Security agencies to locate former DCE's

Accra, Oct. 14, GNA- The Ghana@50 Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday announced that it would ask the security agencies to locate former District Chief Exectuives (DCE's) who had been asked to appear before the Commission if they failed to do so by the end of next week.

The Commission, about a month ago, during the course of the probe, asked several DCE's who were at post during the country's jubilee anniversary to appear before it as some buck-passing District Coordinating Directors had mentioned their names in connection with the receipt and distribution of anniversary souvenirs to appear before it but none had shown up.

"Now that it has become absolutely necessary to call them and the fact that we are constrained as to how to their whereabouts, we shall now resort to the security agencies to locate them for us", said Commission Chairman Justice Isaac Duose.

"If they would come forward willingly, we will accept them to come and explain their position. "It is an unpleasant situation that we find ourselves because we are really constrained..and by the end of next week, . would take them without pursuing them with security agencies" said justice Duose. "But it is an absolutely unpleasant execise that we are going to undertake and so I'm appealing to all those former DCE's who felt that from the rendition here they needed to be heard to come forward voluntarily, or we would find it necessary to send the security agencies after you. "That would be a very last resort and we hope that they would not allow us to go that far.But if you push us, we shall get there", he said. But Former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani, who was at today's hearing suggested immediately to the Commission that the behavior of the security agencies going after the DCE's may not be in the interest of the Commission, to which Justice Duose said "I agree with you".

Mr. Mpiani Suggested that he may be able to help the commission "locate as many of the DCE's as possible", an idea the commissioned welcomed. "And therefore if you would be kind enough to allow these security agencies to stay out of this, I think it would serve the purpose of this Commission" said Mpiani.

Thus Justice Duose declared "I hope they are hearing you (Mpiani) and that they would come forward. We are giving them one week after which the BNI offices in those districts would be notified". "They should not go on radio to refute allegations, they should appear before us and clear themselves", he told the DCE's.