Re-open enquiry into murder of judges -Agyapong

Kwapra Gyaasehene destooled for embezzlement

Accra (Greater Accra) 18 January 2000

A son of one of the judges murdered in 1982 has called on President Rawlings to re-open the enquiry into the gruesome murder of his father, a high court judge and two other high court judges and a retired army officer in 1982.

At a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, Mr Agyapong, only 20 at the time of the killings, said he was disgusted by some bland remarks the President made concerning the murders in his sessional address to parliament last week, which some see as a genuine apology.

Mr Agyepong whose father, the late Justice Agyei Agyepong was murdered with his colleagues, last year called for the setting up of a truth commission, to look into the murders.

Justice K.A Agyapong, Justice F .P Sarkodie Justice Cecelia Koranteng Addo And Major Retired Acquah were murdered during President Rawlings' military junta and their bodies found burnt on the night of 30 June 1982.

President Rawlings, whose 18 year rule ends in January 2001 said in his last address to parliament that " we could not have turned this country round, nor come this far, without taking some difficult, painful, unpalatable but necessary decisions. In the process we have offended some people. We have upset some people. We have hurt some people. To all such people I say we are sorry".

"That was no apology at all" Mr Agyapong retorted. "When he says it was necessary to turn the county round, which in fact he has not, his remark seizes to be a statement made in remorse. Rawlings knows he did not make an apology and it is pretentious that anyone should think he did".

This is not the first time that the President has taken this line of action - apologising for the so- called excesses of his revolution, he stated.

Agyapong who is in his late thirties said, what he is fighting for, is a commission along the lines of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to be set up to re-examine the unfortunate event, and to investigate about 700 other killings and disappearances, that occurred in the early days of the revolution.

He said though his earlier three press conferences last year fell on deaf ears, his continued fight was meant to give the President a "rare window opportunity" to use his last years in office to heal the wounds and reconcile the nation.

‘As far as we are concerned, it is only when the terrible truth of what was done to the people of this country is revealed and acknowledged, that there can be genuine reconciliation’ he stressed.

‘The abduction and brutal killing of my father, his two colleagues and the retired army officer was a carefully planned, premeditated act of murder. It can not be classified as one of those painful, unpalatable but necessary decisions that had to be taken to turn the country round if indeed this country has been turned around’ he said.

"I am also reliably informed that, other aspects of Rawlings involvement was unsuspectingly revealed by his wife, Nana Konadu who called some June Fourth Movement (JFM) leaders and berated them for issuing a statement condemning the killings saying those killed were ‘reactionaries’, a term commonly used for those opposed to the revolution."

Mr Agyepong stressed: "I will not let this matter rest until everything is known. I am even more determined because of the weight of information I have been able to gather over the past year.’

When asked what his next line of action would be since all his calls are falling on deaf ears, he said he doesn’t hope to pay back Rawlings in the same coin. "But when nothing is done about this I will prepare legal action against the President, his wife and all those implicated in the Special Investigations report" he said.

Also asked why it took him such a long time to arrive at this decision, he said ‘As you grow you become more matured and you start to think of the deeper meaning of things. I also had to prepare myself to be able to stand up for the course of justice."

Mr Agyepong said: "To struggle to bring an end to human rights abuses and violations has become world wide and there is no place for murderous and despicable rulers to hide", in an era where international law has been strengthened by the landmark arrest and prosecution of former Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet in the UK, for human right violations during his rule, he added.

"Saying sorry does not foreclose the need to know the Truth" he stated saying "sorry is the first positive step and it is now time to translate intentions into concrete actions to help reconcile our people.’

GRi../

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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18 Jan 2000

Nana Kwaku Gyaakye, Gyaasehene of Kwapra, near Kumasi, and the Abusuapanin, Nana Yaw Boakye Yiadom have been destooled by the Aduana family for allegedly misappropriating family funds realised from sale stool lands.

Nana Adwoa Amankwaa, the Gyaase Queenmother, who initiated and supervised the destoolment in the presence of Nana Baffour Adu-Gyamfi Kumanin, Kwaprahene, said the Gyaasehene and the Abusuapanin conspired and sold 22 building plots belonging to the family and misappropriated the funds.

The building plots which were earmarked for the construction of a palace for the Gyaase stool were allocated to the Aduana family by the Kwaprahene.

Nana Amankwaa said every effort by the family for Nana Gyaakye and the Abusuapanin to account for the proceeds from the sale of the plots failed hence the performance of the necessary customary rites for their destoolment.

In an interview with Nana Gyaakye later, he confirmed the destoolment and said he was no more interested in occupying the stool.

He explained that some years ago, Nana Adu-Gyamfi Kumanin allocated 12 building plots to the Gyaase stool which the family members shared among themselves.

He said four building plots each were allocated to the stool, the family and himself.

Five extra plots were again allocated to the family by the Kwaprahene out of which, he said, he took one and gave the rest to the Abusuapanin and the family.

According to him, the Abusuapanin sold all the plots and could not account for the proceeds.

GRi../

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