Rawlings Arrives Soon To Face NRC

Expected in Accra last night, Aide says he’d be in next month

CONTRARY TO SPECULATION that former President Jerry John Rawlings might stay abroad beyond the six month extended mandate of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to avoid being served with a prepared subpoena, he intends to come home soon.

Information gathered by GYE NYAME CONCORD by press time yesterday suggests that Rawlings was expected to breeze into town last night aboard a British Airways flight in readiness for the subpoena from the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to be served on him.

But Mr. Victor Smith, Special Aide to the former president yesterday contradicted this information and indicated that Rawlings would rather be in town by the first week of February.

The former President has been in London, UK, on a holiday since December and is presently being sought for by the year-old NRC, which intends to summon him to appear before it.

The Executive Secretary of the NRC, Dr. Ken Agyemang Attafuah, indicated last week that former President Rawlings will be subpoenaed to appear before the Commission as soon as he arrived in Accra.

Dr. Attafuah said the Commission had already prepared a subpoena that it wanted served on the former President as far back as November last year.

The NRC could however not effect service because Rawlings was out of the country. “It was not his fault and we have not been able to serve it on him. But as soon as we know that he is in the country, we will try and effect a service of subpoena on him,” Attafuah said in a radio interview a couple of days ago.

The first date fixed for appearance of the ex-president was December 4, last year, this paper learnt.

Speaking to this reporter Sunday morning, Mr. Victor Smith, Special Aide to the former president hinted that Rawlings would be in town in February and not last night.

“I can assure you that by the first week in February, President Rawlings would be in town,” Victor said, giggling when asked by this reporter as to whether he was being forthright with him.

Ex-president Rawlings is expected to appear before the NRC with his one-time security coordinator, Captain (Rtd) Kojo Tsikata to answer charges on their roles in the 1982 murder of three High Court judges and a retired Army officer.

A number of witnesses who have appeared before the NRC have fingered Rawlings and Tsikata over the four murders though both men have consistently denied their involvement in the affair.

Attafuah however said last week that Rawlings subpoena is a result of document Mrs. Jemima Acquah, widow of the late Major Sam Acquah, the retired Army officer killed with the three judges presented to the NRC.

“There are documents before us which mention Mr. Rawlings and Kojo Tsikata as being possibly connected to or involved in those killings,” Attafuah said.

Tsikata, who has already been served with his subpoena, has accepted to appear before the NRC.

He was recently seen at the NRC where he had gone to reportedly conclude details on his appearance date, which is scheduled for Monday, February 9, 2004.

Some lawyers of Rawlings have however expressed fears that the NRC hearings constitute a politically motivated witch-hunt of the former President’s regime despite stringent denials by the Executive Secretary.