…As He Questions Nana Addo’s Commitment To The Victims!

One of the most outspoken members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Kwadwo Twum Boafo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Free Zones Board, and a failed parliamentary candidate in Election 2008, is questioning the commitment of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party(NPP), towards prosecuting people who allegedly shot at ‘Kumepreko’ demonstrators on May 11, 1995, killing four people in the process.

“Nana Addo, as the Attorney-General, was in a pole position to do something about it so my question is why didn’t he…I would have thought that at the very least, there would have been some sort of inquiry to find those who perpetrated the crime”, Twum Boafo told The New Crusading GUIDE in an exclusive interview.

Mr. Twum Boafo, who seemed oblivious of the existence of a Police Enquiry and Situation Reports on what has been commonly referred to as the ‘Kumepreko killings’ had a couple of weeks ago on Radio Gold’s Alhaji and Alhaji news analysis programme, accused Nana Addo of neglecting the victims of the demonstrations.

“I want to come to a very important point about those people that went to die for Nana Addo. When Nana Addo became the Attorney-General, he did nothing about Ahunu Hongar despite using that as a premise to come to power”, observed Twum Boafo on Radio Gold.

“It would have been good to know that an attempt was made to find the perpetrators of that crime…That would have been important to the family of the young man who died”, he added in the interview.

When his attention was drawn to the existence of a Police Inquiry and Situation Reports on the dastardly act, Twum Boafo stated “there may be a Police Report but was there an attempt by the Attorney-General to prosecute anybody?”

Asked whether he would call on the Mills-led Administration to re-investigate the circumstances that led to the killings on that fateful day, he answered, “A CRIME IS A CRIME AND THERE IS NO STATUTE OF LIMITATION. IF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL DEEMS IT FIT, THE CASE CAN BE RE-OPENED”

It would be recalled that on May 11, 1995, thousands of Ghanaians poured onto the streets protesting the then Rawlings-led government’s decision to introduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) at a rate of 17½%. The organisers of the demonstration described the percent being proposed by the government as astronomical.

Persons identified as members of the Association of Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (ACDRs) and Castle-based Security Detail among a group of counter demonstrators, opened fire on the demonstrators, killing four of them.

The Kume Preko demonstration was organised by the Alliance for Change (AFC), a pressure grooup led by activists such as Nana Akufo-Addo, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Dr Wereko-Brobby, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe, Kweku Poku, Victor Newman, Stanley Adjiri Blankson, Kakraba Cromwell, Akoto Ampaw and Abdul-Malik Kweku Baako Jnr.

The NDC (1&2) governments from 1995 to 2001 failed to find the killers of Ahunu Hongar and the others who died in the course of the demonstration, Mr. Twum Boafo’s beef with Nana Akufo-Addo is that the government of which he (Nana Akufo Addo) was an Attorney-General and later a Foreign Minister, from 2001 to 2009, also failed to institute an investigation to find the killers, especially when Nana Akufo Addo was one of the organizers of the Kume Preko demonstrations.

When pressed further on the logic of his argument, Mr. Twum Boafo conceded that the Mills Administration, in view of the fact that there was no statute of limitation on the crime of murder, can and must re-open investigation into the Kume Preko Killings in order to find the killers and effect sanctions in accordance with the laws of the land.

It is a public record that 16 years ago, to be precise on June 5, 1995 the then President of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. J.J. Rawlings openly declared (confessed) at a June 4 rally at Mankessim in the Central Region that he personally directed the ‘ACDRs’ to mount a ‘protective shield’ around the December 31 Mokola Market against alleged threats of vandalism and arson on the part of the AFC-led Kume Preko demonstrators whose protest march or demonstration took place on May 11, 1995 (Refer GTV News – 7pm, June 6, 1995).

Mr. Rawlings said following intelligence reports to the effect that the organizers of the May 11, 1995 demonstration had planned to vandalise and torch the Mokola Market, and in view of the manpower constraints confronting the statutory law enforcement agencies in the Police, HE (THE PRESIDENT) DECIDED TO TAKE STEPS TO ORDER THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE ‘ACDRs’ TO THE MOKOLA MARKET ON THAT FATEFUL DAY TO AUGMENT AND COMPLEMENT THE EFFORTS OF THE POLICE TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. The ACDRs, according to Official Police records, insisted on organising a counter-demonstration on the same day (May 11, 1995) inspite of the fact that their (ACDRs) notification to the Police fell short of the requirements of the Public Order Act.

