Rawlings Unaware Of Mills’ Order

... To Re-Open Probe Into Serial Mruders – Kofi Adams

President John Evans Atta Mills’ recent order to the Inspector - General of Police (IGP), Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye to re-open investigations into the serial murders of some 34 women prior to the 2000 elections is gradually stirring some controversy in the country.

Already the President’s directive has been met with a vigorous public discourse about its appropriateness or otherwise, owing to arguments that the Ghana Police Service had already concluded investigations into the matter.

PRESIDENT MILLS’ INSTRUCTION COMES ON THE HEELS OF EX-PRESIDENT JERRY RAWLINGS’ NEVER-ENDING CALLS FOR RE-INVESTIGATIONS INTO WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS POLITICAL KILLINGS IN THE COUNTRY.

MR. RAWLINGS HAS ALLEGED WITHOUT ANY SHRED OF EVIDENCE THAT KEY MEMBERS OF THE ERSTWHILE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) ADMINISTRATION MASTERMINDED THE KILLINGS TO CAUSE PANIC AND INSECURITY IN THE COUNTRY.

According to Mr. Rawlings, ‘15 Senior Cabinet Ministers’ who served in the erstwhile Kufuor Administration were responsible for the killings. When Aide to the former President, Mr. Kofi Adams was asked by this paper yesterday how his boss reacted to the news about Professor Mills’ directive he said “THE FORMER PRESIDENT HASN’T HEARD ANY SUCH NEWS SO I DON’T KNOW HOW HE WILL REACT TO THAT”.

Asked if Mr. Rawlings would lend a hand to the Police by way of volunteering his so-called information to help unravel the supposed mystery behind the murder of the 34 women, Mr. Adams who speaks for the former First Family sarcastically answered: “YOU ARE SPEAKING TO ME AND NOT MR. RAWLINGS SO I WILL NOT KNOW IF HE WILL COOPERATE WITH THE POLICE OR NOT, HE IS SOMEWHERE AND I AM HERE. I DON’T KNOW IF HE EVEN KNOWS ABOUT THIS”.

He further directed this reporter to rather contact the IGP and ask him what he makes of the directive since he was the one ordered by the President to re-open investigations into the case.

It will be recalled that former President Rawlings in an interview with a team of senior Police Officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in June 2003 on the serial killing issue, stated that women were deliberately targeted by the NPP after the latter’s research had indicated to it (NPP) that women voters constituted the backbone of the NDC’s political and electoral machinery.

He alleged that the “The murders were designed to create political insecurity and it was a successful operation. They had then done enough research to realize that the women were our backbone in terms of our votes. There was the transmission of the hatred against us that was transmitted onto the underdogs, if I may use that term, the masses. The women were the most potent voters; they were considered the most vulnerable; the masses for them were the most expendable, and that is why they were targeted. And what did he (referring to the CID Boss, Asante-Apeatu) do? Just folded up and we lost so many votes. If we don’t unearth it now, tomorrow when you (pointing to NDC members present at the meeting) come into power, they will initiate it again”.

Pressed to disclose the names of the “15 people of Kufuor’s Senior Cabinet” allegedly connected with the killing of the 34 women, Rawlings stressed that he would not do so because by so doing he would be helping them to defend themselves: “I will mention their names if only there is a chemical interrogation. I won’t put the cart before the horse”, he emphasised.

He pointed out to the Police Personnel that Mr Odoi Sykes, Chairman of the then opposition NPP – once accused the Police Establishment of covering up those killings because he (Sykes) believed some members of the NDC had a hand in them (killings).

Hear him again: “WHETHER BEFORE THEN OR AFTER THAT, YOUR CHAIRMAN OF THE NPP PARTY, WHAT’S HIS NAME? ODOI SYKES HAD THE AUDACITY, AND THE COURAGE AND THE CONFIDENCE TO ACCUSE THE POLICE ESTABLISHMENT OF COVERING UP THE KILLINGS OF THESE WOMEN BECAUSE BIG MEN IN THE NDC HAD A HAND IN THEM. AND I THOUGHT THAT HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH. YES, THEY ARE BECOMING SO CONFIDENT WITH WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON THEY CAN NOW SHOW THEIR HANDS. MARK MY WORDS, AND I AM GLAD IT IS ALL BEING RECORDED”

Mr. Rawlings then recalled that after Mr. Odoi Sykes’ utterances, he instructed the then IGP, Peter Nanfuri to invite all top senior Police Officers, serving and retired, and the CID Personnel for a meeting which he described as a “very painful meeting” during which he reminded them that what was happening was an indictment on all of them, including his government and a big disgrace to the nation.

“…And now that it has become obvious that these are not ritual murders, and that there is a political dimension to it, I feel really sad, and shocked, and it is almost too late to say we are going to do anything about it”, he recollected telling the over 200 Police Personnel (serving and retired) at that meeting.

Mr. Rawlings also revealed that “EVEN BEFORE THEN OR AFTER, I WENT TO THE CASTLE, I INVITED MR. TOTOBI-QUAKYI, I DON’T KNOW WHETHER HE WAS IN CHARGE OF SECURITY OR INFORMATION, ONE OF THE TWO ORGANS, AND I REMEMBER THE CAMERAMAN WHO WAS IN CHARGE, YES, MR. KUGBLENU, I RECORDED A BROADCAST AT THE CASTLE ON THIS ISSUE OF THE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED KILLINGS, AND THE ISSUE OF THE CHEMICAL INTERROGATION, THE TRUTH SERUM TEST, ON THE ISSUE OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE TRUTH AND HOW TO ESTABLISH IT”.

Present at that encounter were some top NDC activists, including Parliamentarians. Mr. Rawlings explained that their presence was not meant to influence proceedings, adding that they were there as people of integrity who had been invited as observers and to ask him (JJ) questions as well, in order to unravel the truth.

The Daily Guide newspaper reported Tuesday that the IGP would be inviting former President Rawlings to help the Police unravel the mystery surrounding the killing of the 34 women in the country.

The paper was of the opinion that in “asking the IGP to re-open the investigations into the murder cases, President Mills is expecting his former boss to make information available to the Chief Constable to bring the issue to a closure”. Stay tuned