Ex-Presidential guards narrate their ordeals

Two ex-military men who served in the Presidential Guard in the First Republic on Friday narrated their ordeal in the wake of the February 24, 1966 coup, which overthrew the late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to the National Reconciliation Commission.

Mr Kwame Oppong Asante and Mr John Bomo Ackah, both of who claimed to haveworked as security guards at the Flagstaff House in Accra, said in the wake of the 1966 coup they were both arrested and detained. They also lost their property in the process.

Mr Asante told the Commission that on 23rd February 1966, he closed from work at 12 midnight and went to his cousin at Mamprobi when he heard on the radio that there had been a coup and that all presidential security guards and ministers should report to their stations.

"My cousin drove me straight to the Police headquarters where I and some other persons in my category, about 23 of us, were taken to the Police Information Room. Our particulars were taken and we were put on a bus to Usher Fort Prisons," he said.

He said at the Usher Fort Prisons, several military men and warders formed two lines, wielding all kinds of weapons, including long batons and rifles.

"We were asked to lift our hands up and walk between the two lines of soldiers and warders."

Mr Asante said as they walked through, they were beaten with the batons and barrels of the rifles, till he got a deep cut on his head and bled profusely.

"We were not told what our offence was, but I suspect we were maltreated out of envy because in those days the Presidential Guards enjoyed better salaries than many people and some of my colleagues also used their positions to interfere in matters which did not concern them," he said.

He said on February 26, 1966, they were sent to Nsawam Prisons adding that they were kept in the detainees' cells of Block Five. The official reason assigned for their detention was protective detention.

Mr Asante said he could not believe that they were being detained for their own protection, because in the prisons they were treated like criminals.

They bathed without soap, they were not allowed to see the sun and 30 of them were packed in a small cell with 10 metal beds, without mattresses.

He said they remained in the Nsawam prisons till April 15, 1967 when a number of them were released. He said he served for a year and two months.

"On my return from prison, I discovered that all my personal belongings worth about 50 million cedis in current rate, had been stolen. Currently I am unemployed, but God takes care of me."

On his part Mr Ackah said he also worked at the Flagstaff House but was serving at the Akosombo Presidential Chalet when the coup occurred.

He said he was arrested and sent to Akosombo Police Station and later to Shai Hill Police Station. On 26th February, he and seven other detainees were taken to the Police Headquarters and that was where they were maltreated.

"We were beaten by soldiers, made to lie down on the ground and hot tea was poured on us," he said. "We were put in the Police Information Room cells and about 200 of us were packed in one room till some of us became unconscious."

Mr Ackah said they were picked up and sent to Nsawam Prisons and then to Usher Fort Prison where they remained till an unsuccessful coup on April 17, 1966 and they were returned to Nsawam prisons.

He said they remained in the Nsawam Prisons till December 6, 1967 when they were released,

Mr Ackah said he did not find any of his properties when he returned to Akosombo, where he was stationed before his arrest.