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Kumi
Ghana
57 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Jan 2011 : 11:18:09
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Twenty bereaved families of the July 2005 killings of Ghanaians and other nationals in the Gambia have received various sums of money as compensation from the government, made available by the Gambian authorities.
The beneficiary families include those of Prince Nkrumah Mensah, Isaac Kwadwo Ampadu, Richmond Addai, Kwaku Agyekum, Eric Kwesi Nketia and Kwabena Kissi whose bodies were recovered and brought to Ghana on October 18, 2009 were given state burial on December 10, 2010.
The only survivor, Martin Kyere, who broke the news of the gruesome killings had also been compensated.
Mrs Audrey Abayena, Assistant Director, Legal and Consular Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, who told the Times on Wednesday about the payment said the bereaved families were paid "fixed sums" but could not disclose the figure because her outfit was not directly involved.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni, in an answer to a question in Parliament last year said the Gambian government had made available 500,000 dollars as compensation to the victims of the killings.
It formed part of recommendations made by an ECOWAS and UN team of investigators who probed the incident.
The team recommended the exhumation of the bodies for a befitting burial in line with customary practices to be accompanied by payment of compensation following which Ghana and the Gambia signed a Memorandum of Understanding to begin implementing the recommendations therein.
Eight bodies were exhumed and six were identified as Ghanaians.
Mrs Abayena said a lot of consultations had gone into the determination of the rightful families for the payment of the compensation, adding that the families were engaged in a series of meetings culminating in the state burial, followed by the payment of the compensation.
Asked whether the families were satisfied with what was given them, Mrs Abayena said since the moneys were paid to them in December last year "we have not heard of any complaint. No amount of money could equate the loss of life, the money was not meant to replace the lives lost, it is only a symbolic gesture."
The Ghanaians were among 40 people believed to be nationals of the sub region travelling through the Gambia in July 2005, apparently to Europe in search of greener pastures, when they came up against the Gambian security forces.
They were arrested but some of them, including the Ghanaians were later found killed and dumped in the Tanji forest in The Gambia. The bodies were later buried in a mass grave.
Martin Kyere, who claimed to have escaped the arrest later, broke the news of the killings to the Ghanaian authorities leading to preliminary investigations that established that they were killed by some elements within the Gambia security agency.
The account of the circumstances leading to the arrest and killings was initially disputed by the Gambia authorities necessitating the empanelling of a UN and ECOWAS forensic experts to conduct further investigations.
The UN and ECOWAS team of experts in their findings though did not find the Gambian government culpable but blamed the killing on "some rogues within the Gambia security agency."
It also emerged from the investigations that the aborted trip that resulted in the disappearance and killings of the people was a scam perpetrated by "rogues", Lamine Tunkana and Captain Taylor both of The Gambia.
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The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
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Kumi
Ghana
57 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2011 : 11:20:43
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| Mr Jammeh refused any knowledge of the killings. Why did he offer to compensate the families? Just wanted to ask. |
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
www.bookerzmedia.com |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2011 : 17:37:32
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Kumi, welcome
In very few words, simply count Yaya Jammeh as brutal killer of good people. Your question is valid. Why has he decided to compensate the families of Ghana victims he commanded to get killed?
Just as a reminder Kumi, Jammeh killed (by command) Gambian Finance Minister Ousman Koro Sise, journalist Deyda Hydara, and 12 young students. These killings happened many years ago. Up to this minute, Jammeh the coward is not brave enough to admit he killed these fine people, not to mention about compensation.
He decided to compensate Ghana victims as way of responding to diplomatic demands.
It is not enough to dish out drug money to victim families. Jammeh has to brave the storms and tell the world how they (him with his gang) killed our Ghanaian brothers.
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Karamba |
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Janyanfara
Tanzania
1350 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2011 : 19:11:15
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I belief there is more to these than meet the eye.
How comes Gambian tax payers would pay for a crime we knew nothing about?
Much more I belief our president said his Government had no hand in that killing? Why the compensations why why why.
I belief these are some of the tools the oppositions have to ask Yahya Jammeh to explain to Gambians how comes his Government decides to pay compensations how comes.Gambians need to know.
There should be a private investigation set up by Gambians to look into these and find out where the money used to pay compensations comes from. |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2011 : 11:21:52
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Jayanfara, the money comes from the Gambian coffers maintained by the tax payer. This is justified because the crime was committed on Gambian soil. The question should be; are those named in the report as perpetrators ever going to be brought to book?
The Gambia has a responsibility to investigate this crime and we did not until it had to be done by others. This dereliction of duty deserves to attract cost in the form of compensation to victims' families.
Regards |
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