"I want my ?56,000 back" – Alex Hamah

Mr John Alex Hamah, a former trade unionist has appealed to President John Kufuor to ensure that the state refund to him the sum of ?56,000 which was seized by a military tribunal set up by the erstwhile National Redemption Council (NRC) on January 12, 1974.

In a petition dated December 5, 2001 to the President copied to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, and the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Hamah said he was charged with subversion contrary to Section 2 of the subversion Decree, 1972 (NRCD 90) by the NRC. He said as a civilian and a law abiding citizen of Ghana, he was tried alone by a military tribunal presided over by Col K. Osei-Boateng, assisted by six other high ranking officers of the Ghana Armed Forces, whiles His Lordship Justice George Francois was Judge-Advocate.

The petitioner said he was found guilty under Section (3) of the aforementioned Act, and was therefore sentenced to suffer death by firing squad on January 12 1974, which was his 37th birthday. That death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

According to him, after serving five years in prison, he was released from custody on December 7, 1978, as a result of a pardon granted by the Supreme Military Council (SMC II) led by the late General F.W.K. Akuffo.

“Your humble petitioner, by God’s grace was granted a free, absolute and unconditional pardon by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) led by Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings on September 12, 1972,” he said.

According to Mr Hamah, his family had for the past 27 years suffered untold economic hardships and social deprivations as a result of the injustices done him by the military regime and the continuous retention of his money by the state.

He appealed to the President to order a fair calculation and revaluation of the amount from 1974 to date, plus an appropriate and commensurate interest and the total sum paid back to him as soon as practicable to help finance the education of his three children who entered the university this year and also to generally rehabilitate himself and the family.