There is an ‘evil agenda’ to paint me a murderer - Rawlings

Former president Jerry John Rawlings has described as ridiculous and pure evil on the part of people trying so hard lately to blame him for the heinous murder of the three high court judges and a retired army Major who were abducted and killed in 1982.

Addressing the student body of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as a guest speaker in its yearly ‘TekTalk’ program, the former military cum civilian leader remarked that, he noticed not too long ago about the ‘nonsense’ which some media houses and hidden politicians have begun by pinning the 1982 murder of the three high court judges on him and some innocent characters which is absurd.

Justices Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong, Fred Poku Sarkodie and Mrs Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, as well as Major Sam Acquah (retired), were shot and killed during a curfew imposed by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) led at the time by Mr Rawlings in 1982. It was later revealed that the said judges were reviewing cases brought against the PNDC which the plaintiffs believed justice was not duly served.

The former president who looked livid reacting to the claims stated that, the allegations and attacks are unfounded and will amount to nothing.

‘They expect me to drop bombshells today but I will drop these bomblets for now. If I am blood thirsty as they claim, I could have ignited the people and let them do the killings on the 15th of May, 1979 when the people were calling for blood.

If I didn’t do that then, how dare you come and accuse me of the murder of the three astute judges? Why will I do that in 1983 when things had calm down and I had a country to run? How can I do that and how dare you blame me for that when someone already confessed to the hideous crime?’ He quizzed.

The former president condemned the killings and noted that, for that reason, he ensured justice was duly served.

‘It’s a terrible thing some of my colleagues did but it is worth noting that I had no hand in it and nothing will they do that will tie me to it. As a president and an advocate of justice, I ensured that these evil people were brought to book, so why the evil agenda now?’

He further encouraged the University community to not give up in their quest to upgrade themselves to help build mother Ghana and further asked them to invite him for a full four-hour session non interrupted to complete his address.

‘TekTalk’ is a yearly organized program by the KNUST SRC in collaboration with the Local Chapter of the National Union of Ghana Students to inspire the youth. This year’s theme was ‘inspiring the youth’ and Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor (Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General) and Media Practitioner Nana Aba Anamoah were the guests who graced the occasion with former President Jerry John Rawlings. It took place at the KNUST’s Great Hall.