US Court Chases Rawlings

Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s former head of state has been ordered by a US court sitting in Chicago to make an appearance to answer questions concerning the execution or killing of General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, former Head of State. The subpoena summons is asking Mr Rawlings to appear before the court on October 16, 2006 in Chicago.

Mr Rawlings who was chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) when General Acheampong was executed at the Teshie Firing Range in the 1979 uprising, is in addition being asked by the Chicago court to come along with documentary evidence in the form of video tapes, pictures and other materials concerning the execution of the former head of state and chairman of the National Redemption council (NRC).

Mr. Rawlings who had a brush with the daughter of General Acheampong during his recent trip to Chicago, D. Guide learnt is to appear before the court on the date or face charges of contempt which would precipitate other sanctions.

According to sources close to the children of Gen. Acheampong in London and the USA, the court subpoena has been served on the Ghana embassy in Washington DC, for onward transmission to the former President here in Ghana.

D. Guide cannot confirm whether the former President has received the subpoena summons or not. The US court order on Mr. Rawlings may probably trigger the opening of a Pandora box over his abysmal human rights records relating to the periods of his two military regimes, with far-reaching implications concerning or from other aggrieved individuals who have been yearning to drag the former president to court over his human rights abuses.

Legal analysts contacted by D. Guide last night, were of the opinion that Mr Rawlings had no choice but to honour the court order, otherwise he stood the risk of being arrest if he entered US territory.

Other legal opinions suggested that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) founder may be extradited to the US to answer charges on the killing of General Acheampong, if he traveled to a country with an extradition treaty with the US.