Ex-soldier names Nanfuri, Bebli and others as torturers

Accra, Feb. 4, GNA - Ex-private Samuel Twumhene, formerly with the Third Battalion and now a security officer, Tuesday alleged that Mr. Peter Nanfuri, former IGP, Jack Bebli, Commander Asase-Gyimah, Flying Officers Kojo Lee and Fordjuor submitted him to brutal torture over a period of eight years on allegations of coup plot against the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).

He told the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) that between February 1983 and October 1991, he was unlawfully arrested, tortured with blocks and clubs by men from the military and the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) on the suspicion that he was involved in a coup plot. Mr. Twumhene said the torture rendered him physically weak with bruises all over his body and blood oozed from his ears

He said the torture was variously inflicted on him on the orders of Mr. Peter Nanfuri, Commander! Asase-Gyimah and was carried out by Flying Officers Lee, Fordjuor and Bebli at different times.

He said on February 27, 1983 he was in Kumasi when a letter was brought from Accra that he and other officers should be dismissed for no apparent reason, adding that against the norm, the letter reached the Officer Commanding, Colonel Seidu Ayoma, without going through the Brigade Commander.

"We sought redress from the Brigade Commander but he told us he had no copy of that letter so he referred us to Accra with Col. Seidu Ayoma, who went ahead of us to Accra," he said.

Mr. Twumhene said Col. Seidu went to the Military headquarters and left before they got there, adding that they followed up to his house in Accra but did not meet him.

He said they later got in touch with Warrant Officer I Adjei Boadi, a member of the PNDC who assured them that he was only aware of a letter issued on November 23, 1982 as! king for the dismissal of some officer, and that if their names were not in that list then they should not have course to worry.

"We then decided to return to Kumasi but one of my colleagues called Dominic Adu invited us for lunch in his house at Achimota, and whilst there eating some soldiers broke into the house, gave warning shots and arrested us to the 5th Battalion and locked us up in the Airforce guardroom."

Mr. Twumhene said in the Airforce guardroom, about 12 soldiers pounced on them and beat them up mercilessly with anything they laid hands on, including blocks, clubs, gun barrels and boots.

He said the following day, Commander Asase-Gyimah came in the company of Lee and Fordjuor to question them about the alleged coup plot, which they denied knowledge of but were further tortured.

"I was personally separated from the rest and named the Commander of the coup plotters and I was given! slaps from behind by Lee and Fordjuor until blood oozed from my ears," he said.

"They then tied my neck with water holes and tightened it to make me confess to the allegation."

Mr. Twumhene said later, Commander Asase-Gyimah, Lee and Fordjuor came for three persons, one Moses Nzoh, Fiti and Sergeant Osei, adding that Fiti was shot wounded in the belly and was taken to the 37 Military Hospital but Nzoh and Osei have disappeared till date.

He said he was later taken to the BNI for questioning and he met Mr. Nanfuri and others who charged him with coup attempt against the PNDC and asked him to write his statement.

"After I written my statement they took me to the BNI cells and tortured me again till blood oozed from my ears again and after a period of four months I was sent to the Nsawam prisons, from where I was occasionally brought to BNI for interrogation and for further torture".

Mr. Twumhene said he and others were later taken to Nsawam Prisons and on June 19, 1983 some junior military men came there with guns and set all military detainees free, adding that on their way to Accra, Jack Bebli and his team of armed military men, met them on the way and deflated the tyres of their vehicle with gun shots.

"At this point everyone on the vehicle run for his life, some were shot dead but I was able to convince Bebli that I was not a soldier and that my name was Boamah instead of Twumhene and he believed me and spared my life after giving me some slaps and punches," he said.

He said Bebli then took him to Cantonment Police Station and kept him there for two weeks, after which Mr. Nanfuri came and recognised him as Twumhene and sent him back to Nsawam on grounds of his safety, as soldiers were at the time visiting the various cells and killing all military prisoners. Mr. Twumhene said he remained in Nsawam prison for over eight years and lived on either a tin of milk, gari or a cup of unpalatable porridge a day for the whole period till he was finally released in October 1991.

"On my release I went to the Burma Camp and I was given my discharge book, which stated that I had been dismissed for misconduct and that General Mensah Woode, the then Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and member of the PNDC had ordered that I and other ex-military prisoners should not be paid our entitlements," he said.

"We were declared threats to state security so I left for Ivory Coast where I remained till after the 2000 elections."

He said he returned from exile in January 2001 and sent petitions to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ministry of Defence and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for the payment of hisentitlements to which he has since not heard anything yet.

A Member of the Commission assured Mr Twumhene of recommendation for proper redress of his case.