The leadership of the ACDRs, according to the Police, contended that their counter-demonstration was meant to underscore that the NDC(1) government had not become unpopular or had lost the confidence of Ghanaians, hence the determination of the ACDRs to ignore the Police directive not to come on the streets to counter the AFC-led demonstration, an action which resulted in the fatalities on that fateful day.

Published below for the records are excerpts of the Police Situation Report(s) of May 11 & 12, 1995.

Ghana Police Situation Report No. 132/95 12th May, 1995 Accra Region

*1: RCID/AR.SIT.2/SF. 1/V.2/43 DEMONSTRATION BY ‘KUME PREKO’ GROUP May, 11, 95:

On May, 11, 95 at 0730 hours and before the “Kume Preko” group could start the demonstration, a group of young men wearing ‘T’ Shirts with inscriptions Association of the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (ACDRs) were seen running up and down on the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue WITH OFFENSIVE WEAPONS ATTACKING AND BEATING INNOCENT CITIZENS. IN THE PROCESS FOLLOWING PERSONS WHO SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES WERE RUSHED TO THE POLICE HOSPITAL AND ADMITTED. They are Michael Amoakohene, 29 years, Native of Akim Oda, Adongo Atunga Peter, 19 years, Native of Bolgatanga, Collins Appiah, 22, Native of New Tafor-Akim, Prince Aidoo Sey, 28, Native of Apam, and Kofi Amoako 22, Native of Kumawu.

THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS HAVE SO FAR BEEN MADE; ARMAH ADJETEY 30, NATIVE OF GBESE, FRANCIS AGBEKO, 48 NATIVE OF AGBOZUME, NO. 187958 CPL. AHIANYEVI, 27 OF CASTLE SECURITY, AND PETER YEYE AGBEMENYA 30, FROM ANLO/SROGBE. IN THREE OTHER INCIDENTS BETWEEN 10.10 AND 13.30 HOURS, JERRY OPPEY, A STUDENT, 17 YEARS, ABDUL RAHMAN, DRIVER AND ONE ATTAH YAW, 39 YEARS WERE STABBED IN THE CHEST, HEAD AND SHOT IN THE THIGH RESPECTIVELY BY UNIDENTIFIED ASSAILANTS.

STUDENT JERRY OPPEY DIED WHILST BEING CONVEYED TO HOSPITAL WHILST THE TWO OTHERS ARE ON ADMISSION.

NO ARREST.

*2: RCID/AR.SIT.2/SF.1/V.2/44 DEMONSTRATION BY ‘KUME PREKO’ GROUP May, 11, 95

At about 14.00 hours on May, 11, 95, checks at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital indicated that eleven people were on admission with gunshot and stab wounds. ONE DEATH WAS ALSO REPORTED RESULTING FROM SHOOTING SPREE BY ASSOCIATION OF THE COMMITTEES FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE REVOLUTION (ACDR) AND COMMANDOS FROM THE CASTLE WHO WERE ON BOARD PAJERO VEHICLE WITH REGISTRATION NO. ARC.9110.

THE DEAD WAS IDENTIFIED AS AHUNU HORGAR, 14 YEARS AND PUPIL OF LIBERTY AVENUE J.S.S. WHILST THE WOUNDED WERE YAW FRANK, 19 YEARS, YAW KYEI, 22 YEARS, KWABENA APPIAH, 21, KWASI ABABIO, 31, ABUBAKARI ADAMUA, 25, KWABENA ASANTE, 22, GEORGE AGYIRI, 22, KWABENA TWUM, 21, ABUDU RAZAAK, 23, GEORGE ASAMANI, 28 , AND ISAAC NORTEY, 40.

After the Demonstration the following persons who were alleged to have erected a road block between Yellow Cab and Beyeeman Cold Store and stole five crates of soft drinks belonging to one Rita Deh were arrested and placed in custody.

The arrested were Yaw Opoku, Lartey Larbio, Samuel Danso, Alex Osei, Samuel Ntiamoah, James Ababio, Kwabena Danso and Kori Duku.

For: COMMISSIONER OF POLICE/CID (W. BEDIAKO-FOKU)

Cc: MINISTER FOR INTERIOR. INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE