Killing of 6 ‘innocent’ Army Generals by Rawlings in 1979 was biased - Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has observed that the six army generals including former heads of state who were executed under the Former President Jerry John Rawlings military regime, were unjustly murdered.

He disclosed during a call on him by families of the six in commemoration of 40 years of their death that as far as he is concerned they were never tried, found guilty and executed in accordance with the laws of the country.

“These people have become casualties in their effort to serve the country. As far as I know, they were not tried in a court of law and found guilty to suffer punishment prescribed by law”, he stated.

Bodies of the executed were exhumed under the administration of Mr. Kufuor and handed over to their respective families for a befitting burial several decades after they were killed through firing squad at the military Teshie shooting range.

Speaking to the development, the former president said “I came into power, I got a petition and in any case I had even set up a reconciliation commission to try heal the hurts and wounds within our community so they will be peace for governance. After all, I had only four years to govern…the first term so I wanted total peace before I could focus on development policies and turn the country round as quickly as possible. So when I sensed the hurt I said let there be reconciliation and a petition came to the castle from the widows”.

Six Generals of the Ghana Armed Forces, including two Heads of State, were executed by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) under Former President Jerry John Rawlings.

Flt. Lt. Rawlings condemned them to death over claims of cleansing the country of corruption.

These two Heads of State, Lieutenant-General Okatakyie Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa (1968-1969) and General Fred William Kwasi Akuffo (1978-1979) were both shot in public by a firing squad at the Teshie Shooting Range in Accra.

Also, executed were former Navy Commander Rear Admiral Joy Amedume, former Air Force Commander, Air Vice-Marshal George Yaw Boakye, Deputy Head of State and former Chief of Defence Staff Major-General Robert Ebenezer Abosey Kotei all of them were members of the erstwhile Supreme Military Council.

The other was former Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Colonel Roger Felli.