Richard Helms (CIA) file on Nkrumah

Documents Expose U.S. Role in Nkrumah Overthrow

From the White House Koner monitored events in Accra by courtesy of the CIA station. On 25th February, a day after the infamous coup in Ghana Richard Helms, then CIA Director, summarised events leading to the coup and implicating the Ghana Armed Forces. 1. During the early spring in 1965, he wrote to senior military and police officers to discuss tentative dates for over throwing Nkrumah's regime.

June 19 "disaffected militatry/ police officers could well move against the regime, possibly during nkrumah's trip abroad( for the commonwealth conference).... The Otus have also been in close touch with pro western Police Commissioner Harlley, who is said to be thoroughly fed up with the regime and has aligned himself with them."

February 17,1966: " there is another plot afoot to kill Nkrumah and overtake the government, a number of important military and police officers were involved".

February 23:It has been reported that the commanders of the aemy's two brigrades and commissioner of police might be engineering a move to oust nkrumah during his Asian tour".

Then on February 24 Nkrumah is overthrown and Ankrah is made a figure head, with Harlley, the pro-western police commissioner as his number two man.

February 28: Four days after Nkrumah's overthrow, the new CIA Director presents a parting gift to McGeorge Bundy retiring as President Johnson's National Security advisor. " Iam particularly pleased to send you a favourable report on your last day". The favourable report was that their two year sustained clandistined activities to unseat the great Pan Africanist regime in Ghana had been rewarding.