Nkwantabisa denies giving orders to kill

Yaw Nkwantabisa, a former Commander of the Militia in Tema, on Wednesday denied allegations that he ordered the killing of Harrison Mensah Teye as alleged by a petitioner to the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC).

He said John Awuni Ayarba, the militiaman who shot the man in 1985, was on the run. He said he locked him up for four months and reported the offence to the authorities yet no action was taken.

Alfred Tetteh Adjetey had made the allegation in a petition to the Commission. Giving evidence to the NRC, Nkwantabisa said on the day in question, he returned from Accra only to be informed that a militiaman had shot Teye.

He said Teye, who sustained gunshot wounds in the thigh was not dead by then so he ordered that he should be taken to the hospital. Nkwantabisa said he followed up to the hospital where the doctor pronounced Teye dead.

On the role of militiamen, he said they were to augment the work of 30 soldiers at the port. He said the militiamen were not fully trained because they were workers and came for training when they were free. Asked by Dr (Mrs) Sylvia Boye why he provided arms to the men that were not fully trained, Nkwantabisa said they carried arms only when they were on duty.