Rawlings makes brief first appearance at reconciliation commission

Former Ghanaian president, Jerry John Rawlings made a short but tumultuous first appearance before the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) on Thursday to answer questions about controversial killings that took place during his tenure as military head of state 20 years ago. Thousands of supporters from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), on whose ticket Rawlings contested and won two presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, staged a rowdy protest demonstration outside the building where the commission holds its hearings. The crowd changed "JJ, JJ" and "Junior Jesus" - popular accolades which Rawlings earned as a revolutionary when he came to power in a military coup in 1981, two years after he had botched his first attempt. Rawlings had been summoned to answer questions about his possible role in the killing of a former military colleague and three high-court judges in 1984. But the questions put to him by the commission in a packed courtroom were few and narrow in focus. After months of speculation over whether he would heed the TRC's subpoena, the former air force pilot seemed put out when the 30-minute session was over. "Oh, Sir, why... is that all?" he quipped. Rawlings is now officially retired from politics after serving as head of state continuously for 19 years, first as the leader of a military junta and latterly as elected president. But his flamboyant and charismatic style has enabled him to sustain his position as one of the most influential figures within the NDC, the party which he founded. Rawlings stepped down as president in 2000 in accordance with the constitution after serving two successive terms as elected president. But his chosen successor was narrowly defeated by the Ghana's current president, John Kufuor, in the election that followed. The NRC is investigating human rights abuses committed by all the military governments which have ruled Ghana for most of its 47-year history as an independent country, but its attention has focused on Rawlings' long period in power. The commission first asked Rawlings brief but specific questions concerning the execution in 1984 of Lance Corporal Sarkodie-Addo who had served on his first military junta. Sarkodie-Addo's killing was allegedly recorded on video tape. He was shot dead after being accused of plotting to over throw Rawlings' second military junta, the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), which came to power in 1981 after a brief interlude of civilian rule. "I do not have the tape," Rawlings said. "The closest I came to seeing the execution was a video-taped interrogation of some dissident soldiers. I was more interested in finding out the manipulators who were using the soldiers as pawns to cause a revolt." Rawlings denied being present at the execution as some previous witnesses before the NRC had alleged. He was also asked brief questions regarding the abduction and murder of three High Court Judges and a retired military officer in 1982. One of Rawlings' colleagues on the PNDC, Amartey Kwei, was executed for ordering those murders and an official enquiry at the time exonerated Rawlings of any involvement. Once more the questioning focused on video-taped evidence. The Commission asked Rawlings about a video-recording of Kwei, which showed the junior officer, pleading for his life and for forgiveness for framing another man for the murder of the judges. Moments after he was filmed Amartey-Kwei was shot by a firing squad. "I did what I thought was noble", Rawlings said of the tape. "I gave him the chance to cleanse his spirit before he met his Creator. He pleaded forgiveness and pronounced the innocence of Kojo Tsikata, the National Security Advisor, whom he had earlier falsely implicated," Rawlings said. Aked where this tape was, Rawlings said he had lost it. Although the former president's appearance before the NRC was short, it may not be his last. Ken Attafuah, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, explained to IRIN afterwards that Rawlings had only been required to speak on two particular issues. "He was subpoenaed to give answers only on two specific issues, which came up in the testimonies of earlier witnesses," said Attafuah. "If there is need to recall him to answer any fresh charges, we will do so." The NRC has the investigative powers of a high court, but it cannot bring charges against suspected wrongdoers or sentence them. Indeed the commission can confer immunity from criminal proceedings to those who testify before it. It was created as a forum for airing grievances about injustices in the past and putting them to rest. However, Rawlings has publicly accused Kufuor's ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) of using the commission to conduct a witch-hunt to blacken his own name and that of the NDC, which is now in opposition. "The tenure of the Commission has been timed to end around the peak of the electoral period when all the dirt will be dished on us. That is why we think that there is a political dimension to these things," said Nii Josiah-Aryeh, General Secretary of the NDC and a member of the Rawlings legal team. Parliamentary and presidential elections are due to be held in December 2004 and already the press and politicians talk of little else. Kufuor is expected to seek a second term. The NDC has chosen John Atta Mills, who Kufuor defeated in 2000, to run against him for a second time. The NRC, which is chaired by a retired judge, has so far heard 4,213 petitions. It is due to continue sitting for a further six months to handle the large number of unheard cases that still lie before it.