Adabuga re-appears at NRC

Accra, June 29, GNA - Ex-Corporal Matthew Adabuga on Tuesday re-appeared before the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), maintaining that Captain Kojo Tsikata, former National Security Advisor and Former President Jerry John Rawlings masterminded the killing of the three High Court Judges and the Army Officer.

"Let's face facts, Captain Kojo Tsikata, Jerry Rawlings and wife were the real murderers of the Judges and the Army Officer. Amartey Kwei is dead and he deserves it, because he killed them."

Corporal Adabuga, who said he played a vital role in the December 31, 1981 coup, was being cross-examined by Dr Obed Asamoah, Counsel for Captain Kojo Tsikata in response to the allegations made against Captain Tsikata.

Corporal Adabuga said he was present with Former President Rawlings, when Amartey Kwei Kwei came to inform him that he had finished the Judges and the Army Officer, adding that at that point Former President Rawlings popped a Champaign.

Corporal Adabuga said Captain Tsikata must be prepared to come out with the truth to apologise to Ghanaians.

Dr Obed Asamoah, in his cross-examination noted that a statement made by Amartey Kwei at the Court before his trial indicated that, he saw Former President Rawlings alone to inform him about the issue of the Judges, adding that Adabuga was nowhere near the office. He said Adabuga's credibility was at stake because he had indulged in some criminal activities, including spying for the Nigerian Government.

Dr Asamoah noted that Corporal Adabuga was suffering from hallucination, to which Corporal Adabugah replied: "You are also mad." When the Commission Chairman, Mr Justice K. E. Amua-Sekyi asked Dr Asamoah if his client would give evidence, Dr Asamoah said no because he said Capt Tsikata had addressed the issue raised in earlier evidence.

Achamfour testifies before NRC

Accra, June 29, GNA - Captain Kwabena Baah Achamfour (rtd), a Witness, on Wednesday said the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) should not be used as a defence forum for human rights abuses and asked alleged perpetrators to cooperate with the Commission.

The Witness, a member of the erstwhile government of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), cited the South African experience of national reconciliation where, he said, a number of alleged perpetrators, remorseful of their actions, even held the hands of relations of dear ones and showed them the graves of dead victims of human rights abuses.

Giving evidence at a public hearing of the Commission in Accra, the former AFRC Member, asked Former President Jerry John Rawlings to cooperate with the Commission and present himself at the Commission, and apologise for the killings that the country went through during the revolutionary years.

Witness, who said, he had come down from London to give evidence, added that he was an active player in the June 4 1979 coup, and he had not petitioned the Commission but to give evidence to help it establish the history of the country.

He said both Former President Rawlings, who later became Chairman of the AFRC, and Major Boakye Djan, who also became AFRC Member, played absolutely no role in the June 4 uprising that brought the AFRC to power.

Witness said no officer was involved in the initial stages of the June 4 event and that the coup, which was scheduled for June 2, was an expression of the anger of the junior officers against the dictatorship of their superiors, and to overthrow the Government of the Supreme Military Council II.