afrol News, 23 August - Another badge of Ghanaian investigators will tomorrow leave for The Gambia to dig into the whys and wherefores surrounding the killings of eight Ghanaians and disappearance of 44 others in the country in July 2005 while en route to Europe. Their killings resulted after Gambian authorities accused them of trying to overthrow the government.

In a statement, Accra authorities said a seven-member delegation comprises experts from the Criminal Investigations Department, Ghana Police and Attorney Generals Department.

Ghanaian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Information have been closely collaborating with the country’s mission in Senegal and other contacts in The Gambia on the matter.

Ghanaian investigators have been in The Gambia several times, but according to the Media Relations Officer at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Jefferson Kwamina Sackey, the final phase of investigation is due for completion next month. A final and comprehensive report on the killing will then be presented to the Ghanaian government.

After receiving a report on the killing in 2005, Ghanaian President, John Agyekum Kufuor, sent a high level fact-finding mission to The Gambia to open up dialogue with key authorities, including President Yahya Jammeh and high-ranking Gambian security officials, on the matter.

During its 2005 visit to the country, Ghana’s fact-finding mission proposed a joint Ghana-Gambia investigative team to unravel the circumstances leading to the murder/disappearances. This proposal was accepted by the Gambian leader who pledged his country’s full co-operation to unearth the truth.

Since then, Ghana government had been pilling mountains of pressures on Gambian authorities to open up. Gambian authorities have been blamed for derailing investigations into the issue.

By S. Makalo in Accra, Ghana

© afrol News

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