President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo together with his Vice Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has join the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and the Judiciary at a remembrance service held in honour of the three murdered High Court Judges.
The remembrance service held at the Osu Ebenezer Presby in Accra had Chief Justice Sophia Akufo, Attorney General and Minister for Justice Gloria Akufo and a whole host of Judges and lawyers in attendance.
Kwabena Agyapong, general secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) whose father, Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong was part of the three Judges gruesomely murdered was also present at the remembrance service.
Thirty-five years ago, on Thursday, July 1, 1982, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation reported a news item that sounded routine and unnecessary initially. All Judges, it was announced were to be provided with armed security for their protection.
Soon, it was announced officially that three high court judges and a retired Army officer had been abducted and murdered during the curfew hours of June 30, 1982.
Mr. Justice Fred Poku Sarkodee, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addo, and Mr. Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, all Judges of the High Court and Major Acquah, a retired army officer had been most brutally and savagely murdered on the night of their abduction.
Today is June 30, the 35th anniversary of the murder of three judges and a retired military officer.
These four martyrs were abducted from their homes during curfew hours under the PNDC regime.
A golden opportunity arose during the National Reconciliation Commission sittings when former President Rawlings was subpoenaed to give evidence of a video recording on the events of that day.
Unfortunately, the former president said he longer knew of the whereabouts of the video recording of the murder. Given the fact that the National Reconciliation Commission had the powers of a high court and was taking evidence on oath and the 2004 elections were approaching, it was understandable that the former president did not want to speak on the issue before the NRC. The NRC also came under heavy criticism for the rather short session they had with Rawlings.
Meanwhile, Joachim Amartey, a member of PNDC, Lance Corporal Samuel Amedeka and Michael Senyah, and two ex-soldiers Johnny Dazandu and Tonny Terkpor were convicted, captured and sentenced to death for the murder.
