Riad cross-examines witness at NRC

Accra, Nov 12, GNA- Mr Riad Hozaifeh, who described himself as "NDC Government official at the Office of the President" on Wednesday said he was an American, and a guest of the state of Ghana between 1997 and 1999.

Mr Hozaifeh told the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) in Accra that he renounced his Ghanaian citizenship to be American because to him there was no freedom and justice in Ghana.

"I don't see freedom and Justice in my mother's country", the Witness who has a Lebanese and Ghanaian parentage said, and added that Ghana had freedom and justice only in the time of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He added further that he ever worked for the government of Ghana under the erstwhile government of the Provisional National Defence Council, and that, that government tried to restore freedom and justice in Ghana. Mr Hozaifeh was at the public hearing to cross-examine Col. (rtd) George Amuah, a Witness, who in his earlier evidence had among other things mentioned Mr Hozaifeh as having been an occupant in a confiscated house situated at the North Labone.

A dramatic scene emerged during cross-examination as the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Justice Amua-Sekyi, had to cut in intermittently to disallow some of the questions and remarks of the Mr Hozaifeh, reminding him to restrict his question to the substance of the issue and complete the cross-examination within the allotted time of 15 minutes and make any comments during his own testimony on the issue.

In reply to Mr Hozaifeh's questions, Col Amuah said that he was not cashiered from the Ghana Armed Forces, but had ever been an industrialist, under the name G E A Group of Companies.

Col (rtd) Amuah saidt he had not been involved in any deal to dupe the state of 20 million pounds sterling, which according to Mr Hozaifeh presently amounted to over 400 million pounds.

Mr Hozaifeh whose cross-examination appeared rather intimidating, alleged that that Col Amuah's three houses were confiscated for his alleged 20 million pounds deal, saying it "was the blood and suffering of Ghanaians."

He then produced some press cuttings of December 1978, March, April, May and December 1979, to support his claim.

Mr Hozaifeh had indicated that he occupied the house for only two years, together with two soldiers, whose names he hardly remembered, and added that other soldiers continued to occupy the house after he had left there in 1999.

He said the house was never locked.

He said his occupancy of the house was on the orders on the then Chief of Staff, whose name he hardly remembered, and added then late RSM Tetteh, then aide-de-camp of the Chairman of the PNDC and later President Jerry John Rawlings, had given him the keys to that house.

Mr Hozaifeh denied threatening a bailiff who had served him a court notice and said he asked him rather to send notice to the then Chief of Staff, because his occupancy was from the Chief of Staff's office. He said since he was working for the state, utility bills was also to paid for by the Office of Chief of Staff. Col Amuah said telephoned bills alone had accumulated to 60 million cedis when he took over the house in 2000.

On his role in the then government, Mr Hozaifeh said he did different kinds of work, had no appointment letter, no office but operated from the Castle.

He recalled that after the killing of the three high court judges, he was among some soldiers who apprehended three of the culprits that were later executed. "I'm very proud of that record", Mr Hozaifeh said. He was also involved in foiling coup attempts, he said, and added that he had helped in the distribution of petrol rations to deprived communities.

Witness said: "I tried to bring freedom and justice to Ghana. I would have loved it moved to the whole of Africa. I believe in justice." Mr Hozaifeh said.

He said he was rather not receiving salary, and he realised that he was getting into deep financial trouble, and he moved out to the United States in 1987, and stayed there for 10 years to be able to be with his family and educate his children.

Witness said his eldest son had been convicted for murdering his girlfriend's stepfather who he said raped the girlfriend, and added that he never challenged the conviction because of his belief in justice. "He shall pay for his action, and he is paying." Mr Hozaifeh said. Mr Hozaifeh said General Erskine a former Commander of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon's appointment came under the PNDC and the NDC governments.

General Erskine in reaction described Mr Hozaifeh assertion as "total ignorance" explaining that he (Erskine) left for that post in 1974, many years before the PNDC came into power, and there was no way his appointment could have come from the PNDC. "I also stood an election against the NDC," General Erskine said.

When Mr Patrick Mensah, another Witness from Bubuashie took the seat, he spoke of his dismissal from the Ghana Telecom, then Post and Telecommunication, by press announcement in 1984.

He former Ghana Telecom employee said 300 workers were affected in that exercise without any letter, disciplinary action, nor reason. He said he had petitioned to the Ghana Telecom, the former Ministry of Transport and Communications, the former Ministry Labour and Social Welfare to and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to no avail.

Mr Mensah prayed the Commission to help him get his benefits. Another Witness, Mr Ebenezer Boafo Asante who said he worked as a presidential detailed guard in the Kwame Nkrumah government, said he had since been gripped with fear from events of the 1966 coup and the thought of how he escaped from the soldiers and bullets from the Kanda flats.

Mr Asante said his room was ransacked after the event, and his kente cloth, television set, Kelvinator fridge, and suits were taken away. He prayed to help him get those personal effects back.

Mr Oheneba Amponsah then staying at Akyem Oda said he was picked by soldiers, on suspicion of writing anonymous letters linked to dissident activities and detained for two months in 1987.

On his return, his mother who was then in hospital collapsed and never came around when she heard of the ordeal.

He said his personal effects, as well as his 632,000 cedis cash were stolen from his room, which the soldiers refused to allow him to go and lock when they picked him, and prayed the Commission for compensation.

Mr Simeon Buabeng, another Witness prayed the Commission for compensation over the loss of his taxi, belonging to his uncle that his uncle sold for 50,000 cedis in 1984.

He said soldiers hired him from Sankara Junction to Osu, in Accra, but later forced him to drive to Osu Police Station, after threatening him with death for allegedly charging above the normal fare.

They seized the car and left it at the Osu Police Station, and at the time it was released it was in a deplorable state.