The Mark of the Beast: Role of gov't agents

The arrest of one so-called ACDR man who was later identified as a soldier from the Forces Reserve Battalion (FRB 64th) confirmed reports that a significant number of the men in ACDR T-shirts were actually commandos.

The man's pistol, a special FRB issue, was released to the military later last Thursday.

But CHRONICLE has learnt that most of them were recruited from the depressed communities in Accra, Nima and some layabouts at Korle-bu, and as far away as Agona Duakwa, the constituency of Mr. Kojo Yankah.

The Duakwa boys, according to village sources, were not told their "job" until they got to Accra. Several of them returned with broken bones and were licking their wounds. Some of the boys were also picked up from around the former West Africa Secondary School and Nima by Mr. E. T. Mensah and Said Sinare and Jerry Thompson.

The Sports Minister actually briefed some of the thugs in his office and allegedly supplied them with knives, enema and pepper solutions, one sickened employee who was close to the meeting told a friend.

Another Nima resident who wanted to go on record and gave his name as Haruna Adamu told THE CHRONICLE that he saw Jerry Thompson, E. T. Mensah and Said Sinare bringing some commandos who live in the area to go and confront the demonstrators.

Another person, pointed out to THE CHRONICLE to be a thug leader, was seen on motor bike with registration number NG 5703.

An eyewitness also gave THE CHRONICLE the following account after he spotted a suspicious movement and decided to follow.

He said some of the men believed to be commandos left their base around South Odorkor at 8.00 am in a vehicle with registration number AC 621. When they got to Cedi House, near the National Theatre, he noticed them change into ACDR shirts and join their people.

Later they were seen firing indiscriminately into the crowd of demonstrators. Three people fell.

The Minister of Interior issued a statement which gave his heavily doctored version of events which was splashed on the front page of THE GHANAIAN TIMES and DAILY GRAPHIC. He said the ACDRs formed a human shield to protect life and property. But a classic picture taken by Finnish-trained journalist Linus Atarah of PUBLIC AGENDA exposed the lie. Linus was actually apprehended by the menacing ACDRs who was rescued by one of their leaders with whom he had earlier obtained a neighbourly right of converse.

His pictures froze ACDRs clutching stones and cudgels and actually using them to cause destruction.

CHRONICLE noticed that all VAT vehicles had removed their stickers, and some MPs had also done the same.

A security cordon was thrown around some offices. The office of The "Ghanaian Times" was cordoned. The Ministry of Information had more than 12 heavily armed soldiers with mobile communication equipment and old-style sub- machine guns. The area around the Ministry of Local Government and Youth and Sorts was also heavily guarded as the ministers were ensconced in their offices at the time THE CHRONICLE "rescue" team called on Friday.

IN a sick move on Friday morning, the welfare officer of the NDC went to Korle-bu and asked the nurses whether some NDC men they knew had been hurt. The nurses angrily retorted that in the hospital they do not discriminate.