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The remains of Mr Michael Agbotui Soussoudis, 78, a cousin of the late Former President, Jerry John Rawlings, were last Thursday, flown to Accra, from South Africa, where he died, at the Johannesburg Hospital, after a short illness.
The South African Airline that conveyed the body touched down on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport, exactly 2:35 pm.
The corpse was handed over to the family of the late Soussoudis, led by Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, and the Anlo Traditional Council, led by the Awadada of Anlo, Togbui Awusi II, at about 4:40 pm, after completion of arrival formalities, amidst cultural drumming and singing of dirges.
Libation was poured by a representative of the Anlo Traditional Council, Togbui Agorvi Egli II of Gbenuakope, whilst Apostle Mrs Lyanne Koffi, the General Overseer of the Lords Garden Ministries, offered Christian prayers, after which the body was conveyed to the Lashibi Funeral Home, in Accra, for preservation.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe, who described the loss as irreplaceable, said the family was saddened by the news, just a year after the death of former President Rawlings, adding that the family would at a later date discuss the funeral arrangements.
The Awadada of Anlo, Togbui Awusi II, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, indicated that the Traditional Council received the news of the death Mr Soussoudis with shock as it had always been in contact with him when the opportunity served itself.
He said “the Council heard of his illness and that he has been referred to the Johannesburg Hospital where the doctors were doing their best to save his life. We were constantly praying for his quick recovery only to be hit by the news that he could not survive it.”
Togbui Awusi said “It is sad, but that is the cycle of life, the whole family and the Council was broken, but we need to be strong and plan a befitting burial to send him to the ancestors”.
Michael Agbotui Soussoudis was an alleged Ghanaian intelligence officer, who gained international attention in the 1980s for his involvement in an espionage.
Soussoudis played a key role in Ghana’s national security during the era of the Provisional National Defence Council, led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.
He was arrested in 1985 by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for attempting to obtain classified military intelligence from his lover, a CIA officer, named Sharon Scranage.
After his arrest, Soussoudis was eventually exchanged in a spy swap between the U.S. and Ghana, allowing him to return home without facing trial in the U.S.
His case remains a notable chapter in Ghana’s modern diplomatic history.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU AND NII AYITEY
BROWN
