Mr. Sedodi swearing an oath before the Commission during its sitting at the Osu Castle
The Justice Emile Short Commission of Inquiry report has revealed that despite strenuous denial, Theophilus Sedodi, is a member of the pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) vigilante group, the Hawks.
Sedodi was reportedly within the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency during the bloody byelection and the Commission’s report suggests that his presence in the Constituency raised a strong suspicion of the presence of the Hawks in the area during the voting.
“Again, Sedodi who acknowledged being aware of the fact that it is his face that pops up when ‘The Hawks’ is searched on Google, stated that he did not understand why this is so, and maintained that he was not linked to ‘The Hawks’.
According to the report, “despite his strenuous denial the preponderance of evidence points to the fact that he is a member of the group, even if he is not the leader.”
“ Were ‘The Hawks’ present there that day? Every one of the injured persons admitted having heard of the group ‘The Hawks’, though none claimed to know anything more than that,” the report said.
It stated that “in this regard, the presence of Theophilus Sedodi, a man of unusually great physique and impossible to miss even in a crowd, was of some significance.”
This person, who is described on the internet as the leader of the ‘Hawks’, a militia group associated with the National Democratic Congress, was formally inaugurated at the Unity Walk of the National Democratic Congress in Kumasi, according to the report.
It added that Sedodi denied before the Commission that he was a member of the militia group, ‘The Hawks’.
“He admitted being the person photographed on the day ‘The Hawks’ group was reported to have been inaugurated in Kumasi, wearing a black T-shirt embossed with the head of a hawk on the top left-hand side. His explanation of how he came to be wearing that T-Shirt that day was unconvincing.”
“On 31st January, his presence at the frontage of the PC’s residence raised strong suspicion of the presence of the militia group, ‘The Hawks’. He was positively identified by Akomea, of the SWAT team, as being present in the restive crowd at the frontage of the PC’s house that morning, leading to his subsequent chase and arrest by the SWAT team,” it stated.
The report noted that “the Commission finds that by his presence at that location at a time when elections were taking place, a strong suspicion of the presence of the ‘Hawks’ was raised.”
BY Melvin Tarlue