The Chief Executive Officer for the John Kufuor Foundation, Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has condemned the execution of Ghana’s former head of state, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
Prof. Agyeman-Duah posited that there was no evidence backing the allegations of corruption believed to have influenced his execution.
“If you look at his life story and what he did for the country and all, that end [his execution] I guess was undeserving. The accusations of corruption that were hugely placed on him had no evidence.”
General Acheampong was executed by firing squad on June 16, 1979 after being convicted of squandering government funds, following a brief trial by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which had seized power under Flt. Lt Jerry John Rawlings’ leadership.
Prof. Agyeman- Duah on Citi TV’s Point of View however dismissed the allegations, insisting that General Acheampong never amassed wealth and property for his personal interests while serving as head of state.
“He constructed the largest estates in Dansoman and Teshie estates but never took one for himself. I am sure some of our listeners are glued to the archaic story that he was corrupt but the evidence does not support that. For almost 50 years, he lived in public housing,” Prof. Agyeman-Duah told the show’s host, Bernard Avle.
About General Acheampong
General Acheampong led a bloodless coup d’état to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Progress Party and its leader Dr. Kofi Busia on 13 January 1972.
He became Head of State and Chairman of the National Redemption Council (NRC), which was later transformed into the Supreme Military Council on 9 October 1975.
However, in 1978, General Acheampong was accused of economic mismanagement and forced to resign by a group of army officers led by General Fred Akuffo.
General Acheampong and General Edward Kwaku Utuka, the major general who had served as the Commander of the Border Guards were subsequently shot dead at the firing range at Teshie, two days before scheduled elections to return Ghana to civilian rule for the first time since 1972.
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