ghana.
"When you have a man with the kind of history Mr Rawlings is made of, you don't play with him, rather you give him close marking.” He said the conference was unique because it was the first time the New Patriotic Party had decided to respond to the many effusions of the former President which had come to be known as "boom speeches".
Some of the statements that Mr Bartels reacted to included whether ex-president Rawlings was planning a coup, whether President Kufuor was being whitewashed by the West, alleged complaints of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan about the conduct of the judiciary in Ghana as well as allegation of corruption and cocaine scandals.
Mr Bartels said ex-President Rawlings was expected to deny that he was planning a coup and it would have been strange if he actually admitted it. "Ex-President Rawlings is known in this country as a serial coup-maker involved in three coups, one of which failed...but we all have the history of Rawlings' second coming which brought in the PNDC era to guide us."
He said nobody in Ghana who had the experience of ex-President Rawlings from 1979 to date and had even made a cursory study of Ghana's history would make the mistake that given the chance the ex-president would not organize another coup.
Part of the problem between the ex-President and President Kufuor started soon after he handed over in 2001 and he and his wife went to Switzerland and instructed the Ambassador to release 30,000 dollars for her treatment which the Ambassador politely refused.
Touching on the other allegations, he said it was not US President George Bush and UN Prime Minister Tony Blair alone who held President Kufuor in high esteem but that most world leaders admired him for his ability to turn Ghana's economy around, respect for human rights and the rule of law, among other things.
He said it was strange that ex-president Rawlings could think that the government could control CNN and the BBC and other foreign media, adding that government remained committed to freedom of speech, expression and independence of the media and did not even control Ghana's state media.
He said this was in contrast to what happened during the PNDC and NDC eras when the media was controlled and gagged by subtle methods and journalists were detained.
On cocaine Mr Bartels said under the administration of the former President, the US 1999 report on narcotics said 300 cases of illicit drugs, including cocaine had gone unpunished between 1994 and 1999 in Ghana.
He said it was unfortunate that ex-President Rawlings was trying to bring Mr Annan into partisan politics in Ghana and asked the public should ignore those remarks.
Mr Bartels said the Armed Forces had appealed to the ex-President to stop drawing them into politics when he had a problem with the government. Mr Bartels said at the conference, during which slides of atrocities committed during the PNDC era were shown, that there had been no kangaroo courts and political detainees in Ghana's prisons, adding that 146 people went missing or were murdered during the PNDC era.
In an answer to a question as to whether those slides undermined the national reconciliation process, Mrs Gloria Akuffo, Aviation Minister, said "it was important to remind ourselves of where we came from in order not to repeat those mistakes as we move forward".
GNA
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