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General News of Wednesday, 17 March 2004

Source: DAILY GUIDE

Stop Hiding Behind Victor Smith - Adjepong to JJ

Mr. Kwabena Adjepong, son of the late Justice Adjepong, one of the abducted and murdered Judges in 1982, has dared the former president, Mr. J.J. Rawlings to be brave, come forward and submit a written statement to the National Reconciliation Commission, NRC, instead of hiding behind aides and lawyers to hoodwink Ghanaians.

Mr. Agyepong advised Mr. Smith not to reduce the abduction and murder case to radio talk but rather restrict it to the NRC platform adding that former President Rawlings has been presented a fine opportunity to reach tot the substantive issue with a written statement and subsequent appearance at the Commission. ?Let?s not relegate the subject to a media trial?, he said.

The more Victor Smith debates the issue regarding Justice Aikins? testimony, the more people would think that the former President had been cornered by the former Attorney-General?s testimony at the NRC particularly in the light of the PNDC Chairman?s broadcast to the nation on July 4, 1982 when he accused enemies of the revolution of being the masterminds of the Judges? murder even though Amartey Kwei had told him two days before that ?we have finished them?.

Mr. Agyepong was reacting to the shocking revelations made at the NRC on Monday by Justice G.E.K Aikins, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, in the PNDC administration.

Agyepong dared Mr. Rawlings to put up a written response and meet him, Agyepong at the NRC to battle out the scandalous issues of the abduction and murder of the judges and the retired army office, instead of employing lieutenant to cover up his tracks, and using diversionary tactics to dodge the core matters relating to his knowledge of the abduction and murder of the three prominent persons.

Mr. Adjepong maintained that the former president owes the good people of Ghana the duty to give the NRC a written statement of what he knows, or knows not, without resorting to undue delay tactics. He further added ?all that the dependants of the murdered judges and army officer are seeking is the truth and not vengeance, so the ball is in your court, Mr. Rawlings. He politely added: ?Write and tell your story before the NRC, Mr. Rawlings.