Seasoned journalist, Kweku Baako has refuted claims by former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings that his soldiers didn't mistreat him while under detention for challenging his (Rawlings) regime.
Former President Rawlings recently granted an interview with Kwaku Sakyi Addo on Asaase Radio and told the host that Kweku Baako misinformed the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) about one of the coup plotters who wanted to overthrow his regime.
The National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) was set up by the erstwhile Kufuor administration to reconcile the nation over some of the ill actions meted out to citizens by military regimes.
No Soldier Tortured Under My Administration
Mr. Rawlings stated emphatically that no soldier tortured any person during his regime.
“Nobody did any such thing and professional soldiers don’t do things like that actually,” he said.
He added that Kweku Baako at the time of the NRC sitting wanted the editor of the Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson to join him at the NRC to spew falsehood but “Ben Ephson refused to be part of it”.
''I think he [Ben Ephson] knew this kind of makeup wasn’t good enough…just to poison the atmosphere against us", he further outlined.
Rawlings; A Big Liar
But reacting to Rawlings' assertions on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kweku Baako exposed the lies of former President Rawlings insisting he was tortured while under Military detention which he (Rawlings) supervised as Head of State.
Mr. Baako chronicled the inhumane treatment he suffered in the hands of Rawlings' Military men.
He lamented that a group of Military officers put him through intense torture that there were times he had to urinate and defecate on himself in the guard room he was kept.
According to him, when he was arrested, he was under the supervision of signal officers in the camp of the Military but later relocated to field engineers where his torture began.
''They placed a chair there and told me to remove my shirt. After removing my shirt, they used the belts to whip me countless times. That was how they welcomed me. Afterwards, they sent me to their guard room...The next day, for the next 10/11 days, what they did to me at field engineers; God is my witness. At their parade square, they made me sing some military songs and compelled me to walk on my knees in the gravels. Before you could reach the end, you would be sick but when I collapse in the midway (third way), they will tell me to come back and start again. So, my knees were all bloodshot because the gravels had pierced them, then they would use their guns to repeatedly strike my waist...That’s why I said it had incapacitated me for life and people thought I was impotent…25 days at field engineers was a hell; total hell!''
''...I couldn’t walk…I don’t know how to be decent about this but I used to defecate on myself, urinate on myself for days…”
''I don’t know how to be decent about this but I used to defecate on myself, urinate on myself for days…After torturing me, they would drag me on the floor because I was physically weak and could hardly move, and washed me with water to aggravate my pains'', he added.
Kweku Baako, who was almost teary while recounting his ordeal, asked Mr. Rawlings to go back and check his historical records before he tries to peddle falsehood about him.
''I was a victim of torture. I was tortured and I was tortured by soldiers. Mr. Rawlings, are you listening. Go check, you sent me there and I was at signals [guard room]'', he exclaimed.
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