Aikins backs Tsikata at NRC sitting

Accra, March 15, GNA - Mr Justice George Emmanuel Kwesi Aikins, former Attorney General, on Monday threw his weight behind Capt. Kojo Tsikata, former National Security Advisor, to welcome a fresh probe into the abduction and murder of three High Court Judges in 1982.

Mr Aikins however, said Capt Tsikata had been present at a meeting on July 2 1982, at the Gondar Barracks, when the late Mr Joachim Amartey Kwei told the then head of state, Flt Lt. Rawlings, that the judges had been killed.

Mr Aikins, who was giving evidence at a National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) public hearing Accra said, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, a lawyer, was also present at the meeting, but Capt Tsikata disputed the admission.

He said, he never saw Mr Aikins at such meeting and pleaded alibi for Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, who, he said was then in Ho.

Mr Aikins was led in evidence by Mr Edward Allotei Mingle, while Capt Tsikata was led by a team of lawyers led by Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, along with Mr Opoku Kyeretwie and Mr Sam Cudjoe.

Mr Aikins said Flt-Lt. Rawlings asked Amartey Kwei, when he entered to release the judges, and he (Rawlings) was disturbed when Mr Amartey Kwei replied that "they had finished with the judges."

"Flt- Lt. Rawlings put his hand on his forehead, bent down and said, Oh", Mr Justice Aikins said.

Mr Justice Aikins, who said the husband of late Mrs Cecilia Koranteng Addo, had earlier told him on the mode of abduction of his wife, said Flt-Lt Rawlings knew that the judges and the army officer were killed before he made a national broadcast on August 4 1982 to establish an enquiry into the death of the victims.

The victims of that gruesome event were, Mrs Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Mr S.P Sarkodie and Mr A. K Agyepong, all High Court Judges, and Major Sam Acquah (Rtd), a retired army officer. They were abducted from their homes on June 30 1982, during curfew hours. Their decomposing and almost charred bodies were found later at a military range at the outskirts of Accra.

Mr Justice Aikins, said former PNDC Chairman had earlier objected to his choice of making Mr Justice Azu Crabbe the Chairman of the Special Investigation Board (SIB) with the explanation that Mr Justice Crabbe might make politics of the of the case.

He said there were a lot of pressure and death threats during the investigations, and even Mr Johnny Hansen, then Secretary for the Interior informed him that he (Mr Justice) Aikins had been listed to be kidnapped and killed.

They were also pressurised from the Castle to stop the investigation, he said.

"One of the people who pressured me to stop Investigations was my good friend Capt Tsikata, that people did not seem to like him and his name might appear that he took part," in the murder.

I told him not to worry and that the truth would come out, and that if he knew nothing about it, he would be vindicated.

"When the interim report was given to me , Capt Tsikata was not mentioned; but later Amartey Kwei mentioned that he took the men round and showed their houses" Mr Justice Aikins said.

Mr Justice Akins said the report implicated Amartey Kwei and Sgt. Alolga Alolga Akata Pore, but I told the Chairman that I was not satisfied with the involvement of Akata Pore.

He said the Senya's sentence for his involvement in the murder was not confirmed, and Amedeka was not executed; he ran away. Mr Justice Aikins did not agree with Commissioner Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu that Terkpor, one of the alleged kidnappers was executed on August 13 1983, two days before the final judgement, but Mr Justice Aikins, who is also a former Supreme Court Judge said Terkpor was at the final judgement.

Mr Justice Aikins said as he was writing his comment, which, he said, the press wrongly termed as White Paper, he objected to assistance from which a team, comprising Mr Kofi Djin, Dr Obed Asamoah and Dr Kwesi Botchwey, all PNDC functionaries, said Chairman of the PNDC had asked them to offer.

The former Attorney-General recalled a meeting with Mr Kwabena Agyepong, son of Mr the late Mr Agyepong, one of the murdered judges. Mr Agyepong, who now serves as the Press Secretary of President John Agyekum Kufour was in the Witness gallery as Justice Aikins rolled his evidence in which Mr Justice Aikins said Mr Agyepong collected his copies of the SIB report but never returned them as he promised. Mr Agyepong had told, in an earlier evidence that Mr Justice Aikins had said at their meeting that the country would "shake" or get a shock when he (Mr Aikins) spoke.

Mr Justice Aikins protested strongly an implied complicity by Mr Agyepong of his father's death.

In a cross examination by Dr Asamoah, which was replete with courtroom theatrics, Dr Asamoah stated categorically that Capt. Tsikata was not at the said meeting with Chairman Rawlings on July 2 1982, but Mr Justice was firm that the Captain was present.

Captain Tsikata, in his evidence, said there was no meeting, and denied ever meeting Mr Justice Aikins on the said date at the Burma Camp.

The controversy surrounding who led the soldiers to the houses of the deceased deepened when Mr Christian Aryee, a witness, and former, Registrar of the Board of the Public Tribunal denied confiding in a friend that he took the soldiers round to show them the house of the four victims.

Mr Biadella Mortey Akpadzi, alias Kweku Mortey was the said friend. Mr Morttey, who said he filed his petition on February 6 2004, and testified on Monday said he had told the Commission that Mr Aryee, who he said, was visibly shaken, told him that he was lucky not to have been part of those who were sentenced.

He said Mr Aryee, who said, had a close working relationship with him told him of taking the soldiers round to show them their houses, but Mr Aryee denied ever telling Mr Mortey any such story, and said it was also not true that his wife threatened to leave him if he took Mr Amartey Kwei to the houses again in the curfew hours.

Mr Aryee said he was in Togo with the late Mr Ato Austin and one Mr Kabral Blay Amihere on June 29 1982, the day the abduction took place. His lawyer Mr George Eshun, had indicated that another name had been mentioned at the trial, but he did not give the name out.

The lawyer for Mortey, Mr Eric Kudzodzi maintained the complicity of Mr Aryee, citing that Mr Amartey then Union Leader for GIHOC, under whom Mr Aryee was the Deputy.

Major Acquah, then Personnel Manager had sacked some workers of GIHOC for demonstrating and Mrs Koranteng-Addo was handling the case at the court.

Mr Morttey said he immediately told Mr Christian Aggrey, then Editor of the Ghanaian Times, and Mr George Agyekum, the Chairman of the Board of Public Tribunal, of the confession of Mr Aryee.

He said he told Capt Tsikata of his knowledge in December 2003. Capt Tsikata made a maiden appearance to the Commission, under a subpoena on Monday February 9 2004.

Another Witness, Col Mantey Wadwani, a pathologist, and Second in Command of the 37 Military Hospital, who carried an autopsy on the late Flt-Lt. Williman Kofi Dormi said he had committed suicide by hanging rather than foul play.

He said the final report could not be traced at the BNI, the 37 Hospital and the Police Hospital, alleging of an irregularity in the disappearance of the document.

The family of Flt Dormie had requested the report of the cause of the death in the 1980's.