Lance Corporal Amedeka, the army officer tried in abstentia and found guilty in the cold abduction and murder of three high court judges and an army officer is cooling off in a North American country, Malik Kweku Baako Jnr has revealed.

He, like Amartey Kwei and others were to be shot at the Teshie range for the murder that shook the country and the foundation of the judiciary in 1982 but Amedeka broke jail, fled the country 36-years ago.

According to Kweku Baako, the unimpeachable information he has picked up suggests the former army officer is alive and well.

“I got a hint where Amedeka is,” he said. “He is somewhere in a North American country,” he added.

ALSO: How a policeman’s drunkenness led to biggest tip-off in who killed the judges

He had already expressed misgivings about the failure by subsequent governments to track him down with the help of Interpol and serve him the justice he deserved.

Baako made the comments on Joy FM’s Newsfile programme Saturday while discussing Rawlings’ reaction to the “Who killed the judges” documentary produced by Multimedia’s Raymond Acquah.

Mr Rawlings was appalled by what he termed as a desperate attempt to blame innocent people for a crime which has long been dealt with and perpetrators punished for same.

He did not understand why Multimedia will seek to do a documentary about the killing of judges 36 years ago when it equally could have investigated the killing of the overlord of Dagbon Ya-Na Yakubu Andani and his elders.

MORE: WHO KILLED THE JUDGES: Baako reveals missing links of damning history

“We have rehashed and recooked history to make innocent people look murderous. And in the next breath using the same name to endorse yourselves because Rawlings said he is cultured (compared to his predecessors). This is vicious and callous political opportunism,” he said.

But Kweku Baako Jnr said Mr Rawlings should have exercised the option of silence in this particular matter.

Quoting page 139 of the Executive summary of a report released by the National Reconciliation Commission on 12 October 2004, Mr Baako read a portion of the SIB report which had named Captain Kojo Tsikata as a co-conspirator in the killing of the judges.

The report further stated that Tsikata, a former National Security advisor could not have carried out the heinous act without clearance from a higher authority, who was then the military head of state, Fl Lt Jerry John Rawlings.

ALSO: WHO KILLED THE JUDGES: Bodies burnt because Justice Cecilia refused to die – Baako reveals

According to Baako several efforts by the NRC to get Mr Rawlings to respond to allegations about his alleged complicity in the murder of the judges, he declined or refused to appear before it.

Even when he was subpoenaed to appear before the Commission with two videos, he failed to provide same with the explanation that the videos were in the custody of a man who had died.

If Mr Rawlings failed to cooperate with the NRC and has remained silent 14 years in the face of the damning conclusions contained in the findings of the NRC report, Kweku Baako Jnr found it intriguing that the same man has found it worthwhile to comment on a documentary produced by Joy News.

“Rawlings didn’t have the requisite capacity to appear before the Commission, but if it was a chop bar or rally, he is ready to do cowboyism” he said.

Member of Parliament for South Dayi Rockson Dafeamekpor said the timing of the release of the documentary was intriguing.

He wished the documentary would have brought up new facts but it didn’t.

MORE: Rawlings launches attack on ‘Who Killed the Judges?’ documentary

On June 30, 1982, three High Court judges, Mrs. Justice Cecelia Koranteng Addo, Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong, Poku Sarkodie and an army officer, Major Sam Acquah were abducted within curfew hours, shot and burnt by ruthless, lawless men including young soldiers over claims they were corrupt.

The judges had adjudicated high profile cases involving the then military government and had freed suspects who were brought before them. They were abducted and murdered ostensibly because they were deemed to be bias and corrupt.

The murder shook the nation prompting the arrest of some of the suspects who were tried and found guilty. Joachim Amartey Kwei,L/Cpl Samuel Michael Senyah, ex-soldier Johnny Dzandu,Tony Tekpor, L/Cpl Gordon Kwowu, L/Cpl Mama Nsurowua, L/Cpl Victor Gomeleshio, Sgt. Daniel Alolga Akata Pore were all named.

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Former President Jerry John Rawlings has launched an attack on a Joy News’ documentary, ‘Who Killed the Judges?’, a week after the historical exposé took the country down a chilling memory lane.

