Army Gurus Knew Of Arms Importation

Contrary to information that the 133 arms recently imported into Ghana were smuggled into the country without the knowledge of the military hierarchy, key officials of the military have confirmed to Gye Nyame Concord that they were aware of the importation of the arms.

Sources also say the cost of the ammo, which Gye Nyame Concord learnt was partly to be used for the training of security personnel under an ECOWAS protocol for the new Liberian administration led by interim president Gyude Bryant, was borne by the West African sub-regional body.

Independent checks by this paper also suggest that some Liberian youth were recently recruited from the Gomoa Budumburam Refugee Camp off the Kasoa-Winneba Road in the Central Region as part of the training team for the new Liberian administration.

Deep throat sources within the Intel industry who confirmed this observation by the paper last week also revealed that the training recruits included personnel okayed by the new administration, as well as former members of Charles Taylor’s militia, who were to be retrained under an ECOWAS-sponsored training programme.

Budumburam is home to a significant number of ex-combatants and refugees from the almost 13-year-old Liberian conflict, despite efforts to encourage their return home.

Some of the 133 crates of ammo, government officials including Information Minister Nana Akomea, have explained, were also meant for re-training of officers drawn from the existing security agencies to provide an efficient security cordon to assist in the protection of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Indian Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee and French President Jacques Chirac, who were all expected to visit the country within the past two months. Almost all of them have since cancelled their visits, except German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder, who is expected in Accra within the next fortnight.

Explaining the rationale for the ammo importation further, Akomea hinted in his statement to the press that the ammo was also brought in to assist in the protection of ECOWAS leaders who visited the country for the all important ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State barely two months ago.

But the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has kicked against the explanation, suggesting an illegality in the importation of the 133 crates of ammo; 127 of which arrived at the Kotoka International Airport on a commercial Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 12, 2003.

The military hardware, with airway bill number 07112196446, was imported by the National Security Council from the Israeli Military Industries Ltd at Rabat Husharon, Israel, to ostensibly also beef up the security network during the ECOWAS Heads of State meeting, this paper was told as part of its investigations long before Akomea made the information public.

Six other crates, which were also part of the consignment later arrived on November 16, 2003 by the same airline and were later cleared in a way government officials and top military sources have admitted was clumsy.

They were then freighted to Australia House, a presidential lodge on the Switchback Road near the Flagstaff House, which was originally renovated to serve as the retirement home for the country’s immediate past president, Jerry John Rawlings.

Seizing on the clumsy operation, some civil society organisations and the NDC have questioned the importation and suggested that the ammo were meant for a private army being raised by President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Beyond not being convinced by the explanation put across by government, the NDC also says the importation were moves by government to clandestinely set up an unauthorised security organisation.

A statement issued by the Director of Communications of the NDC and MP for Bole, Honourable John Mahama Friday suggested that the importation of the ammo and its related events were unconstitutional.

The party also raised fears about reports that government is allegedly recruiting personnel into the police service through wrong channels.

According to the party, the provision of security to VIPs and training of bodyguards are the sole responsibilities of state security agencies as stipulated by the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act 526, suggesting further that the importation could be an effort by government to disrupt this year’s elections.

Documentary information showed to this paper by government sources however indicate that contrary to speculations that the retired officers (identities withheld) who clumsily cleared the goods were individuals who report to President Kufuor, they work for the National Security apparatus.

Usually reliable security sources have also told this paper that government was making all efforts to allay the fears of the main opposition party by availing security information to its top hierarchy in the hope that it would convince them of the good intent of government and to protect the integrity of the State.

Signals picked up by press time also suggest that government had decided to push for the retraining of the Liberian security personnel outside the country to avoid an excessive focus on its security network and a misreading of its intent. Ghana in those instances would provide training officers who would then train the personnel in other states, Concord gathered.