Page 328 - They Also Served

of 2.08 metres, which remained the Ghana record for the next 36 years. Immediately after his Sovereign’s Parade, Kotei headed to the Rome 1960 Summer Olympic Games, where he finished a very creditable tenth position.
Returning to Ghana, Kotei concentrated on his army career and by 1973 was a colonel. Elected to his country’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games commission, he was also appointed commander of the 1st Brigade. In August, he was instrumental in foiling a coup attempt against the ruling National Redemption Council (NRC). Promoted to army commander in 1976, he served on the NRC as housing minister. When the NRC was replaced by the Supreme Military Council (SMC) in 1975, Kotei remained in government as a senior officer and was appointed chief of defence staff before retiring in early 1979.
On 4th June 1979, the SMC was overthrown in a bloody coup by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings. The coup leaders demanded that former members of the government report to police stations. When Kotei did so voluntarily, he was immediately arrested, severely beaten, and had his property seized. Tried in a secret court at which he was not represented, Kotei was sentenced to death as part of Rawlings’ plan to remove all possible opposition. Major- General Robert Kotei was executed by firing squad on 26th June 1979, and his remains were buried within the prison grounds.
On 27th December 2001, Kotei’s body was exhumed and buried with full military honours in Accra. The following month, Ghana established a National Reconciliation Commission to examine human rights abuses in the country from independence in 1957 to 1993, especially during the period of the numerous military juntas. No evidence was found against Kotei and his arrest, trial and execution were ruled to have been illegal.
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