The former President is convinced there are other blots in Ghana’s history that need closure as well and which ought to have documented rather than the one Multimedia decided to focus on.

“We have rehashed and recooked history to make innocent people look murderous. And in the next breath using the same name to endorse yourselves because Rawlings said he is cultured (compared to his predecessors). This is vicious and callous political opportunism,” a lengthy Tweet by the former President on Tuesday said in part.

The documentary, which aired on October 2, 2018, is the first part of a Joy News’ Special Assignment documentary on crimes that shook the nation.

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The documentary revealed details of how three high court judges and a retired army Major were abducted and killed in 1982.

Justices Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong, Fred Poku Sarkodie and Mrs Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, as well as Major Sam Acquah (retired), were shot and killed during a curfew imposed by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) led at the time by Mr Rawlings.

Watch the full documentary below

But Jerry John Rawlings, who was elected President after the country returned to democratic rule in 1992 said in his tweet on Tuesday that other crimes that shook the nation also demand attention.

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“A whole documentary on the killing of the Major and the judges. An unfortunate tragedy that that saw hard, swift justice done to the perpetrators; unlike the organised assault and killings of the Yaa Naa and his 39 elders, for which these perpetrators are yet to see justice. That is the fundamental difference – one group of four saw justice, the other group of close to 40 did not and has not!” Mr Rawlings opened his criticism of the gripping documentary.

Read the former President’s full tweet below.

The veteran journalist who was a prisoner at the Koforidua Prisons at the time, revealed that he was prison mate with L/Cpl Samuel Amedeka, one of the soldiers involved in the murder of the judges.

However, Mr Baako noted that Amedeka was not on arrest for his involvement in the murder of the judges but rather for his involvement in a coup attempt against the Jerry Rawlings-led Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).

Read: Who killed the judges: Amedeka was brought into prison as mad man

“By July 2, 1982 [two days after the abductions] Chairman Rawlings was aware of those involved in the murder because Amartey Kwei [member of the PNDC] walked into a meeting at the Gonda Barracks and when he was asked the whereabouts of the judges he replied ‘we have finished them’,” Mr Baako said.

Mr Baako is however, unable to understand how Mr Rawlings was aware of Amartey Kwei’s involvement in the crimes and still allowed him to serve in his military government until his resignation in late August that year.

L/Cpl Amedeka who was also involved in the killings was still walking free until his arrest in August, not for the killings but for his involvement in a coup attempt against Rawlings, something Kweku Baako is unable to understand.

Another missing link in getting to the bottom of the killings that Mr Baako highlighted, is the missing recording that purportedly indemnifies Mr Rawlings and his National Security Advisor, Kojo Tsikata, from the killings.

Rawlings went to the execution ground of Amartey Kwei and got “confession” from him before he was executed for the killings but said the recording cannot be traced. A different recording got from Amartey Kwei in prison cannot also be traced, all these untenable, Mr Baako said.

Another aspect of those punished for the killings Mr Baako raised red flags on, was that the “young boys” had nothing against the judges.

What can be linked to their killing was that all three had reviewed cases of the Armed Forces Revolution Council (AFRC) – which was a military regime led by Mr Rawlings before he handed over to a constitutional government before overthrowing same and formed the PNDC.

Also, Amartey Kwei who was a member of the PNDC was a worker at Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC) but was dismissed for an industrial action. Major Sam Acquah (Retired) who was boss at GIHOC was murdered alongside the judges.

Lauding the Joy News documentary ‘Who Killed the Judges,’ Mr Baako noted that the recount of history is important because “…there’s a need to continue the search for the truth, the whole truth, in spite of the NRC proceeding”.

“When you have the recordings [from Rawlings] missing, that should tell you the story has not ended”.

Justices Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong, Poku Sarkodie and Mrs Cecelia Koranteng-Addow and a retired Major in the Ghana Armed Forces, were abducted and shot dead, their bodies set on fire but saved from a downpour on the night of June 30, 1982.

