Kojo Tsikata Exposed?

According to THE INDEPENDENT, fresh evidence available to its outfit points to the fact that contrary to what Capt. (Rt?d) Kojo Tsikata told the NRC that a London newspaper, The Independent (no connection to us) apologised to him in a report that paper made about his alleged involvement in the murder of three High Court Judges and an Army Officer in its June 18, 1982 issue, that paper never made any apology to him.

Capt. Tsikata told the NRC that he initiated action against that paper but the case ended with an out-of-court settlement and an apology to him by the paper.

A letter dated February 27, 2004 addressed to known political activist and one time chairman of the Ghana Democratic Movement Mr. Alex Asabre of 479 Leytonstone High Road, London E11 4JU and signed by Louise Hayman, Head of Legal services of the London-based Independent, the paper only published a statement and not an apology to the former National Security Advisor.

* (30th September, 1996) KOJO TSIKATA v. NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING PLC [1996] EWCA/Civ 618
Tuesday 29-9-98 Captain Tsikata's libel case ends

Tuesday 29-9-98 --The much-publicised case involving former security chief, Kojo Tsikata and a London based newspaper the Independent has been concluded following the latter's publication today expressing regrets at the harm done him.

The Independent Newspaper of London today published a statement expressing its regrets to Capt. Kojo Tsikata, for suggesting in an article that he was guilty of the kidnapping and murder of three High Court Judges in June 1982. The Independent article, published on June 18, 1992, reported recommendations by the Special Investigation Board, chaired by a former Chief Justice of Ghana, Mr Justice Samuel Azu-Crabbe, that Captain Tsikata be prosecuted for crimes connected with the kidnapping and murder.

But the article failed to report that the then Attorney General, Mr G.E.K. Aikins, had explained in detail his reasons for not prosecuting Captain Tsikata. Nor did the newspaper mention that the sole witness against Captain Tsikata, PNDC member Amartey Kwei, subsequently withdrew his accusation just before his execution for the murders.

In its statement, the Independent said it did not intend to suggest that Captain Tsikata was in fact guilty of these terrible crimes, saying it regretted it if any reader understood it so. On the basis of the statement, Captain Tsikata who brought defamation proceedings against the Independent in the High Court in London in 1993 has agreed to discontinue his legal action.