Accra, July 16, GNA - Mr Ricky Atiana, a Lotto Agent, who petitioned the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) on behalf of the Chiefs and people of Agortime Apedome, in the Volta Region on Wednesday told the Commission that the townsfolk suffered brutalities in 1988 because a young man refused to give a pot of palm-wine to some Militiamen to drink.

He said the Militiamen, who arrested and severely tortured the young man, whose name he did not mention, also ransacked the town, collected the regalia from the palace, beat the people up and forced about 210 people to seek refuge in Togo.

Mr Atiana said in 1988, a native of Agortime, Emmanuel Ankrah died adding that during the funeral the young man was sent to bring palm-wine from the boarder to be served.

He said since Agortime was a boarder town, Militiamen were stationed there adding that when the young man was returning with the drink, the Militiamen requested that he should give them some of the drink which he refused.

The Witness said they forced the boy to offload the pot of wine but he managed to escape.

He said after the burial of the deceased at about 1500 hours, the Militiamen, led by one W.O. Tonyeviadzi, came to the town with a Toyota Pickup, chased and arrested the boy and took him to Ho. Mr Atiana said some elders in the town followed up and found that the young man had been seriously manhandled adding that the Police station where the militia first sent him refused to take him and advised them to send him to the hospital.

He said the following Sunday, W.O. Tonyeviadzi sent a message to the chief that his cover-cloth had been taken away by somebody while they were on operation the previous day so the chief must look for it and bring it before the end of the day.

The Witness said the chief was invited to the District Security Committee meeting and was asked to produce the cloth else he would have himself to blame.

Mr Atiana said the following Monday, about 100 Militiamen went to Apegame ransacked the community, broke into the rooms, beat the people with some inserting the tip of pistols into the private part of some of the women.

He said they made a camp at the entrance of the village to prevent the exit or entrance of people, deflated the tyre of every vehicle in sight.

He said some of the men were made to lie on their back facing the sun "until they received orders from above''.

The Witness said a complaint was made to the Regional Minister after which a committee headed by one Colonel Coleman was set up to investigate the case. He said report of the investigation that took place in 1988 had not yet been published.

The Chief and elders made a report to the Ministry of the Interior, ministry of Defence and ministry of local Government Local and Rural Development but they have heard nothing until now, he said.

He said no compensation had also been paid to any of the victims. Members of the Commission expressed regret that a pot of palm-wine should cause so much havoc adding that great lessons needed to be leant out of that.