This blog has intercepted a petition written by Colonel Kwadwo Damoah to the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service; Mr. Frank Adu Poku dated 5th November, 2009 and copied to the nation’s number one policeman, Mr. Paul Quaye.

Below is the unedited petition:

RE- THREAT ON MY LIFE COLONEL KWADWO DAMOAH

1. I wish to remind you, Sir, about a formal complaint that I lodged with the CID of the Ghana Police Service on 25th February 2009.

2. In the said complaint, I mentioned and volunteered the names of certain military officers, high dignitaries and members of the Security Services that I suspected of being part of a conspiracy to eliminate me. Examples of the text messages that I received on my mobile phones between the 06 December 2008 and January ending 2009 threatening to kill me were provided in the said complaint.

3. At least two letters were written by the then Acting IGP, Mrs. Mills- Robertson, to the Acting Chief of Defence Staff to release those military officers to assist in investigations.

4. Unfortunately, the named officers either refused or failed to report at the Police Headquarters as requested. My information is that the Minister of Defence, General JH Smith, asked them not to report and has since been shielding them. Some of the officers have even been deliberately sent on military operations outside Ghana to avoid reporting at the Police Headquarters.

5. Some of the named officers are also using their appointment at and closeness to the “Castle” to brag about with impunity and have vowed never to report at the Police Headquarters.

6. I was happy to hear the Honorable Minister of Interior, Mr. Cletus Avorka, in an answer to an urgent question in Parliament on the status of the compliant on the threat to my life, say that the Ministries of Defence and Interior were resolving that issue. That, however, has not materialized and yet there have been several occurrences that are worrying and of major concern to my safety and security.

7. On Wednesday, 4 February 2009 at the office of the then Air Commodore CEK Dovlo, then Director General Personnel Administration of the Ghana Armed Forces between about 0900 and 1100 hours in the presence of Group Captain Dwamena-Mante, Deputy Director General Personnel Administration, now Air Vice Marshal CEK Dovlo, Commandant of Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) admitted that he had been told by Lieutenant Colonel LL Attachie that there was “bad blood” between he Lieutenant Colonel LL Attachie and Colonel Kwadwo Damoah.

8. Furthermore, I was told Lieutenant Colonel EDEM Fiawoo, the Director of Legal Services of the Ghana Armed Forces, that Lt Col LL Attachie said in his presence that I, Colonel Kwadwo Damoah had gone to the Tain Constituency with troops, weapons and ammunitions to assassinate former President JJ Rawlings at a time that he Lt Col EDEM Fiawoo had seen me in Burma Camp. Fortunately for me, Lt Col EDEM Fiawoo refuted the allegation to Lt Col LL Attachie and later informed me about it.

9. You might have noticed that Lt. Col Attachie is one of the officers suspected to be involved in the conspiracy to kill me. The fact that Air Vice Marshal CEK Dovlo admits that there is “bad blood” between Lt Col LL Attachie and Colonel K Damoah coupled with Lt Col LL Attachie’s attempt to frame Col K Damoah up in an accusation plot on former President Rawlings, calls for serious concern and urgent enquiry.

10. Moreover, on 29 May 2009, I had to escort my younger brother Mr. Kofi Brobbey Damoah and the Secretary to an Association called “Concerned Citizens of Jaman South” to the BNI to assist in investigations connected to a demonstration at Drobo in the Brong Ahafo Region and information on an attempt by unidentified security personnel to dump arms and ammunitions in my family house as part of the accusation that Colonel K Damoah was indeed involved in an attempt to assassinate former President Rawlings at the Tain Constituency. I was made to write a statement to the BNI.

11. General JH Smith is alleged to have remarked that he would have fired at Members of Parliament who drilled and embarrassed him on 10th June 2009 when he appeared in the House to answer an urgent question on the fate of the 420 Army Potential Recruits if he had weapons on him that day. Gen Smith continued that he would put the blame on Colonel Damoah who was the cause of his woes on the floor of Parliament and swore to pay Colonel Damoah back at all cost.

12. Certainly, if Gen Smith was and has been so annoyed about his “ordeal” on the floor of Parliament and would have killed even MPs, then his threat to pay me back at all cost should not be taken lightly. One of the things that Gen Smith has succeeded in doing is to get me retired from the Ghana Armed Forces. He has put so much pressure on the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Adinkrah, to recommend my release.

13. I wish to state that now that I am on terminal leave and would soon leave the military, I am more vulnerable to the plans of those plotting or having plotted to kill me. If while in the military, I was not safe and secure then you may imagine what would happen to me now that I am going to be a poor retired officer and they continued to have the state security, authority and power at their disposal and have troops, weapons and ammunitions under their care and control.

14. It is in the light of the above facts and factors and those earlier on enumerated in my formal compliant to the Criminal Investigations Department on 25th February 2009 that I write to appeal for urgent investigations into the matter.

15. I also wish to reiterate that I am by this letter making it known to the Ghana Police Service, my families and the general public that should anything happen to me and/or any member of my families, General Smith and Lt Col Attachie in particular and their Agents should be held responsible.