OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA:
STOP THE POLICE HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION IN ANLO.
I, the undersigned, on behalf of my dismayed and aggrieved relations and
for the sake of good governance in Ghana and peace in Anlo in particular,
has been compelled to bring to your attention the ongoing misuse of the
security forces to protect and promote the illegal activities of the impostor
to the Anlo Awoamezi, ex-police commissioner of Police of the Volta Region,
Mr Patrick Agboba, who is currently facing another charge of contempt of
court before an Accra Fast Track Court, having been convicted on a similar
charge in 2003 in a Ho High Court. I am imploring you to use your authority
as the President of Ghana to call a halt to these illegalities which have
now taken the ugly turn of the wanton misuse of the security forces under the
direction of Col (rtd) Gbevlo-Lartey and the Volta Regional Police
Commissioner to engage in the harassment and intimidation of the relations of the
plaintiffs who have taken the culprits to court. Failure to do this may
lead to the break down of the uneasy peace that presently prevails in Anloga
and the buck rests with you.
As I have no doubt your office is aware of, the late President John Atta
Mills was lured by deceit and subterfuge to give his nod of approval to the
so-called outdooring of Mr Patrick Agboba on 21st February 2011, in spite
of the fact that the aggrieved parties made serious efforts to alert the
Office of the Presidency through Mr Bebaako Mensah, for example, to the
falsehood of the claim being pandered about that a settlement had been reached
between the disputing parties. We consider this as a hypocritical and a
double standards blots on the legacy of the late President John Atta Mills,
considering the position he took on the Ga Mantse dispute.
I recognise the special handicap you face in this dispute in view of the
family relationship you have with some of the culprits through your
step-brother Ibrahim’s mother, whose forebear is common to this writer too. But,
this should not influence you to continue the policy of the late President,
even though rumours exist that you were or might be responsible for
convincing him to support the mischief makers. And we are aware that you had gone
to greet Mr Patrick Agboba too.
In the recent attempt to redress the uncustomary, illegal and so-called
outdooring of Patrick Agboba at the site of Nyigblaveme, which used to be the
execution ground in Anlo, and not where the Awoamefia was outdoored, and
thereby address another blunder in his initial uncustomary nomination and
endorsement in the Ministry of Trade office of Mr Dan Abodakpui (he boasted
of this in public and the clip is on YouTube, link enclosed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-OOluLvfA4 ), tight security was again supplied by
the
government. In the aftermath of the open and latent opposition they met even
among the invited guests, Mr Patrick Agboba has got the Regional Police
office to start the harassment of the supposed leaders of the opposition to his
tragic-comedy of errors, with intent to intimidate and silence them. A
poor young man, Belief Tay Amegago, was arrested, taken to Ho, locked up in
police cells for days and later on put on some trumped up charges. Four
other people were declared wanted by the Police. These are in the persons of
Amega Atsu Korkor, Head of the Fuiga Agbeve lineage, Mr John Togobo, a
principal member of the Fuiga Agbeve lineage and Mr Samuel Adrah, a member of the
Fuiga Agbeve lineage opposed to the impostor. The last is Mr Samuel Ekpe,
a principal member of the Adika Drafor lineage and Chairman of the Adzorvia
Clan Development Foundation, also opposed to the impostor. A Ho Circuit
Court subsequently refused the Police warrants for their arrests, as no prima
facie case had been established against them. That did not stop the police
sons of Mr Patrick Agboba (one of them is on interdiction), who are laws
to themselves in Anloga and were involved in the unlawful seizure and
imprisonment of the bailiff from Ho who was about to serve another injunction on
the culprits in February 2011, to allegedly print a purported Police wanted
notice which was pasted in Anloga. Of course, no one initially wanted to
honour the rogue actions of those entrusted with authority to enforce the
laws of our country turned rogue elements. In any case, two of the said
wanted persons, Amega Atsu Korkor and Mr John Togobo, after consultation with
their lawyers, travelled to Ho in order to find out what was really
happening. After spending the whole day waiting for a response, the Commissioner of
Police ordered that they should be locked up, without any charges preferred
against them. The next day, they were taken to Anloga and their premises
searched, for what, only the Police knew. The point is, if any material is
found opposing the impostor Patrick Agboba who is an ex-convict for
contempt of court, can this be considered incriminating evidence against them,
since these will be part of the evidence the plaintiffs may be using to
oppose the culprits even in court? To even go and seize any evidence in the
possession of the plaintiffs and/or their family members is tantamount to
illegality and blatant abuse of power and interference with the justice system:
stealing your opponent’s evidence! The two elders have also been put on
same trumped up charges of conspiracy to commit crime, offensive behaviour and
publication of false news and granted court bail before a magistrate court
in Ho. This in itself is an anomaly, as it does not have jurisdiction over
the cases of misdemeanour in the Keta District. The Police claimed to be
the complainants, of course, acting on the behest of the impostor!
We the family members and their supporters cannot sit down and allow this
blatant misuse of the security forces under your watch to harass and
intimidate our leaders any longer. I am therefore putting out this open letter to
all to read, so that the Office of the Presidency and Col. (red)
Gbevlo-Lartey would not claim that they are not aware of the true facts of what is
happening in Anlo. Our elders shall be sending you a formal protest
letter. Please halt at once these blatant abuses of incumbency to harass and
intimidate those who have taken Mr Patrick Agboba and his law breaking henchmen
to court in order to seek justice. Please, stop the prevailing pockets of
lawlessness in Ghana!
May you have the strength to act prudently and judiciously?
Nye gbe dze anyi.
Andy C. Y. Kwawukume
_cyandyk@ymail.com_ (mailto:cyandyk@ymail.com)
London, 10/11/12
