Alhaji Abbas denies assasination attempt on Rawlings

Alhaji Abbas Mensah, former Deputy National Organiser of the erstwhile People's National Party (PNP) in-charge of Ashanti, has denied he hired mercenaries to assassinate former President Jerry John Rawlings during the durbar marking the Golden Jubilee of the Restoration of Asante Confederacy.

Alhaji Abbas said he had not had the opportunity to deny the allegations until now, having lived in exile in London for the past 15 years.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on Tuesday, Alhaji Abbas said: "No attempt was made on the life of former President

Rawlings. Nothing happened at the stadium, no bomb exploded at the stadium. It was all a frame-up."

Alhaji Abbas said he was a member of the Planning Committee of the Golden Jubilee Celebration in 1985 and was appointed Chairman of the Picnic Sub-Committee to organise the durbar slated for the Kumasi Sports Stadium.

Former President Rawlings was invited to be the guest speaker at the durbar on 31st January 1985 at the stadium by Asanteman.

Alhaji Abbas said he served soft drinks to the invited guests including the former President.

Alhaji Abbas said after serving them he was tapped on the shoulder by the ex-President, who requested that he (Abbas) should translate his speech; "I obliged and stood by him."

He said ex-President Rawlings handed over his prepared speech to him and for an hour spoke extempore.

"He took my hand and we both got down and he later invited me to Accra for an appointment and asked when I can honour the invitation", he stressed.

Alhaji Abbas said Captain Kojo Tsikata, Head of the Security at that time asked him to meet him at the Kumasi Airport on Wednesday to join a plane from Sunyani en-route to Accra.

According to Alhaji Abbas, there was a dance at the City Hotel on February 2, 1985, which formed part of the celebration but because he was sick he did not attend but chose to rest at home.

He recalled that while relaxing at home he saw Captain George Pattington,

Chief Bodyguard of the ex-President, who led soldiers to his house.

He claimed they started firing and shouting: "Come out Alhaji Abbas! Come out Alhaji Abbas! Shattering some of the louver glasses in the house."

Alhaji Abbas told the GNA: "It was divine intervention that I managed to escape. It was indeed a miracle."

"The next day, Sunday, February 3, after looting all my property in the house, he said the building was pulled down with bomb blast."

He said his watchman was arrested, tortured and sent to Accra.

"I had to flee the country and go into exile in Britain. I crossed the border and went to Abidjan with my family and moved to London, where I stayed for 15 years."

Alhaji Abbas blurted out: "It is not true that I attempted to explode bombs at the durbar nor did I try to assassinate ex-President Rawlings.

"The government statement that I came with mercenaries that is why they attacked my house is not true", he said emphatically.

Alhaji Abbas narrated that those of them in exile at the time including Mr

J. H. Mensah, Leader of Government Business and the former Vice President Dr Joe

De-Graft Johnson, fought hard to get constitutional rule in Ghana and solicited the assistance from those who believe in the rule of law and democracy.

This, he said, attracted the international community and the donor countries to call for constitutional rule in Ghana.

Alhaji Abbas explained that it was the advent of constitutional rule and the change in government through the ballot box, which encouraged some of them in exile to return home.

"We have come home to contribute our quota towards the success of the new attempt at democratic rule", he said.

Alhaji Abbas expressed appreciation to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for restoring the rule of law, adding: "I regard Kufuor as David, who has killed Goliath, for me to come back home."

He said those in exile have come home to help the government with all sincerity without expecting any reward and called for collaboration between the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) and the NPP since they all seek the welfare of Ghana.

Touching on national reconciliation, Alhaji Abbas said, the government should appoint a Human Rights Commission to investigate the human rights violations of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) while reconciliation should cover only the NDC era.

Alhaji Abbas supported the homecoming summit for Ghanaians living abroad, saying their expertise should be tapped to build an economically stable and prosperous nation.

Alhaji Abbas said ex-President Rawlings should not regard those, who have returned from exile, as dissidents since they have nothing dissenting about Kufour's administration.

"We all have birthrights as Ghanaians so he should not continue to call us dissidents", Alhaji Abbas added.