Assasie Gyimah's Name At NRC

The public hearings of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) entered its second day yesterday with more startling revelations of gross human rights abuses committed in the past.

A Trader, Madam Mary Adukwei Allotey, 78, was the first female witness to give evidence at the commission. Recounting her ordeal, which occurred on the 10th of August 1979, she said on that morning she had visitors who requested she meet them outside her home.

She said when she approached them she met one Baba, a tailor who operated in front of her store at the Makola market in a tortured state with three others. She was then ordered by the men to enter into a waiting military vehicle containing lots of people.

She said they headed towards her store and she was asked to open it but "I told them it's impossible because the keys have been left behind".

She said about twenty men dressed in military uniform and others in mufti then forced the store open and looted 150 bags of sugar, 75 bags of rice, 60 bags of flour, 25 cartons of Nido milk powder and 12 cartons of baking soda.

She recalled, "Due to the beatings I cannot recollect the other things that they took. They went with my money box with huge sums of money meant to pay my creditors".

Thereafter, she said she was taken to her residence where twenty-five pieces of cloth were taken from her wardrobe in addition to her jewellery box and "they asked me not to divulge it to their superiors or else I would die".

The septuagenarian said, "From the house they transferred me into another vehicle on the way and bolted with the goods. We were taken to the Border Guards, sprawled on the scorching sun and were given identification haircuts".

She said the soldiers slapped them in the face "mercilessly on countless occasions" when they attempted answering questions from a panel in front of them. We were moved to another office at Cantonments, a suburb of Accra and were locked up. The beatings were more serious than the earlier ones.

"In the mornings we were taken to the bungalows to sweep. After, we would be asked to squat in the open holding our ears and then hop, which lasted for three weeks. Subsequently I fell ill."

She said her eyes were operated upon; the left eardrum had been damaged due to the torture and she developed asthma as well. "I lost appetite, my legs became weak and I cried for days."

She said even though she could not remember the torturers, she had forgiven them and prayed the commission to make any recommendation that could transform her life as she was ruined after that and has since not been able to put her business in order.

When he appeared before the commission, Ex-corporal James Zogah said on the 12th of October 1989, he was called from duty at the Military Police Headquarters and was taken to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) Headquarters. He said he was taken to the Counter Exchanges Service (CES) to meet a panel consisting of Col. Okine who was then the Director of BNI, Commander Assasie Gyema and two others.

He said his offence was that he was alleged to be involved in a plot by Maj. Quashigah to subvert the government at that time which he denied outright. He was subsequently locked up in the BNI cells and during the night he was picked up and "blindfolded and was tortured which affected my left ear and my manhood was pulled as well".

Ex-corporal Zogah said he was transferred to Ussher Fort Prisons and was kept in his cells where he was not allowed to come out for two to three months. He fell ill and was sent to the 37 Military Hospital where he met some of his relatives. "I was sent there by armed escort so no one was allowed to talk to me. But one of my brothers came closer and spoke in our language that my daughter is dead".

But I was refused by the prison officers to have a look at the corpse. Later I was transferred to Ho Prisons where my wife brought a cheque book for me to sign to enable her withdraw some money at the bank.

He said when he signed the cheque, the Prisons Officer in charge stamped it with Prisons stamp, which made it invalid, he protested against the action and was allowed to issue another cheque to the wife. He showed the cheque to the commission. He recounted that on one occasion when he fell ill "I was chained to the sick bed in the nights at the 37 Military Hospital" and was released in May 1992 without trial.

Asked why he petitioned the commission he said he wanted to be reinstated in the military "to get the right pension" because he was wrongfully discharged.

The hearing continues today.