The News Review:

- Africa scam conspirator is jailed
- News Room – Full Article
- Togolese sports minister killed in air crash
- Diasporian News of Monday, 27 June 2005

Africa scam conspirator is jailed
BBC News – Jun 27, 2005
Micky Tanko, 34, originally from Sierra Leone, helped convince Peter Grayson from Carlisle and Karel Timmermans from Holland to part with 170,000. Tanko pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud at Carlisle Crown Court on Monday. He was sentenced to 18 months for each offence, but told he would serve half the time in line with current practice. Mr Grayson first came into contact with the fraudsters in November 2003, while on holiday in Ghana, when he met a man who gave his name as Sankoh. Advanced fee fraudSankoh told Mr Grayson that he was a refugee from Sierra Leone who had inherited $20m (11m) from his father and needed a foreign partner to invest it abroad for him…
He was sentenced to 18 months for each offence, but told he would serve half the time in line with current practice. Mr Grayson first came into contact with the fraudsters in November 2003, while on holiday in Ghana, when he met a man who gave his name as Sankoh. Advanced fee fraudSankoh told Mr Grayson that he was a refugee from Sierra Leone who had inherited $20m (11m) from his father and needed a foreign partner to invest it abroad for him. He claimed that his father had made such foreign investment a condition of the will and told Mr Grayson that if he helped make the project a success he would get 30% of the cash. Tanko, who has been living in Dagenham, Essex, with his girlfriend and child, was part of the organisation known only as 419, which specialises in advanced fee fraud. Tanko played the role of Patrick Pires, a Ghanaian diplomat, who met the victim at Heathrow airport supposedly to bring the cash to Britain. Half truthsBut by the time Mr Grayson met Tanko in September 2004, he had realised he was being conned and Tanko was arrested.

News Room – Full Article
IDEX Online – Jun 28, 2005
Entitled Antwerp African Diamond Days, diamond industry representatives from the two countries held a series of seminars, meetings with government officials and other networking meetings. Alhaji Deen, Sierra Leones Minister of Mines said: We are pleased with the association with Belgium we have developed in recent years and we would like even closer links. Sierra Leone invites diamond firms to come and invest in diamond mining in addition to their trading activities. The Sierra Leone government has developed a legislative framework for this purpose that offers legal certainty for investors…
Entitled Antwerp African Diamond Days, diamond industry representatives from the two countries held a series of seminars, meetings with government officials and other networking meetings. Alhaji Deen, Sierra Leones Minister of Mines said: We are pleased with the association with Belgium we have developed in recent years and we would like even closer links. Sierra Leone invites diamond firms to come and invest in diamond mining in addition to their trading activities. The Sierra Leone government has developed a legislative framework for this purpose that offers legal certainty for investors. Sierra Leones rough diamond exports rose from just $1 million in 1999 to $126 million in 2004 as the country emerged from the conflict diamond era which fuelled its vicious internecine conflict. Antwerp handles around 90 percent of diamonds mined in Sierra Leone.

Togolese sports minister killed in air crash
People's Daily Online – Jun 28, 2005
Togo players and officials of the team were the next group due to be ferried by the helicopter. It has been revealed that the helicopter had recently been grounded by the Sierra Leone government for safety reasons, and resumed service a few months ago. Vice President of Sierra Leone Solomon Berewa has visited the Togolese team in Freetown to express a condolence message on behalf of his people.

Diasporian News of Monday, 27 June 2005
ghanaweb.com – Jun 27, 2005
He said the current crop of players under Skipper Stephen Appiah has demonstrated its commitment to take Ghana to the next World Cup and therefore deserved the support and prayers of all Ghanaians. He said the fundraisng dinner in Freetown was one practical way of encouraging the national team to know that the Ghanaian community in Sierra Leone and the whole nation are behind them. He paid special tribute to the small Ghanaian community in Sierra Leone for their patriotism as exhibited through their contribution to the DOLLAR A MONTH FOR GHANA FUND. High Commissioner Blay-Amihere said that Ghana’s qualification for Germany 2006 constituted a rallying point to unite the nation, adding our participation in thw World Cup will boost the image of Ghana and tourism as it did for Senegal. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensure that the Black Stars clinch all the six outstanding points with clear goal superiority and called for massive support for OPERATION SIX POINTS. Mr Ben Kuofie in his remarks said that the Black Stars had every chance to finally make it to the World Cup and commended the Ghana High Commission in Freetown for its initiative in mobilising the support of the Ghanaian community in Sierra Leone for the Black Stars. According to the experienced former national coach coach and former GFA Boss, the Black Stars will be most encouraged by the support.