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Rawlings to face trial in the
United Kingdom
Georgette Dede Djaba, a
UK-based lawyer, has filed documents in the UK justice
system to bring ex-Flt. Lt. Rawlings to book. Ms Djaba
says her action was the outcome of instructions she
received from an aggrieved party about two years ago.
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The case against the NDC founder is for alleged wrongful
death of three Ghanaian judges and other human right
abuses which occurred during the eras of the Armed
Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the Provisional
National Defence Council (PNDC).
An original story filed by Ghanadot said Ms Djaba is
joined as claimant by others, namely her father, Henry
Djaba (Sr), Hans Djaba, Henry Djaba (Jr), and Kwabena
Agyepong, currently running as a presidential candidate
in Ghana.
The “Instructions to Counsel” were put before Lord
Justice Ford last Friday, who thought them serious
enough to ask Ms. Djaba to first report to the police.
Miss Djaba who first went to Scotland Yard, later
presented the case to the Holborn Police Station.
Georgette Djaba is a prominent civic figure in the
Ghanaian community in the UK . In addition to being a
lawyer, she is also the chairperson for a voluntary
group, Family Resolution, an organization that helps to
promote proper parenting skills so as to stop
anti-social behaviour among youngsters in Islington.
In the instructions ex-Flt. Lt. Rawlings was accused of
criminal offences and torture “including abuse of human
rights of a significant nature.”
The instructions noted that the military coup that
brought Rawlings and the Armed Forces Revolutionary
Council (AFRC) to power in 1979 also led to the killing
of three former military heads of state and five other
senior members of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Justice is being pursued in the following manner: that
ex-Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings be stripped of his
immunity from prosecution and that “he be prosecuted for
human rights abuses, mass murders, causing death,
suffering, deprivation, causing death by firing squad in
1979 of 3 former heads of state of Ghana, including
General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa, General Ignatius Kutu
Acheampong, General F. W. K Akuffo and an order for
Rawlings to be arrested and be prosecuted whilst present
in the UK.”
The instructions cite precedence in the Pinochet rulings
and his consequent loss of immunity as grounds for
prosecuting of the case in the UK . |
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Culled
from Accra Mail |
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