TAYLOR ADDRESSES COMMISSION; MEMBERS OF COMMISSION OTU SEATED; MR. JUSTICE AMISSAH; EKOW ESHUN; KWAPONG, MANTEY; COMMISSION MEMBERS LEAVE.




Initials GHB/VS/MR/PF



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Background: GHANA'S DIRECTOR OF REPUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, MR. J.N.K. TAYLOR, TOLD THE AMISSAH COMMISSION AT A SESSION IN ACCRA ON TUESDAY (JANUARY 28) THAT LIEUTENANT-GENERAL ANKRAH, CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNING NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL, AND FIVE OTHERS WERE TO BE ASSASSINATED LAST DECEMBER IN A PLOT TO OVERTHROW THE GHANA GOVERNMENT.

MR. TAYLOR WAS ADDRESSING IN THE RESUMED SITTING OF THE THREE-MAN COMMISSION APPOINTED BY THE NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES INVOLVING AIR-MARSHAL M.A. OTU, FORMER COMMANDER OF THE GHANA ARMED FORCES, AND HIS AIDE-DE-CAMP, NAVAL LIEUTENANT B.O. KWAPONG.

IT WAS ALLEGED BY MR. TAYLOR, WHO IS CHIEF COUNSEL TO THE COMMISSION, HEADED BY MR. JUSTICE AMISSAH, THAT SEVERAL OTHER SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL WERE TO HAVE BEEN KILLED AND OTHER LEADING GHANAIAN PERSONALITIES ARRESTED.

IN FURTHER ALLEGATIONS, MR. TAYLOR SAID THAT PEOPLE WHO WENT TO GUINEA WITH EX-PRESIDENT KWAME NKRUMAH, TOGETHER WITH GHANAIAN STUDENTS SENT TO GUINEA FROM THE SOVIET UNION, HAD BEEN TRAINED IN GUERRILLAS WARFARE AS PART OF THE PLANT TO OVERTHROW THE GHANAIAN GOVERNMENT.

OUTLINING DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED PLOT, MR. TAYLOR TOLD THE COMMISSION IT WAS PLANNED THAT AIR-MARSHAL OTU SHOULD HEAD THE MILITARY COUNCIL WHICH WOULD HAVE "PILOTED" A PRESCRIBED CONVENTION PEOPLE'S PARTY BACK TO POWER AT THE GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN MARCH THIS YEAR.

CERTAIN PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THE COURSE OF MR. TAYLOR'S ADDRESS STATED THAT THEY WISHED TO BE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL, AND THE COMMISSION THEREFORE ADJOURNED UNTIL TODAY (JANUARY 31).