After 39 Years: Revisiting The Rawlings’ Execution Of Six Generals
Now, it's been 39 years since six Generals of the Ghana Armed Forces, including two Heads of State, were executed by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) under Former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Flt. Lt. Rawlings condemned them to death over claims of cleansing the country of corruption.
These two Heads of State, Lieutenant-General Okatakyie Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa (1968-1969) and General Fred William Kwasi Akuffo (1978-1979) were both shot in public by a firing squad at the Teshie Shooting Range in Accra.
Lieutenant-General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa (1968-1969) and General Fredi Akuffo
Also, executed were former Navy Commander Rear Admiral Joy Amedume, former Air Force Commander, Air Vice-Marshal George Yaw Boakye, Deputy Head of State and former Chief of Defence Staff Major-General Robert Ebenezer Abosey Kotei all of them were members of the erstwhile Supreme Military Council.
The other was former Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Colonel Roger Felli.
A civil court did not try the accused persons.
However, Albert Sam reported in the June 27, 1979 edition of the Daily Graphic that “all the six were tried and found guilty under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council Special Courts and were condemned to death by firing squad.”
They were all fired to death at 9:30 am for offenses such as:
- Acquisition or obtaining of loan, property, material, promise, favor or advantage whatsoever by abuses or exploits by virtue of their official position in the public service.
- Illegal or dishonest acquisition of property and intentional or reckless misapplication or cause damage to public property.
- Additionally, they were found guilty of gross negligence or dishonestly applying public property and intentional or reckless dissipation of public property.
Ten days earlier, former Head of State Mr. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, and former Border Guards Commander Major-General E.K Utuka, were also executed by firing squad as part of the house cleaning exercise.
39 years on, Robert Sam who cut his teeth in reporting at the firing squad told Citi News that he is still grief-stricken describing the experience as his worse.
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By: Caleb Kudah & Anas Siedu/citinewsroom.com/Ghana