Stories and facts

On the night of June 30, 1982, Ghana was shaken by the brutal abduction and murder of three High Court judges, Justices Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Frederick Poku Sarkodee, and Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, and a retired army officer, Major Sam Acquah.

The victims were taken from their homes between 9:00 pm and 10:30 pm and transported to the Bundase military firing range near Accra, where they were shot and their bodies set on fire. Heavy rains that night partially extinguished the flames, allowing the discovery of their charred remains three days later.

This heinous crime occurred during a period of political upheaval under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) regime led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings. The murdered judges had previously overturned convictions passed by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council's People's Revolutionary Courts, a move that reportedly angered some within the PNDC.

Major Acquah, as Personnel Director of Ghana Industrial Holdings Corporation (GIHOC), had also been involved in dismissing striking workers, including individuals connected to the PNDC.

The murders sparked widespread national and international outrage. Jerry John Rawlings publicly condemned the killings as "hideous acts of terrorism" by "enemies of the revolution," but suspicions quickly arose about involvement from within the PNDC itself. In response to public pressure, the government established a Special Investigation Board (SIB), chaired by former Chief Justice Samuel Azu-Crabbe, to investigate the murders.

The board’s thorough investigation led to the prosecution and execution of several individuals, including PNDC member Joachim Amartey Kwei, Corporals Samuel Amedeka and Michael Senyah, and former soldiers Johnny Dzandu and Tonny Tekpor.

During the trials, some accused escaped custody, with Corporal Amedeka fleeing the country and remaining at large. Despite the executions, controversy lingered, especially around the alleged involvement of Captain Kojo Tsikata, a special adviser to the PNDC, whose implication was contested by the Attorney General.

The killing of these judges remains one of Ghana’s darkest political episodes, symbolising the extreme challenges the country faced in its pursuit of justice and democracy. Their sacrifice is commemorated annually by the judiciary as a solemn reminder of the rule of law and the dangers of political violence.

Read about other significant events that have shaped Ghana’s history in the collection below.