Gov't Cries Foul Over Rawlings

Clash over serial killings
‘How can he torture his own chief?’ – Kwabena Agyepong

THE GOVERNMENT says former President Jerry Rawlings’ allegations that fifteen members of the Kufuor-led administration have knowledge of the serial murder of Ghanaian women is an attempt to shift attention from the serious allegations of human rights violations against him at the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) probe.

“It’s a diversion from the serious and heinous human rights violations that occurred under him. And instead of owning up and showing remorse by going to the NRC, he has succeeded in creating his own conditions, diverting attention from the NRC and adding pre-conditions that do not make sense, knowing very well that they will not be met because he doesn’t run the State” stated Mr Kwabena Agyepong, Press Secretary to President Kufuor Saturday.

He spoke in the wake of the repetition of allegations by President Rawlings on a number of radio stations, including Peace FM, Radio Gold and Adom FM last week that fifteen members of the administration have knowledge of the killings.

According to Rawlings, the Kufuor administration has a phobia in administering the chemical interrogation test because it would expose them and lead to the truth about the murder of the women.

But speaking to the Gye Nyame Concord, Agyepong said government will not allow Rawlings to dictate to it and that as Chairman of the former Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military regime, Rawlings should be addressing the kind of admissions by ex-Warrant Officer Adjei Boadi, who first admitted that he killed six people in the name of the PNDC; ex-Corporal Mathew Adabuga, who has come out to say they were members of a murder squad and ex-Bomabadier Cudjoe, who also admitted that he was part of a team that arrested the Awomefia of Anlo Togbui Adeladza, sent him to the Regional Office and tortured him under supervision.

“The chief was the paramount chief of Rawlings’ own traditional area and yet he was arrested and taken to the Regional Office and tortured. How can he torture his own chief?

Can you imagine President Kufuor torturing the Asantehene? That’ll be sacrilege”, Agyepong noted.

“These are serious admissions of the heinous violations of human rights. To torture a paramount chief for anything is sacrilege to the people of Anlo”, the Press Secretary to the President said, alleging that the paramount chief never recovered from the torture till his death.

“You are chairman of a council and these boys say they were part of such murders and are asking for forgiveness. Instead of reacting to these and going to the NRC and asking for forgiveness, his response is to create his own diversions, distortions and allegations that others are also murderers. And for the past two months we’ve been debating this?”

According to Agyepong the colleagues of the former President have been men enough to go to the NRC and admit their attrocities. “Why is he afraid to go to the NRC? There is something called ultimate responsibility. If all the killings alleged by Adjei Boadi, Adabuga and Bombadier Cudjoe took place under his stead, then he is ultimately responsible and that is why he must take advantage of the opening before the NRC and tell us the roles the people played and asks for forgiveness.”

He said a critical examination of statements by even Mr Riad Hoziafeh, a friend of the former President who appeared before the NRC last week, also showed incriminating evidence against the Founder of the main opposition NDC.