Amartey Kwei, Tony Tekpor, Dzandzu and Helki were all found guilty of murder, sentenced to death and executed by firing squad. Amedeka escaped prisons and hasn’t been seen since.

It was at a time in the country when every long conversation in Ghana would not have been complete without a discussion on who killed the judges.

And it most probably would end with another charge on the police to ‘get to the bottom of the matter’.

But Ghana police runs heavily on tip-offs even to this day. So while Ghanaians looked to the police, the officers looked to Ghanaians.

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“He brought this drunken policeman”, the only surviving member of a special investigative team into the killing told Joy News Special Assignment.

The minister whose name was unknown explained he picked up the officer drunk while inspecting road repairs.

He remembered that the IGP at the time was among the top officials who had a chat with the minister.

Photo:The three judges -Justices Poku Sarkodie, Mrs. Cecelia Koranteng-Addow and Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong. A retired Major in the Ghana Armed Forces was also killed.

DSP sighed and then explained, the minister intimated he had gone to Tema Port and found some four Fiat Campagnola vehicles. According to the DSP, the minister relished the prospects of having one for his official duties.

PHOTO: Fiat Campagnola

Edmund Oheneasah said he went straight to the IGP for permission to move to the Tema Port. Over there, basic administrative process required that any vehicle leaving had to be logged.

He said it took three months for the Port officials to pull out the details of who came for the vehicles, a long bureaucratic search through papers.

Right there in the log book dated June 17, 1982, was the name of a soldier, Amedeka.

“It isn’t by magic, you see, so when we got the name of Amedeka because he signed for the vehicles we decided to pursue that line.”

Through his girlfriend, they learnt Amedeka was working as a “liaison officer” at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. “They could go to Rawlings’ house, you see they had all the freedom to do what they liked so we decided to question him”.

Amedeka was a loyalist of the military junta, PNDC, headed by Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings.

“The first time we met him at the regional Special branch headquarters…those places we have got the gadgets to record everything.

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“I said okay if you will not talk, mind you the others have talked to us,” he tricked Amedeka who told the police investigators to come the next day.

“…the following day he started talking like a parrot”, the former police investigator said. It was Lance Corporal Amedeka who revealed the identities of the other accomplices – Tony Tekpor, Dzandu and Hekli.

He told them how an authority note given to them by PNDC member, Joachim Amartey Kwei, provided them free movement during the curfew to pick up the three judges and the retired army officer.

“These were young lads. They were adventurous but I wouldn’t say they were murderers. They knew that what they were doing is authorised by the state…so they couldn’t understand why we were coming after them.”

The police officers worked for the Special Investigations Board headed by Justice Azu Crabbe that looked into the murders and recommended prosecution of nine people.

Joachim Amartey Kwei,L/Cpl Samuel Michael Senyah, ex-soldier Johnny Dzandu,Tony Tekpor,  L/Cpl Gordon Kwowu, L/Cpl Mama  Nsurowua, L/Cpl Victor Gomeleshio, Sgt. Daniel Alolga Akata Pore and the most notable indictment  – Capt Kojo Tsikata, Jerry Rawlings’ National Security Advisor.

In fact, the Board said Capt. Kojo Tsikata was the master- mind behind the murders.

But the Attorney-General under the PNDC, George E. K. Aikins refused to prosecute five of the nine suspects [marked in red] explaining. They were L/Cpl Gordon Kwowu, L/Cpl Mama  Nsurowua, L/Cpl Victor Gomeleshio, Sgt. Daniel Alolga Akata Pore and Capt. Kojo Tsikata.

He claimed, there was not enough evidence to support the charge of murder or conspiracy to murder.

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Less than a year after DSP Edmund Oheneasah heard that timely conversation with the Highways minister, four PNDC men L/Cpl Amedeka, Tony Tekpor, Dzandu and Hekli, as well as ex-PNDC Members Amartey Kwei were put in Nsawam Medium Prisons and the Ussher Fort Prisons.

But in a jailbreak, L/Cpl Amedeka escaped. His three accomplices were not that lucky. They were executed by firing squad.  But not before some major confessions that still raise questions about who killed the judges.

DSP Edmund Oheneasah is retired and lives abroad with his family.