Ya-Na murder: Mills advised to prosecute Kufuor and his security chiefs

Some Andani youths say they will demonstrate in Accra on April 4, 2011 against the court's decision

Ghana's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Victor Smith is asking President Atta Mills to prosecute former President John Agyekum Kufuor and his security chiefs for negligence leading to the murder of the overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and some of his elders.

Mr Smith told Joy News' Dzifa Bampoh that the former president had all the information and resources to prevent what he termed a community war, but failed to act responsibly.

“For a small community like Yendi to have allowed what happened in 2002, it was clear evidence that he (Mr Kufuor) failed to act responsibly. He had a responsibility and duty to protect the lives of the citizenry as mandated under the 1992 Constitution. He has sworn an oath to do so.”

Explaining further, the Ambassador said since there were indiscriminate firing of gunshots, it would be very difficult to identify the one whose bullet actually killed the late chief in May 2002 during a conflict between the Andanis and Abudus at Yendi in the Northern Region of Ghana.

This, he noted, informed his call on President Mills to target former President Kufuor, his security chiefs and persons who were responsible for security in the area, saying they were in authority to protect lives but they reneged on that responsibility.

He said had they intervened timeously, as was expected of them, the casualties could have been prevented, demanding that the former president be made to explain to Ghanaians why he and his men failed to act on the intelligence they gathered.

Victor Smith emphasized: “So being the Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces at the time, he had enough resources, and enough power at his disposal to have intervened timeously. So for failing to have acted timeously to avert the carnage that has come to haunt us all, he should explain to the people of Ghana.”

But former Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Osei Kwame Prempeh has rubbished the call, describing it as “amazing but very interesting”.

He argued that President Mills said in the heat of the 2008 electioneering campaign that he knew the killers, likewise, former President Rawlings, on another platform professed having video evidence of the murder, but the government was floored in court without them producing the supposed credible evidence to buttress the prosecution.

“If anybody says somebody intentionally grabbed the Ya-Na and cut off his head, the person is lying. If somebody tells the people of Dagbon that they are capable of finding the killers whilst sidelining the truth that there was a community war, then the person is lying.”

Mr Osei Prempeh said the government at the time tried to intervene by imposing a curfew in the area but the Ya-Na convinced the then Regional Minister to lift it. He claimed the Ya-Na also asked the police to stay back because there was no cause for alarm.

“Now that the truth has hit the NDC in the face, they want to pass the buck,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, an Accra Fast Track High Court on Tuesday acquitted and discharged 15 persons accused of murdering Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II for lack of evidence.

Some Andani youths say they will demonstrate in Accra on April 4, 2011 against the court's decision.

Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com