Accra, March 18, GNA- Mr Isaac Thomas Wood, a Witness from Mankessim who testified at the National Reconciliation Commission on Thursday said about four soldiers arrested his 75-year-old mother, stripped and beat her up and abandoned her at the Moree barrier near Cape Coast in 1982.
He said his mother Madam Esi Baawa now 98 years old, was alleged to have hoarded some roofing sheets adding that she bought the roofing sheets to roof her building.
The Witness said one Araba, a neighbour to his mother, pleaded with his mother to borrow her 10 pieces of the roofing sheets adding that Araba later reported to the soldiers that Madam Baawa was hoarding the roofing sheets.
He said his mother traded in flour, sugar and rice among other things adding that she never traded in roofing sheets. Mr. Wood said his mother who was only in her underwear, was rescued in the night at the Moree barrier where she was abandoned, by one of her customers who was in a vehicle on her way to Ejaa. “She gave my mother her cover cloth and took her to the hospital,” he said adding that apart from the beating, the soldiers hit Madam Baawa’s head with a bottle resulting in a cut.
Witness said his mother remained in hospital for two days without any doctor attending to her. She spent two weeks in the hospital before she was discharged after which she went to a private hospital. “She later suffered a hearing impairment due to the beatings she received”, he added.
Mr. Wood said the soldiers later invited his mother to the Cape Coast Regional Office adding that they asked her to call the man from whom she bought the roofing sheets.
He said though his mother took the man there, the soldiers went ahead to seize the roofing sheets adding that they went to her house, broke into the rooms and took away six full pieces of cloth.
Witness said Madam Araba, who reported his mother to the soldiers, became indebted to the extent that she had to sell her building to defray the debt adding that she is now an Evangelist. Members of the Commission condemned the behaviour of the soldiers saying it was difficult to understand how soldiers could treat a 75-year-old woman like that.
They appealed to Madam Baawa through her son Mr. Wood to forgive the soldiers.
Source: GhanaWeb
