Justice Fred Poku Sarkodie, Justice Cecilia Koranteng, and Justice Agyapong were murdered in 1982
Today marks exactly 43 years since a dark chapter in Ghana’s history, when three High Court Judges and a retired military officer were brutally murdered by soldiers during the era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), led by the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, in 1982.
Justices Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Frederick Poku Sarkodee, and Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong, along with Major Sam Acquah (rtd), were abducted from their homes on Wednesday, June 30, 1982.
They were subsequently killed and their bodies set ablaze at the Bundase Military Training Camp.
Reports indicate that the perpetrators used gasoline to torch the bodies in an attempt to conceal their crime; however, a dawn rain prevented the bodies from burning to ashes.
The judges were widely believed to have been targeted due to rulings in cases that were deemed unfavourable to the then military regime.
In solemn remembrance of this tragic incident, Ghana observes Martyrs’ Day.
In recognition, the Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has exempted all lawyers in the country from court appearances today, allowing them to participate in the commemorative celebrations honouring the slain justices.
Details on the Victims and the Incident:
The Murdered Justices:
Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow:
Born on March 24, 1936, at Assin Nsuta, Justice Koranteng-Addow completed her secondary education at Holy Child High School in 1959.
She studied law at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, was called to the Bar in 1963, and returned to Ghana in 1964.
Justice Frederick Poku Sarkodee:
Born on August 26, 1927, in Koforidua, Justice Sarkodee pursued his education at Adisadel College and Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone before studying law in the UK.
After being called to the Bar, he began his career at the Office of the Attorney General in 1966.
Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong:
Born in November 1926 at Oyoko in the Ashanti Region, Justice Agyapong attended Mfantsipim School and Wesley College before studying law in London.
He was called to the Bar in 1960 and returned to Ghana in 1961 for private legal practice.
In 1980, he notably served on the transitional Supreme Court Bench in the constitutional case between the People’s National Party (PNP) government and Dr Kwame Amoako Tuffuor.
The Murdered Retired Soldier:
Major Sam Acquah (rtd):
As the Managing Director of the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC), Major Acquah was also abducted from his home at Dzorwulu and murdered by the soldiers. Reports suggest his killing may have been linked to a signed letter that led to the dismissal of some agitating workers, including PNDC member Amartey Quaye, who later became a suspect in the murders.
Suspects and Committee Findings:
Following intense public pressure on Rawlings and the PNDC, a Special Investigation Board (SIB) was established to probe the murders.
Several individuals, including PNDC members, were suspected of involvement.
The primary suspects were Lance Corporal Samuel Amedeka, Michael Senyah, Tekpor Hekli, Johnny Dzandu, and former PNDC member Amartey Quaye.
The committee’s findings indicated that the abduction and murder were a plot orchestrated by members of the PNDC.
In June 1983, before the trials could conclude, Amedeka escaped from Nsawam and Ussher Fort prisons and fled Ghana.
Senyah, Hekli, Dzandu, and Amartey Quaye were subsequently found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by firing squad in 1983.
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