Victim Of Torture Says He Developed Hearing Problems

Mr Peter Ntow, unemployed, on Tuesday told the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) that he has a problem hearing properly due to torture by some soldiers in 1982 under the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) Regime.

He said in March 1982 he was in the Mallam Ata market one Saturday selling materials and underwear when a lady led four gentlemen to him to buy three yards each of four different materials and some underwear.

Mr Ntow, who spoke Twi, and was led in evidence by Mr Edward Allotei Mingle, Counsel for the Commission, said later that afternoon, the lady and the four gentlemen returned in the company of four soldiers and he was made to pack his goods, carry them on his head through the market to a waiting pick-up.

"I was then taken to the gate of a storey building behind the Flagstaff house and the lady and the soldiers distributed my goods among themselves without paying me," he said.

He said the lady left her portion of the goods with him and promised to return to collect them. He added that he thought the lady meant she was coming to pay for all the goods and collect hers.

Mr Ntow said a young girl came and told him that the lady who left the goods had sent her to collect them on her behalf so he gave them to her and decided to wait for his money.

Mr Ntow said the lady returned to ask for her goods and when she was told that a young girl had collected them on her behalf she denied sending the girl and there was an argument.

"The soldiers around took advantage of the situation and slapped me till I hit my head to a wall and fell down," he said. "They then lifted me and gave me a seat to rest, before letting me go without my money."

Mr Ntow said he subsequently returned to the place for his money but never met any of the people who collected his goods. He said after two weeks of fruitlessly chasing his money, he decided to take the remainder of the goods in his house to the market to sell.

He said on his way to the market some of teachers at a nearby school invited him to the school to buy some of his goods.

"Whilst selling to the teachers some soldiers came around and accused me of selling in the open which was prohibited, so they arrested me and took me home to search my room," he said.

He said the soldiers found his children's mat under his bed and concluded that he had hoarded goods on the mat under the.

Mr Ntow said he denied hiding any goods but the soldiers again gave him slaps till he hit his head on the wardrobe and fell down before they left.

He said his face became swollen and he massaged it with hot water and robb ointment. However, after about two years he started having some sensations in his head and he reported his condition to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

"From Korle-Bu I was referred to the 37 Military Hospital where the doctor told me that my left ear was damaged and it would be difficult for me to hear properly."

Mr Ntow said though the doctor did not say what specifically caused the hearing problem, he came to the Commission because he believed that the slaps and hitting his head against the wall and wardrobe must be the cause. He said he incurred some medical cost in attempts to treat the hearing problem and had receipts from 37 Military Hospital to show.

Mr Justice E. K. Amua-Sekyi, Chairman of the Commission, asked Mr Ntow to submit the receipts to the Commission on Wednesday and assured him that the Commission would make appropriate recommendations for redress.

Reconciliation Witness Stuns House With Emotional Delivery

Mr Emmanuel Kwaku Badasu, a witness at the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) sitting in Accra on Tuesday stunned the house with a meticulous narration of torure meted out him in yet another emotional and shocking testimony at the sitting.

The scrap dealer’s narration was meticulous, punctuated with exact dates, easy mentioning of names of personalities, places and events, along with legal references and quotation of military decrees that kept the floor dead silent as the Commissioners, the legal officers and pressmen and the public listened with rapt attention to his bizarre story of deception, arrests, unlawful trial, and imprisonment without warrant.

The audience applauded the bravado of Mr Badasu who complained of having been wrongly arrested for subversion in 1973, and accused by his extended family of being responsible for the death of his parents.

"My imprisonment has caused the death of my mother. She fell into a coma after my arrest, and died a few days later. My father went on hunger strike and died later. My family is accusing me that I caused the death of my parents. I am a Christian; I've forgiven those who wronged me. I've nothing to do with them. The problem is now between my self and my family; how they will accept me back into the family."

He appealed to the Government of Ghana, through the Commission to get him enrolled with the Ghana Police Central Band to develop his talents in music to sing in praise of God.

He wished that after training with the Police Band, he would be allowed to stage a performance at the National Theatre to publicly sing to declare his gratitude to God for His sustenance during his unlawful arrest, detention at various places and incarceration at the Nsawam Prisons.