VZCZCXRO2196
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #2477 3371500
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031500Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5778
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0002

UNCLAS ACCRA 002477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL GH
SUBJECT: GHANA POLITICAL ROUNDUP 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  The 2008 Presidential race to succeed President Kufuor 
continues to heat up as prominent members of the ruling New 
Patriotic Party (NPP), including Vice President Aliu Mahama and 
Former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, have complained that the 
NPP's nomination process has not been transparent. Meanwhile, the 
Attorney General announced the creation of a special task force to 
investigate corruption allegations in Parliament. The Convention 
People's Party, the party of Ghanaian founding father Kwame Nkrumah, 
has postponed its convention again to December 15. And the Ghana 
Police sacked nineteen more officers for corruption. Finally, courts 
in Accra sentenced two Venezuelans, arrested in 2005, to 20 and 25 
years in prison for possession of nearly 600 kilograms of cocaine. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
NPP Missteps in Vetting of Presidential Candidates 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. Leading candidates for the ruling NPP's nomination for the 2008 
Presidential Election, including Vice President Aliu Mahama and 
former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, have voiced concern about the 
NPP's candidate selection process, claiming it is not transparent 
and potentially unfair.  This followed leaks to the press of 
confidential information from each candidate's files during the 
 
SIPDIS 
"vetting" process. As a result of this outcry, the NPP is allowing 
candidates to form committees to work closely with the NPP's 
election and congress planning teams ahead of the December 22 
Congress. The NPP concluded vetting of candidates on November 28 and 
the official list of candidates is expected to be released in early 
December. President Kufuor's recent statement that he has a good 
idea who will succeed him among the 19 presidential candidates has 
added suspicion to the nomination process and generated ill will 
among many candidates amidst the wiespread perception that Kufuor 
is providing financial support to Kyerematen's candidacy. 
 
Attorney General to Act on Corruption in Parliament 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3. As a result of the recent scandals uncovered by the Public 
Accounts Committee (PAC) of Ghana's Parliament, Attorney General Joe 
Ghartey declared on November 15 that he is creating a special task 
force to prosecute these cases. Recent statements from GOG officials 
indicate that several million dollars worth of state money was 
embezzled or stolen through the Ministries, Departments and Agencies 
(MDAs). Ghartey said that until a special financial tribunal is 
convened to hear these cases, the cases will be tried in the regular 
court system. 
 
CPP Postpones Congress to December 15 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  The Convention People's Party (CPP) has postponed its Congress, 
for the third time, to December 15 because of "operational 
difficulties." CPP General Secretary Prof. Nii Noi Dowuona said the 
postponement was due to the inability of CPP officials to complete 
local elections, a prerequisite for the Congress. Delegates are 
expected to elect a presidential candidate and national executive 
officers.  The frontrunners for the CPP nomination are Professor 
Agyemang Badu Akosa, former Director-General of Ghana Health Service 
and Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, former Minister of Public Sector Reforms. 
 
More Police Officers Sacked for Corruption 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  In the last month, as part of the Ghana Police Service's (GPS) 
ongoing efforts to root out corruption in its ranks, the GPS 
dismissed 19 officers for various forms of misconduct. Throughout 
the year the GPS has dismissed hundreds of officers for breaching 
GPS rules and the law. The GPS is particularly focused on officers 
who engage in extortion and release prisoners early from their 
sentences. 
 
Two Venezuelans Jailed on Drug Related Charges 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6.  On November 13, an Accra court sentenced two Venezuelan 
nationals, Joel Meija Duarte Moises and Italio Gervasio Rosero, aka 
Italio Cabeza Castillo, to 25 and 20 years in prison, respectively, 
in connection with the 2005 seizure of over 588 kilograms of cocaine 
in Accra.  A third Venezuelan and the alleged mastermind behind the 
cocaine operation, Vasquez Gerado Duarte David, aka Bude, remains at 
large, but the court found him guilty in absentia and sentenced him 
to 25 years in prison.  The convicts will be deported to Venezuela 
after serving their sentences. 
 
BRIDGEWATER