Security Experts caution NRC

Accra, Nov. 5, GNA - Military Experts and Security Intelligent Analysts, who pleaded anonymity, on Wednesday cautioned the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to guard against the danger of playing into the hands of politicians with its final report.

"The political animosity, wrangling and suspicion over the establishment of the Commission; its work and the perception within some circles about it should guide the timing of the release of the final report in an election year," the Experts stated.

The Experts, including both serving and retired Military and Police Officers, were contributing to the last in a series of monthly roundtable discussions organized by the African Security Dialogue and Research (ASDR) in Accra.

The main speaker was Dr Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, Executive Secretary of the NRC, whose topic was: "Alleged Challenges to National Reconciliation Commission: A response from the NRC."

The experts, who were unanimous in their remarks, noted that the modality for releasing the report in an election year was crucial to all political parties and could pose a security risk to the nation. They said the report could become a potential political weapon and propaganda material for a party or parties...if this happened, the intention of reconciliation would be defeated.

This would create unstable political environment and a fertile ground for destabilization.

Earlier, Dr Attafuah said the Commission would request for three months extension of time to enable it to complete its work. The Commission was originally scheduled to complete its work on January 13 to submit its final report in April 2004.

The NRC was seeking to submit the report in July 2004.

Dr Attafuah explained that, even though, the Commission had extended its period and duration of sitting the number of cases pending was "quite voluminous".

Dr Attafuah said the Commission had also adopted other methods to ensure that work was completed within reasonable time and to give all victims and perpetrators the opportunity to either state their cases or respond to accusations levelled against them.

Responding to media and public scrutiny of the Commission, especially in respect to its hearing of evidence from Mr Chris Asher Junior and the circumstances surrounding his appearance, Dr Attafuah said the granting of limited safe passage to him to testify was not a breach of any principle or rule of law.

Dr Attafuah said a limited safe passage arrangement was a regular part of the work of criminal justice system, especially the Police and courts, as well as quasi-judicial bodies in virtually all advanced Euro-American democracies.

"A limited safe passage arrangement neither undermines the effectiveness of the security agencies nor contribute to the dampening of the morale of security personnel," he said.

The NRC Executive Secretary said in some common law jurisdictions limited safe passage arrangements were used to ensure access to vital information that the State would otherwise not have from suspects of serious crime.

He said, "the Commission does not give safe passage to anyone, criminal or otherwise, simply because they claim that they have something to testify before it".

Dr Attafuah explained that it is not the intention of the Commission to give any person a platform to abuse any regime, "by virtue of the provisions of its enabling statute, the NRC Act 2002 (Act 611) the Commission is bound to hear any person whose petition it considers jurisdictional in substance and time frame and in accordance with its established procedure.

"This is a statutory obligation that is blanket in its coverage, once a person qualifies along the above criteria there would be no justification in law for refusing the person an opportunity to testify unless they proved mentally incompetent, to elect to act contemptuously toward the Commission or the medical personnel declared them medically unfit to testify."

Dr Attafuah said "the Commission has not acted in a manner that violates the rule of law, all its actions have been lawful and moral...we have evinced courage, dedication and equanimity in the exercise of our statutory mandate.

"In sum, the activities of the Commission have, in all instances, been lawful, they have served to advance healing, truth seeking or historical clarification and, hence national reconciliation; it has, thereby, made a net positive contribution to national security and national peace."