DCEs Car transported Ya Na's Killers - Witness

The 65th witness to the Wuaku Commission told the Commission that he was at Yendi from 25 to 27 March during the crisis. He said on the morning of March 25, he saw the official car of the Yendi District Chief Executive being used to pick some of the Abudu fighters.

Abudu Abdulai, a farmer from Yendi, said that when the car stopped very near his house, one Mohammed Ziblim, the Parishi-Na came out of it and went to the house of one Baba Iddrisu, the Zalanko-Lana and asked him to prepare to enable them to execute their plans.

Abdulai said he was able to hear the conversation between the two because "my house is just near that of the Zalanko-Lana." Witness said when Baba joined the car he was asked by Ziblim to go and pick his gun since he (Baba) was having one.

Abdulai continued that when the Parishi-Na and the Zalanko-Lana left, they never came back until Wednesday 27 when he heard about the death of the Ya-Na. Mr Yaw Wiredu-Peprah (Commission's Counsel): "Did they tell you that they were going to the chief's palace?"

Abdulai: "I have nothing to do with them so they could not tell me that." Counsel: "Did you see Ziblim when they came back on the 27th?" Abdulai: "It was only Baba Iddrisu, who came back." Witness added that Iddrisu boasted to his household when he returned: "We have killed the Ya-Na and cut off his head and arms."

Abdulai said he heard Iddrisu also inquiring about the whereabouts of the Zuahe-Na, who is the next in command to the Ya-Na. He quoted Iddrisu as saying: "We would have killed him also" and dared any member of the Andani Family to come forward to face the consequence. Abdulai mentioned Ganda, Benjama and Yakubu Gyewata, all members of the Abudu Gate, as those he saw carrying booty from the Ya-Na's burnt palace.

He said Benjama was seen carrying a sheep; an amplifier and a carpet while Gyewata carried only a carpet whilst Ganga took three sheep, two speakers and a carpet.

Abdulai said he saw them because they all passed in front of his house to their respective houses, adding that they even told others to go for their share of the booty. Witness said although he saw a fourth person, Shinny Zabla, carrying a box at the back of his bicycle, he never suspected that it was a booty from the Gbewaa Palace until later events proved otherwise.

The Commission then asked him to identify those he had accused among the audience, which he did. Benjama, Gyewata and Shinny, who were present and were identified, however, denied knowledge of all the accusations that Abdulai had levelled against them during cross-examination.

Abdulai told the Commission when Counsel for the Abudus, Nana Obiri Boahen, cross-examined him that he did not go to the Gbewaa Palace "because I would have been killed." Nana Obiri Boahen: "It is not correct that you saw those you mentioned carrying booty from Ya-Na's Palace."

Abdulai: "I saw them, it was not a hearsay."

When Nana Obiri Boahen suggested to witness that even if he saw those he mentioned carrying some goods, they could have purchased them from the market, Abdulai fumed and said that he had sworn by the Quoran and would not tell lies.

Nana Obiri Boahen: "You were among the Andani fighters, who were led by Diba." Abdulai: "I don't know how to fight." Nana Obiri Boahen: "It was when you got near the Bolen-Lana's house that the attack was repelled by the Abudus."

Abdulai: "The only thing I know is that the Abudus attacked the Ya-Na's Palace." Nana Obiri Boahen: "Why did you not go to defend the Gbewaa Palace since you claim to be a loyal subject of the Ya-Na?" Abdulai: "It was because of the firing. If the Ya-Na was killed what could have happened to me if I had gone there?'

Abdulai, when asked how he saw Ganga carrying his booty, said he (Ganga) tied the two speakers together and hanged them on his shoulder whilst he put the carpet under his ambit and pulled the three sheep along.

This drew prolonged laughter from the audience. Alhassan Shiribadu, aged more than 70 and a farmer at Yendi, 66th witness, alleged that at 1530 hours on Tuesday 26 March, he heard some Abudus beating drums and shouting that they were going to attack the Gbewaa Palace.

