February 15, 2018

02
CONTENT
DAILY HERITAGE THURSSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018
DAILY QUOTE
Your problem isn't the
problem. Your
reaction is the problem
— Anonymous
ANNIVERSARIES
06 March, Independence Day
30 March, Good Friday
02 April, Easter Monday
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WORLD
South African
Police raid Gupta
home, ANC to sack
Zuma via Parl
POLITICS
NPP mourns
‘legendary’
Appiah Menka
BUSINESS
PG.04
Kharis Temple
donates to
Adentan community
SPORTS
PG.11
WABBA
to meet
athletes on
Saturday
PG.10
PG.15
Inflation
drops to
10.8%
BY ROSEMOND
BOATENG ADDAI
rosemond.adjetey@yahoo.com
THE CONSUMER
Price Index (CPI)
which measures
the change over
time in the general
price level of
goods and services that households
acquire for the purpose of
consumption for the month of
January 2018 dropped to 10.8%.
Mr Baah Wadieh, Acting
Government Statistician of
Ghana Statistical Service, explained
that the monthly change
rate for January 2018 was 1.4%
compared with the 1.0%
recorded in December 2017.
Food and non
-food inflation
The Statistician said the
food inflation rate for January
2018 was 6.8% compared with
8.0% recorded in December
2017.
“The price drivers for the
food inflation rate were fruits
9.2%, vegetables 8.4%, coffee,
tea, and cocoa 8.2, mineral
water, soft drinks, fruit and vegetable
juices, 7.7%, food products
not else classified 7.4% and
meat and meat products 7.3%,”
he explained.
For non-food inflation rate,
the Statistician said the group
recorded a year-on-year inflation
rate of 12.0% in January 2018,
compared to the 13.6%
recorded for December 2017.
He said “the main price drivers
for the non-food inflation
rate were transport, 17.9%,
clothing and footwear 16.7%,
recreation and culture 13.7%,
miscellaneous goods and services
14.0% and furnishing,
household equipment and routine
maintenance 12.1%.”
Regional differentials
He also said that four regions,
Upper West, Brong
Ahafo, Ashanti and Greater
Accra Region, recorded inflation
rates higher than the national average
of 10.3%.
“Upper West Region recorded
the highest year-on-year inflation
rate of 12.1%, followed by Brong
Ahafo Region 11.2%, while the
Upper East Region recorded the
lowest year-on-year inflation rate
of 7.8% in January 2018,” Mr
Wadieh explained.
He said in January 2018, the
year-on-year inflation rate for imported
items was 11.8% compared
with 13.6% recorded in December
2017 while the inflation for locally
produced items was 9.7% in January
2018 compared with 11.1%
• Some of the
accused persons
being escorted
out of court
Trial of Mahama ‘killers’ begins today
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
THE FOURTEEN accused persons
who have been officially charged for
the death of military officer Major
Maxwell Adams Mahama are expected
to face murder trial at the High Court
today.
While transferring the case from
the District Court to the High Court
after their committal proceedings, the
Court Magistrate, His Worship Mr
Ebenezer Kweku Ansah said per the
evidence before the court, the accused
persons had issues to answer.
They are facing three charges including
murder. The State would present
52 exhibits to the High Court and
15 witnesses.
Who are they?
The 14 accused persons expected
to stand trial are William Baah, the assemblyman,
Bernard Asamoah, Kofi
Nyame, Akwasi Baah, Kwame
Tuffuor, Joseph Appiah and Michael
Annin.
The rest are Bismark Donkor,
John Bosie, Akwasi Asante, Charles
Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismark
Abanga and Kwadwo Nimah
Evidence
State prosecutors earlier presented
52 pieces of evidence to incriminate
the accused persons, including a
recorded video and pictures of crime
scene.
In the Bill of Indictment, there
were enough evidence including pellets,
empty cartridges, pictures from
the crime scene, two guns, partly
burnt shirt, a cell phone belonging to
Major Maxwell Mahama, cement
blocks, stick, metal bar, and stones
among others against them.
Mr Kweku-Ansah after perusing
the evidence was convinced and committed
the 14 accused persons to trial
at the High Court.
Accused persons to
rely on Diaso Police
Defense counsel, Mr George
Bernard Shaw told the court at the
last court day that though they had
witnesses to call, they preferred to
withhold the names and only bring
them to court when the need arises.
He, however, indicated to the
court that, some police officers at
Diaso would be part of the witnesses
they intended to call in the course of
the trial at the High Court.
Explaining why his clients declined
to comment when offered the opportunity
by the court he said per the instructions
he had received, they had
nothing to do with the crime.
“It is their right to comment or
not on the prosecutions’ evidence...we
have made known to the court that
they do not agree with some of the
things that the prosecutions are alleging,”
Mr Shaw added.
Background
Then Capt. Maxwell Mahama of
the 5 Battalion of Infantry was
lynched while he was on his early
morning jogging Monday, May 29,
2017.
In a video shot of the incident
and circulated on social media, the
officer was seen surrendering his
weapon before the mob carried out
their dastardly act. The mob later
claimed they mistook him for an
armed robber because he carried a
weapon.
The fallen officer, whom many
have described as decent and gentle,
died on Monday, May 29, after he
was beaten, stoned and burnt by
residents of Denkyira-Obuasi in the
Central Region.
Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama
was posthumously promoted to the
rank of Major on June 5, by President
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-
Addo.
Parliament in November 2017
approved a Bill that will make the
spouse and children of Major Mahama
the State’s responsibility. The
Bill was in fulfillment of the President's
promise to the family of
Major Mahama.