Professor cross-examines Professor at NRC

Accra, March 9, GNA - Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor on Tuesday denied in Accra that he ever ordered a soldier to brutalise Professor Martin Maxwell Owusu-Ansah, Rector of Accra School of Economics and Political Science.

Prof. Awoonor, who served as a member of the National Investigations Committee (NIC), set up in the wake of the December 31 1981 Revolution said the NIC was established by a Military Decree, adding that, as a civilian he could never have ordered a soldier to drill a civilian.

At best Capt. (rtd) Nkrabea Effah Dartey, then Chairman of the panel would have ordered the drill of Prof Owusu-Ansah, Prof Awoonor said, as he cross examined Prof Owusu-Ansah, at the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), which resumed its public hearing in Accra on Tuesday. The Commission had been in Cape Coast for two weeks after In-camera-hearing for a week.

Prof. Owusu-Ansah, who said he was involved in 1977/78 in the drafting of Ghana's Constitution said he was ejected from where he was staying at the State House.

He said he was detained for three months in the Ussher Fort after Limann's government was toppled, and his hope to go to the Castle, where he worked could not materialise.

He said he petitioned one Mr George Sackey, to no avail but was later accepted to become the Secretary General of the National Farmers' Council.

It was while serving in that capacity that one day, a military vehicle emerged and some unidentified armed men arrested him together with a colleague to a "place near the 37 Military Hospital", where he said, soldiers maltreated him an made him "raise" blocks for one and half hours, while pointing a gun at him.

Prof Owusu-Ansah said he was then ushered to meet the panel, chaired by Capt. Effah Dartey, and of which Professor Awoonor was a member. He said Prof Awoonor, whom he said, he had known in Sweden became annoyed when he mentioned his name, and he ordered that a soldier took him out to drill him.

"I was wearing white-white that day, and the soldier took me out and drilled me he hit my spine with his gun, and I was made to roll 12 times on the ground while the soldier kept hitting my entire body with his boots until I began bleeding.

"I bled all over my body, and when I was taken back the panel was stunned but they did not tell me any thing and asked me to go."

Dr Owusu-Ansah said he went straight to Mr John Tettehgah's house and after telling him the ordeal his went through Mr Tettehgah, a prominent member of the Convention People's Party, told him Prof. Awoonor's action might be retaliatory, since, he (Awoonor) suffered a similar fate under the Acheampong regime.

Prof. Owusu-Ansah had played prominent roles under Acheampong regime. Witness said the molestation had left permanent pain in his spine and he has since been on medication.

He also spoke of losing his jobs with the University of Ghana, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the Ghana Farmers' Council which later became an amalgamation of several farmers groups, Ghana Federation of Agricultural Co-operatives and prayed the Commission to recommend the payment of his end-of- service benefits.

Commission however, asked him to establish with documentation the mode of his entry and exits from those situations.