I offered drinks to enable me to escape- Witness

Accra, Dec 17, GNA- Mr Emmanuel Kweku Amissah, resident at Labone, on Wednesday told the Commission (NRC) that in 1983, he made his driver serve beer to four armed soldiers who had come to arrest him, and escaped through the back door as they drank.

Mr Amissah said he was injured when fleeing and, and his driver later told him that the soldiers fired into the air after he had fled. Witness said after the December 31 1981 Revolution, a radio announcement invited him to appear before the then Citizens Vetting Committee (CVC), where he said he reported and was asked to declare his assets.

He said he was further asked about how he came to own his cars, a swimming pool and a volley pitch in his house.

He said after asking him to declare how much he had in his account, the CVC, chaired by one Major Adu-Twum asked him to pay an amount of 5.6 million cedis within 48 hours in a special account called Account No 48. Mr Amissah said he was forced to sign for an amount of 1.9 million cedis in his account, to make to what he had been asked to pay, adding that the Committee confiscated his two cars to make for the difference of the amount.

He said he was in his house in 1983, when he was informed that the four armed-soldiers were looking for him, but sensing danger, he deceived them and fled to Togo where he said he stayed for two years.

Mr Amissah said on his return, he learnt that his house had been confiscated, and soldiers were occupying the house.

He said he wrote a number of petitions to the then government and the house was released to him in 1999, but in a rather deplorable state. When he moved in, two deep freezers, two fridges, an air-conditioner, some radio cassettes and personal belongings had been taken away and he renovated the house at 18 million cedis.

Mr Amissah said as a result of the events he developed hypertension, and his family life was disrupted with his children scattered aimlessly. The Witness said he had forgiven the young soldiers who occupied his house, but prayed the Commission to help him get his car and personal belongings back.

Mr Erasmus Densu Ofosu, another Witness, from Nsawam Sakyikrom, said his bus containing his household items, which he shipped from Italy, was confiscated at the Tema Port, on the orders of one Major Amammoo on false premise that the vehicle had overstayed in the port. He said the Major threw him out of his office when he went to enquire about the vehicle but later found the car at a garage at Odokor, being offered for sale.

Mr Densu said, upon enquiries he was told that the car, which he had paid an amount of 2.5 million cedis to clear, was auctioned at 120,000 cedis, and bought by one Sgt Kugbe Kuma. Witness said his investigations showed that there was no such auction.

He said he reported the case to the Odorkor Police and the police officer who took up the case bowed to pressure to release the car and later told him that he had to because of the "solidarity between the army and the police".

Mr Densu said a number of petitions to the then Inspector General Police, the late Warrant Officer Tetteh of the Castle, the then Chief of Defence Staff, and to Mr Justice Daniel Francis Annan, former Speaker of Parliament were to no avail.

He prayed the Commission to help him get back his bus and the personal effects.

Mr Anthony Kwabena Marfo, another Witness, who gave evidence on behalf of his daughter, Augustina Marfo, prayed the Commission to help him have the Datsun car he said his daughter shipped through the Tema Port in 1983.

He said one W O Tsakitey and Corporal Dawutey then of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) seized and gave it to the 31st December Women's Movement.