NRC urged to investigate PNDC Account No. 48

Bolgatanga, May 14, GNA - Mr. Iddrisu Seidu Bogobiri, son of the late Alhaji Seidu Bogobiri, a Navrongo-based General Contractor on Wednesday appealed to the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to investigate thoroughly the background of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) account 48.

He said in 1983, his late father was made to appear before the Citizens' Vetting Committee (CVC) and fined 4.8 million cedis for allegedly evading taxes, adding that the money was paid into account number 48.

Witness said the PNDC government also confiscated the assets of his late father, including six tipper trucks, three tractors, two saloon cars and eight houses situated in Navrongo, Bolgatanga and Tamale. He, however, told the Commission that some of these properties were returned after further investigations.

Mr. Bogobiri said the chairman of the CVC, one Mr. Tutu and Mr. John Ndebugre, who was then the Upper East Regional Secretary, pressurized his late father to pay the fine. "This compelled my father to sell all his property to settle the fine of 4.8 million cedis and from that, he never recovered until he died a few years ago," Mr. Bogobiri added. Witness said the incident also brought untold hardships to the family since his late father was unable to restart his business until he died of hypertension. He thus prayed the NRC to compensate his family.

Members of the Commission sympathised with him and urged the family to forgive those who had wronged his late father. They reminded him that a key responsibility of the Commission was to assist aggrieved persons to put the past behind and start new lives. The Commission members also advised Mr. Bogobiri to show evidence that his late father was paying his taxes.