Businessman testifies at NRC

Accra, Nov 10, GNA- A former businessman who said he took to drinking after losing his fortune to soldiers in 1983, on Monday prayed the National Reconciliation Commission for compensation so that would stop the habit.

Mr Daniel Kwadwo Asante, said he had been traumatised by his arrest, detention and seizure of his property he acquired from his business, that was why he took to drinking.

He however insisted that he would not use any monetary compensation from the Commission on drinks, adding, " I would rather stop drinking, and use the compensation wisely", he said.

Witness who described himself as a farmer now, told the Commission that he bought ornaments and kingly regalia from Ghana and sold them in Nigeria for eight years.

He said he bought a Nissan bus, registered it in Nigeria and operated transport business in that country.

He said after eight years, he decided to come home for good, and parked his personal effects into the bus to Ghana.

He said at the Afloa Border, he took on board two women, with a quantity of bags of flour and sugar, but some four armed soldiers intercepted the vehicle at the Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout, and arrested him, the driver of the vehicle and the mate, as well as the women.

Mr Asante said the soldiers accused them of assisting "kalabule" women whose activities were a sabotage to the economy, seized the bus, and drove them to the Burma Camp.

Witness said the soldiers subjected them to a severe beating, using their hands, legs and weapons, and any soldier that came on the scene joined in the beating.

He said after collecting the 999,000 naira, CFA 650,000, and 100,000 cedis he was having on him, the soldiers dumped them in separate cells in the Burma Camp.

Mr Asante said after being detained for three weeks without charge, he escaped with the help of one Sgt Owusu, and Mr J B Boahen of the Castle.

He said the soldiers beat him on a number of occasions, while he was in detention, and he had subsequently developed severe headache.

He said he escaped from the military cells and up till now he had not seen his driver, Mr Richard Acheampong, and one Manu, the mate despite franctic efforts to locate them, adding that Mr Acheampong hailed from Kenyase, and Mr Manu from Asromanso, all in Ashanti.

Mr Asante said to date he had not got back his vehicle and the goods he was conveying as well as the money the soldiers took from him. This, he said paralysed his business.

He said he could not go back into the business, and although he was now a farmer, he had taken to drinking "to soothe the pain of his loss". He therefore, prayed the Commission for compensation for him to take care of his wife and children whose, education, he said came to an abrupt end due to his mishap.

Asked if he declared the foreign monies to security personnel at the border post, Witness replied in the negative, saying it was an usual practice to cross the border with such currencies without any check. He said his vehicle was also not registered to carry goods in Ghana, but the goods it took were all covered by documents.

Uborr Dalafu Labal, a member of the Commission, remarked that although what Witness did was outside the law, that however, did not give the soldiers the right to confiscate his items, and torture him, Uborr added.

Another Witness, Mr Lawrence Adu-Barnie, said he was a son of the late Sgt Adu Godfred, who was on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon in 1983. Mr Adu-Barnie prayed the Commission to reclaim an electric cooker with an oven and 15 packets of roofing sheets, that were in short supply of the goods Ofori Electronics shipped to Ghana on behalf of his late father from Lebanon.

According to Witness, Ofori Electronics was a company that shipped goods of soldiers on peacekeeping mission to Ghana in 1983. He said a number of solders were affected with the failure of Ofori Electronics to deliver what they had shipped.

Mr Adu-Barnie said, after several meetings with the military leaders by then, nothing happened to the matter.

Witness said his father who died two years ago, indicated in his Will for him to pursue the matter.

General Emmanuel Alexander Erskine, a member of the Commission indicated that the Commission had a letter that the issue was being taken up by the Attorney-General's Department, but however added that, " we will have to follow through to see to it that the proper thing is done."