Police prosecutors on Friday arraigned Colonel Samuel kojo Gameli and a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces, Gershon Akpa, on charges of possession of explosives, arms and ammunition without lawful excuse.
Three persons were on Tuesday remanded by a District Court in Accra after they were slapped with five counts of conspiracy to manufacture arms and ammunition without lawful authority and possession of explosives and firearms without lawful excuse.
Their names were given as Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, said to be the leader of the group, and Ezor Kafui, a local weapon manufacturer, and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu.
It brings to five, the number of persons being held for the alleged coup plot which government claimed the suspects have been plotting in the last 15 months until their arrest by a joint security team on September 20.
In court Friday, police prosecutor ASP Sylvester Asare informed the Kaneshie District Court in Accra that the senior military officer and the civilian Ghana Army employee were members of the ‘Take Action Group Ghana’, which government claimed were being used for the coup plot.
The two had no legal representation when the case was called. No reasons or explanations were given by either the suspects or the prosecution.
It emerged later that the lawyer for the Col. Gameli, Victor K. Adawudu was not informed of the court date though he was at the BNI offices on Thursday.
“we were not informed,” Mr Adawudu told Joynews Friday when asked why he was not in court to represent his client.
According to him, though he was at the BNI office on Thursday at about 5:30 p.m. to have conference with his client, no one informed him of a court date today.
“This is the kind of rule of law we find ourselves in,” he stated.
Meanwhile the prosecution told court the Ghana Armed Forces employees were among others who were plotting the “elaborate plot targeted at the presidency”.
Security Agencies foil attempt to create instability in Ghana pic.twitter.com/X1iLkoI7Pm
— Ministry of Information (@moigovgh) September 23, 2019
The two suspects, the prosecutor said, secured the services of one person already in custody, to produce explosives and guns for their operation.
Payments of 2,300 were made for 6 pistols and 400 cedis paid for some explosives, the court heard Friday.
ASP Asare told the court the suspects intended to engage in a series of activities to topple the presidency and destabilise the country.
He said investigations were still ongoing in the case, hence prayed the court to remand the two suspects into the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations
The court obliged and adjourned the case to October 9, when the three other suspects are also expected to return to court on a second appearance.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana
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