Vice president objects enquiry into murdered judges

Vice President Professor John Evans Atta Mills, on Tuesday said an independent judicial enquiry into the 1982 murder of three high court judges and a retired army major would not be possible since some of the principal characters are dead. Prof. Mills, gunning for president on the NDC's ticket in the December 7 general election told a press conference in Accra that findings under such circumstances would not fully reflect the actual events that took place. Answering a question from a journalist on whether his government would conduct such an enquiry, he said it would needlessly re-open past political wounds and hinder the nation's progress.

"I want to lead a nation that does not want to look backwards. "People have been hurt, and painful as it is, let us move forward and not allow ourselves to return to the situation that led to it.

"I want to be a reconciler. I want us to move forward, I don't want us to open up old wounds," the NDC presidential candidate said at his first media encounter.

Prof. Mills said losing a loved one through natural causes is not pleasant but to lose a loved one under circumstances like what happened in 1982 is traumatic, " my heart bleeds for them."

He, however, reminded the journalist that the then Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) did something about the murders, including the setting up of a commission of enquiry and the execution of the murderers.

The three judges and an ex-military officer were abducted from their homes at gunpoint and their partly burnt bodies later found at the Accra Plains. Many Ghanaians, including a son of one of the judges, have called for an independent judicial enquiry, saying the one conducted under the PNDC was not far reaching.

On his remark at Ho that he would consult President Jerry John Rawlings "day and night" for advice, Prof. Mills said it would be physically impossible to go and sit at the Rawlings' door.

"Ruling a nation is not easy and does not take one person to do it, so where you don't know do not feel proud to admit it," Mills said. "It doesn't matter what time of day or night, I would consult him (Rawlings)." He said following the remark, many people suggested that he could emulate personalities like Nelson Mandela and John Kennedy.

"Some of them (the personalities) are dead and others ruled for only four years. So if you have a living source it is better to consult him. "To those who gave me books on those international figures, I want to say that I read your books morning, afternoon and night," he added, to laughter from the audience.

Quoting from the Bible, Prof. Mills stressed that all his good intentions for the country would not succeed without God.