Agyepong Urges JJ To Present Statement

Mr Kwabena Agyepong, a son of the late Justice K. Agyepong, one of the High Court Judges abducted and murdered on the night of June 30, 1982, has demanded of former President J.J. Rawlings to be courageous and do the right thing by writing his statement for the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) on the allegations implicating him in the matter.

Mr Agyepong, who is also presidential spokesperson, maintains that former president Rawlings owes the good people of Ghana the duty to give the NRC a written statement of “what he knows without resorting to undue delay tactics”.

Mr Agyepong was reacting to the former President's Special Aide, Victor Smith's claim that government is calculated at using proceedings pertaining to the murder of the three High Court judges and the retired army officer at the NRC to target former President Rawlings.

Victor Smith's accusations were in reference to submissions made at the NRC by one time Attorney General in the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) junta, Justice George Emmanuel Kwesi Aikins, that former President Rawlings knew of the captors of the three High Court Judges and retired Army Officer before his July 4, 1982 state broadcast in which he stated that the state would find the “enemies of the revolution”, that is, the murderers and punish them.

Mr Agyepong advised Mr Victor Smith not to reduce the abduction and murder case to a radio talk show, but “rather restrict it to the NRC platform”. He said former President Rawlings has been presented several find opportunities to react to the standing issue with a written statement and his subsequent appearance.

“Let's not relegate the subject to media trial”, the presidential spokesperson added. He asked Mr Rawlings to respond and meet him at the NRC “to battle issues out, instead of his lieutenants employing cover up and diversionary tactics to dodge the core matters relating to his knowledge about the abduction and murder.”