Accra, July 22, GNA - Mr Bright Kwasi Demordzi, a Retired Assistant Director of Education, on Tuesday told the NRC that he was interdicted with nine other members when he was working with at the Volta Regional Development Corporation in 1981. He said they were alleged to have diverted large quantities of flour and cement meant for the Corporation when he was the Project Evaluation Officer in 1978. Mr Demordzi said they were interdicted in November 1981 during the Limann regime. He said they were not given their two thirds salary as was pertaining, adding that after the December 31, 1979 coup d'etat, they petitioned the then Regional Secretary Mr Fiabge after which a committee was set up to investigate the matter.

He said at the committee's second hearing, they were arrested and dumped in the Ho Prison after which they were taken to the Ussher Fort where they were detained for 11 months. Mr Demordzi said the committee seized his saloon car and a Peugeot Caravan belonging to his sister. The Witness said they were later discharged by one Agyekum but were arrested again and made to appear before the BNI. He said the BNI investigated the case for five months after which two of them were made to face the Greater Accra Public Tribunal adding that on June 7, 1987 they were acquitted and discharged

Mr Demordzi said all efforts to retrieve the cars after his release proved futile adding that he petitioned the Ombudsman, Regional Secretary and the President but to no avail. He said while at his hometown at Yenui, near Anloga in the Volta Region, one Corporal Dollar and his (Demordzi's) cousin called Gbemu, both soldiers at Ho threatened to kill him but he went into hiding adding that they broke into his house and took his passport and driving licence away.

The Witness said one W.O. II Tettegah, now a reverend minister, saw him at a funeral and brought some soldiers to arrest him but he managed to run into a house nearby and later fled. He said the soldiers went into the house and fired under the bed but to no avail adding that they saw a black cat that they failed to kill claiming that it was he (Demordzi) that had turned into the cat. Mr Demordzi said from 1981 to 87 he did not have his peace because the soldiers were looking for him. He said he later petitioned the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) but that led to the freezing of his accounts. He said his children had to stop their schooling midway due to his arrest and called on the Commission to help bring peace to his family. Mr Demordzi said he was a graduate teacher and retired from the Ghana Education Service in 2000.