Accra, Feb 10, GNA - Captain Kojo Tsikata (rtd), former National Security Adviser, on Tuesday told the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) that he "was in no way involved in any conspiracy to kidnap and murder the three High Court Judges and Major Acquah".
Captain Tsikata, who was appearing in response to two subpoenas from the Commission dated October 21 2003 and January 12 2004, said he neither participated "in any manner whatsoever, in these crimes". He said he had lived for more than 20 years " with the pain of being falsely accused by the Special Investigation Board (SIB) of being the mastermind of the hideous crimes committed by Amartey Kwei and others on the night of 30th June 1982."
He accused the SIB, chaired by Mr. Justice Azu Crabbe, of turning "an important investigation of a criminal murder case into a political conspiracy" against him.
Captain Tsikata said the only motive he could assign for the action of the SIB was to ensure that he was removed from his position in the government of Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) as part of attempt to discredit it in preparation for its overthrow.
He requested the Commission to make available those persons whose actions gave credibility and respectability to the false allegations made against him by Amartey Kwei, so that he could look at them in the eye and ask them questions about their participation in this elaborate frame-up
He mentioned in particular Mr Justice Azu Crabbe, Mr T.O. Lindsay, the Right Reverend Professor N. K. Dzobo, Mr J.O. Amui, Brigadier J Nunoo Mensah and Mr Johnny Hansen.
Captain Tsikata prayed the NRC to invite the panelists on SIB to the Commission to either defend the allegations against him, or retract them and apologise to him.
The Witness refuted allegations in which the late Amartey Kwei had said he took him round to show him the houses of the four murdered people between 1400 hours and 1500 on June 30 1982.
He said he was in his office at the Castle till 1700 hours that day with the Augustus Tanoh, a PNDC Secretary and Mr P. V. Obeng, Chairman of Committee of Secretaries in the PNDC era, preparing a speech for the Chairman of the PNDC for the inauguration of the Kpong Dam the following day.
Captain Tsikata said Lawyer Chris Asher, who had sometime given evidence before the Commission and had alleged that he bore a grudge against Justice Agyepong because he sat on the case he had brought against the Military Intelligence, misled the Commission because it was Justice Roger Korsah that sat on the case and not Justice Agyepong. He also said Police Chief Supt Jacob Yidana and ASP Oduro, members of the SIB technical investigation team, who were arrested in while doing their duty, were arrested in connection with a coup plot rather than for their investigative roles.
Captain Tsikata said he was in no way in the office of the Chairman of the PNDC when Amartey Kwei told the PNDC Chairman that he had finished the killing of the Judges and the retired Army officer as alleged in an earlier evidence by Corporal Adabuga.
On the evidence of Squadron Leader Tagoe to the Commission that he was one of the persons that advised the AFRC government on the 1979 executions of the eight military officers, Capt Tsikata denied the alleged complicity saying that he was in Angola at that time.
"I would like to state categorically that I was not in any way involved in advising or in deciding on the execution of the eight senior military officers and was not at any way contacted to give advice on the matter" Capt Tsikata said.
Capt Tsikata also mentioned Mr Alex Adjei of making specific allegations of human rights abuse against him, and requested Mr Adjei to be made available for questioning.
Accra, Feb 10, GNA - Captain Kojo Tsikata (rtd), former National Security Adviser, on Tuesday told the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) that he "was in no way involved in any conspiracy to kidnap and murder the three High Court Judges and Major Acquah".
Captain Tsikata, who was appearing in response to two subpoenas from the Commission dated October 21 2003 and January 12 2004, said he neither participated "in any manner whatsoever, in these crimes". He said he had lived for more than 20 years " with the pain of being falsely accused by the Special Investigation Board (SIB) of being the mastermind of the hideous crimes committed by Amartey Kwei and others on the night of 30th June 1982."
He accused the SIB, chaired by Mr. Justice Azu Crabbe, of turning "an important investigation of a criminal murder case into a political conspiracy" against him.
Captain Tsikata said the only motive he could assign for the action of the SIB was to ensure that he was removed from his position in the government of Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) as part of attempt to discredit it in preparation for its overthrow.
He requested the Commission to make available those persons whose actions gave credibility and respectability to the false allegations made against him by Amartey Kwei, so that he could look at them in the eye and ask them questions about their participation in this elaborate frame-up
He mentioned in particular Mr Justice Azu Crabbe, Mr T.O. Lindsay, the Right Reverend Professor N. K. Dzobo, Mr J.O. Amui, Brigadier J Nunoo Mensah and Mr Johnny Hansen.
Captain Tsikata prayed the NRC to invite the panelists on SIB to the Commission to either defend the allegations against him, or retract them and apologise to him.
The Witness refuted allegations in which the late Amartey Kwei had said he took him round to show him the houses of the four murdered people between 1400 hours and 1500 on June 30 1982.
He said he was in his office at the Castle till 1700 hours that day with the Augustus Tanoh, a PNDC Secretary and Mr P. V. Obeng, Chairman of Committee of Secretaries in the PNDC era, preparing a speech for the Chairman of the PNDC for the inauguration of the Kpong Dam the following day.
Captain Tsikata said Lawyer Chris Asher, who had sometime given evidence before the Commission and had alleged that he bore a grudge against Justice Agyepong because he sat on the case he had brought against the Military Intelligence, misled the Commission because it was Justice Roger Korsah that sat on the case and not Justice Agyepong. He also said Police Chief Supt Jacob Yidana and ASP Oduro, members of the SIB technical investigation team, who were arrested in while doing their duty, were arrested in connection with a coup plot rather than for their investigative roles.
Captain Tsikata said he was in no way in the office of the Chairman of the PNDC when Amartey Kwei told the PNDC Chairman that he had finished the killing of the Judges and the retired Army officer as alleged in an earlier evidence by Corporal Adabuga.
On the evidence of Squadron Leader Tagoe to the Commission that he was one of the persons that advised the AFRC government on the 1979 executions of the eight military officers, Capt Tsikata denied the alleged complicity saying that he was in Angola at that time.
"I would like to state categorically that I was not in any way involved in advising or in deciding on the execution of the eight senior military officers and was not at any way contacted to give advice on the matter" Capt Tsikata said.
Capt Tsikata also mentioned Mr Alex Adjei of making specific allegations of human rights abuse against him, and requested Mr Adjei to be made available for questioning.
