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22.03.2004 General News

Chris Asher Ordered Out Of Ghana

22.03.2004 LISTEN
By Gye Nyame Concord

Fugitive Returns For 'Illegal' Holiday Convicted Insurance Fraudster and suspected murderer, Chris Asher Jnr., was ordered out of the country following his arrival in Accra last week without requisite documents guaranteeing him immunity.

Though Gye Nyame Concord could not establish whether he had left the shores of Ghana by press time, sources say Asher was placed under what amounted to 'house arrest' by State security at the plush Roman Ridge area in Accra following his return. He was still under same conditions Saturday night, with his movement restricted whilst arrangements were put in place to 'deport' him to his current place of domicile.

Interestingly, sources say the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) indicated to the security agencies that they had not invited Asher nor deemed him a key witness enough to recall him, especially when Captain Kojo Tsikata, who had requested his recall for cross-examination, had not completed the procedure that would allow the Commission to recall him.

The controversial fugitive from justice returned to the country without any immunity and without the authority of knowledge of the NRC, which granted him immunity to return on his last trip to Accra during which he appeared before the NRC and made series of allegations against former President Jerry Rawlings. He subsequently stirred debate following the revelation that apart from being a fugitive from justice, following his jail break whilst serving sentence for insurance fraud at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, he was also wanted for the alleged murder of one Ofori-Atta. The children of the late Ofori-Atta attempted to effect his arrest the lat time he was in the country. Not to be outdone in the world of controversy, Chris Asher also violated his immunity deal by staying beyond the time granted him and used the period of his stay to launch a book.

He subsequently took the frustration of being exposed as a fugitive on some journalists whom he felt had had the effrontery to raise questions on his immunity violation without the state in a full page letter to the Daily Guide newspaper.

In that same letter, he also implied that the NRC had deliberately encouraged him in his illegal overstay in the country, an allegation the NRC denied and indicated that once Asher violated his immunity deal, it was not their duty but that of the State to effect his arrest.

Incidentally, Asher was also once charged with the commission of another crime by US authorities in Maryland, USA. He is believed to presently residing in London, UK.

Government insiders say he was not arrested, but ordered out of the country this time because of the likely repercussions an arrest could have on the attempt to locate and invite L/Cpl Amedeka, a fugitive considered key to unraveling the truth surrounding the murder of the three high court judges and army officer.

Amedeka's whereabouts is presently unknown; with speculation rife the he could be resident in Nigeria or Canada.

Asher was a one time buddy of former President Rawlings, whom he used to hang out with during the early days of the Rawlings-led AFRC and PNDC regimes. His celebrated brother and journalist, Chris Asher Snr., is on record to have said that Chris Asher Jnr used to chastise him over his coverage of the Rawlings administration.

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