Reconciliation commission receives petitions

The Ghana National Reconciliation Commission started receiving individual petitions and statements on Tuesday in preparation for actual hearings, a source in Ghana's capital, Accra told IRIN. The commission, set up by the government "to investigate state-sponsored human rights abuses under unconstitutional regimes" has established five zonal offices throughout the country to receive the complaints. Two offices - Tamale in the Northern Province and Bolgatanga in the Upper Eastern Province - did not, however, open on Tuesday. The source said staff for the two offices "are to be recruited". After receiving the petitions, investigators and researchers would assess them and recommend whether they warranted a hearing by the reconciliation panel, news organisations reported. Ghana's JoyFM radio quoted the commission chairman Justice Mua-Sakyi as telling journalists on Tuesday that he was impressed by the number of petitions and statements received throughout the country. "This will continue for sometime until we have enough complaints to enable us actually start sittings," he said. Ghana witnessed several military coups since 1966. Human rights organisations have said that some of the country's military regimes committed human rights abuses.