Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr. Benjamin Agordzo, as well as Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, and another junior military officer, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, implicated in an alleged coup plot have been acquitted.
The High Court in Accra, however, found six individuals in the same coup plot guilty and convicted for conspiracy to commit high treason and committing high treason.
The judgment delivered on Wednesday, 24th January 2024 sentenced the offenders to death by hanging.
The accused were put before the court on April 24, 2021 with various charges levelled against them, including conspiracy to high treason, abetment to high treason, and high treason.
Among the accused were Dr. Mac Palm (now deceased), Donya Kafui alias Ezor, Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, Yohannes Zikpi, Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan Dekuwine, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, and Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon.
Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli and ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo were charged with abetment. All ten accused individuals pleaded not guilty and were granted bail during the trial.
The passing of Dr. Mac-Palm led to the removal of his testimony from the records, officially confirmed by the Court.
The prosecution, led by AG Godfred Yeboah Dame, included figures from the Attorney General’s Department, such as Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecution, Hilda Craig, Winifred Sarpong, Lawrencia Adika, and Akosua Agyapomaa Agyemang.
The defense team, comprised of lawyers from Legal Aid and private practitioners, represented each accused individual. Notable defense attorneys included Rita Akukunti Ali, Victor Kodjogah Adawudu, Anthony Lartey, Eric Kpongo, Lamptiig Apanga, Matthias Yir-Eru, Kormivi Dzotsi, Ephraim A. Vordoagu, and Maud Opoku.
The three-member panel of judges, sitting as additional High Court judges, consisted of Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, and Justice Stephen Oppong, with Justice Asare-Botwe serving as the President of the panel.
Witnesses
The prosecution closed its case after calling 13 witnesses to firm up its case against the accused persons.
Some of the witnesses tendered guns, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a blacksmith’s equipment used in the manufacturing of the weapons and other ammunition confiscated from some of the accused persons during their arrest.
Some of the prosecution witnesses included undercover operatives who the prosecution said were able to infiltrate a WhatsApp group – Take Action Ghana (TAG)- created by the accused persons, where they allegedly planned the coup, as well as meetings attended by some of the accused persons to discuss the alleged coup plot.
One of the prosecution’s witnesses, Deputy Staff Officer (DSO) Frank Aboagye, during his testimony, also told the court that Dr Mac-Palm was harbouring the desire to become President upon the overthrow of the government.
The court also heard audio tapes of the meetings attended by some of the accused persons and WOll Esther Saan, the only female among the accused persons, was heard on the tape saying President Nana Akufo-Addo must be eliminated when captured on the day of the coup.
On July 25, 2023, the bench ordered the accused persons to open their defence after it found that the prosecution had made a case against them.
They have since opened their defence and denied the charges levelled against them and questioned the authenticity of the video tendered by the prosecution in proving its case.
Meanwhile, the man accused of being the mastermind of the alleged plot, Dr Frederick Mac-Palm, passed on in March last year.
His trial records have since been expunged.
Background
On April 24, the Attorney-General (AG), while narrating the brief facts to the court, said the accused belonged to an association called Take Action Ghana (TAG) and had planned to stage demonstrations, ostensibly to topple the government.
He said in July 2019, the accused contacted a blacksmith from Alavanyo in the Volta Region to manufacture 22 explosives, six ammunition and five pistols.
The court heard that the manufacturer charged the alleged accomplices GH¢2,300 as the cost of each pistol and GH¢400.00 for each explosive.
He said on September 19, Dr Mac-Palm (deceased) and Kafui were arrested after test firing at the Teshie Military shooting range.
The AG told the court that a search conducted on the premises of the Citadel Hospital revealed six unregistered pistols, one registered pistol, 22 explosives, three grenades, 63 rounds of ammunition, two empty AK47 magazines and other machines used in manufacturing weapons.