As Ghana Celebrate 50th Natal Day, President Kufuor grants amnesty to 1,206 prisoners

As Ghana celebrates its 50th Independence, President John AGyekum Kufuor has granted amnesty to 1,203 prisoners on humanitarian grounds in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of independence, the Minister of the Interior Albert Kan-Dapaah said in a statement on Monday.

The statement said 1,150 first offenders who had served half or more of their sentences were to be released outright.Eleven 11 prisoners who were seriously ill and incapacitated and would not pose any threat to society, three aged prisoners who were over 70 years of age and weak and would not constitute any threat to society and, two nursing mothers who had had a character change and one prisoner serving the President's Pleasure were also to be released outright, the statement said.It said 36 on death row had their sentences commuted to life sentence while three prisoners on life sentence had their sentences commuted to a definite term of 20 years.

DPI Makes Progress In Building Liberia's Damaged Economy

One of Liberia’s major distributors of petroleum products, the Ducor Petroleum Incorporated (DPI) is said to be making progress in building more service stations to help reduce the high rate of thousands of unemployed Liberians.

According to a release from the head office of this Liberian owned company, the DPI has started establishing additional prominent stations in Totota, Bong County, Congotown in Montserrado County and Buchanan in Grand Bassa County.

These stations are expected to employ over 100 Liberians when completed these areas, we will bring you update of this Liberian owned company.

As Mittal Steel Contract Goes before Senate, Bribery Seems Imminence

To deliberate on the ratification of the world’s largest steel company contract, Mittal Steel, the Senate Committee on Land, Mines, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment is today, Tuesday expected to hold public hearing on its agreement.

According to a release, the hearing will take place in the Senate’s Chamber at the Unity Conference Center in Virginia, outside Monrovia. The Committee is therefore calling on the public and interested individuals to attend the hearing.

But as the Senate Committee hearing underway today, reports published in local dailies indicate that the Mittal Steel ratification has been holed up before four legislative committees for the past weeks with reports that some Representatives are forcefully demanding US$10,000.00 apiece, while others have confirmed demanding US$3,000.00 as petty cash to hold public hearings before the bill can be pass.

The local daily quoting Maryland County Representatives, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, as saying, “There are some disturbing news coming from committee rooms which indicates that some of our colleagues are demanding US$10,000.00 apiece before a final vote can be taken as regards the Mittal Steel Bill,” Dr. Chambers told reporters.

Speaking further on the issue, Sr. Chambers said, “that may not be the case, but if that is true, then it is absolutely unacceptable because everything that needs to be done with that bill has already be done and I don’t see why the delay in the passage,” the Maryland County Representative stressed.

For his part, House Judiciary Committee Chairman and head of the four committees now deliberating the Bill, Armah Sarnoh said he is not aware of any of his colleagues demanding any money, adding, “that has not been brought to my attention, but we have asked the company for US$3,000.00 as petty cash to enable us to hold public hearing,” Representative Sarnoh in a relaxed mood told reporters.

Some observers who spoke to the GNN expressed disappointment on the part of the House of Representatives to demand a cast token of $US3,000.00 from an investor who is planning to provide job opportunities to jobless Liberians.

“I am baffled and disappointed of this news. You want to tell me our lawmakers can not perform their duties with asking for bribe or cold water?” Sampson Gueh, a student at the University of Liberia Political Science Department in a confused state told the GNN.

Meanwhile, GNN will bring you an update of the Senate Committee hearing as regarding the ratification of the Mittal Steel Contracts in our subsequent report.