Shiribadu said while he was inside his room he heard the Abudus, numbering about six, including one Abukari Gundaa, making the pronouncement.When asked by the Commission's Counsel, Mr Wiredu-Peprah if he talked to any of the six young men, witness replied in the negative. He, however, added that he observed and heard them talking as he peeped through his window and saw them standing about 26.2 metres away from his room.

Witness said he remained indoors that day until around 1800 hours when he was compelled to go out to fetch water to put on a foam mattress in his room that had caught fire, which had spread from the Gbewaa Palace.

Shiribadu, a member of the Andani Gate told the Commission that in the process, of going to fetch the water he was shot in his right thigh by an unknown assailant. Asked by Mr Wiredu-Peprah about the identity of his assailant, witness replied in the negative, saying: "I realised the shot came from the direction of the house of one Shaibu, an Abudu."

Counsel: "Did you go to hospital or make a report to the Police when you were shot?" Witness: "No."

At this juncture witness showed a scar of the gunshot wound on the thigh to the Commission. To another question by the Commission's Counsel if he heard anything beside the utterance by the six people that they were going to attack the Gbewaa Palace, witness alleged that they said that some government officials had given them three days to attack the palace.

He could, however, not mention the names of those government officials when Counsel asked him to do so. When Nana Obiri Boahen, Counsel for the Abudus, in a cross-examination pointed out to him that no government official ever gave that instruction, witness maintained the allegation.

Nana Obiri Boahen: "It is never true that the six Abudus said they were going to attack the Gbewaa Palace, rather, it was the Andanis, who attacked those Abudus living near the Gbewaa Palace and first set ablaze the house of one Kampa Kuedo Idi, an Abudu."

Witness: "That is incorrect because it was our house that was first set on fire." He replied in the affirmative when asked if he knew Kampa Kuedo Idi. When Counsel suggested to him that it was he (witness) and some young men at the Gbewaa Palace, including Nantogmah Alhassan Andani and Imrana Saibu, who first began firing shots on Monday, 25 March, Shiribadu replied in the negative, saying: "I don't even know how to fire a gun."

Counsel: "You were among a group of Andani warriors, who fired on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and when you were getting nearer the Bolin-Lana's Palace, the Abudus reacted?"

Witness: "No." Counsel: "You and the other Andani fighters wanted to capture the Bolin-Lana because you felt he was undermining the authority of the Ya-Na?" Witness: "No."

There was drama at this point when the Commission asked witness if he could identify any of the six Abudus he alleged to have heard them saying they had been instructed to attack the Gbewaa Palace, among the audience.

Shiribadu, who appeared confused cast his eyes round the auditorium for a while and touched one Abdulai Mumuni, a lotto seller in Sunyani. Witness said Abdulai Mumuni was rather called Abdulai Yuri but the lotto seller denied saying the witness was rather making a false allegation against him "as I am being mistaken for someone else."

Mumuni told the Commission that though he hailed from Yendi, he had lived in Sunyani since 1972, adding that, for the past two years he had never been to Yendi. Some neutral persons at the auditorium whom the Commission interviewed at that juncture about the identity of the Mumuni affirmed that he is a resident of Sunyani. One of them even added that he is not only a lotto seller but also a night watchman for the GPRTU.

Mumuni insisted: "The witness must not make false allegations to the Commission because we don't know each other and I wonder why he is saying that I was among the six people he saw on that Tuesday evening."

When the Commission suggested that he might not have gone to Yendi within the last two years but it was possible that he went there on the 25, 26 and 27 March to participate in the hostilities, Mumuni denied that he went there.

The Commission, therefore, ordered that since he had been implicated, he should report to the Police investigators for his statement to be taken. Mumuni, who was surprised at the witness' allegations, could be seen shaking his head in disbelief when he left the witness stand towards the investigators, who sat far behind the audience at the auditorium.

The Commission conditionally discharged Shiribadu and adjourned sitting till Thursday, August 1. In the course of the sitting Brigadier George Ayiku, Commanding Officer of the Northern Command of the Ghana Army appeared at the auditorium in the company of Major Richard Deku, Officer Commanding the Third Battalion of Infantry in Sunyani to listen to proceedings. They spent about 45 minutes at the auditorium.