Alleged coup plotters granted GH¢80m bail
Eight people accused of being part of a plot to destabilise the country and possibly overthrow the government have been admitted to bail by an Accra High Court.
Dr Frederick Mac-Palm, the man accused of masterminding the alleged plot; Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Donya Kafui, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu, Johannes Zikpi, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon and Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon were each granted bail in the sum of GH¢10 million, with two sureties to be justified.
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With the justification, the sureties must provide proof of ownership of money or property equal to the bail sum.
As part of the bail conditions, the court, presided over by Justice Samuel Asiedu, a justice of the Court of Appeal, with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, ordered the eight to deposit their passports at the court’s registry, while they must also report themselves to the police every two weeks.
The eight are part of a group of 10 alleged to be part of Take Action Ghana (TAG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that prosecutors claim was planning to destabilise the country and possibly take over the government.
Two other accused persons — Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo and Warrant Officer (II) Esther Saan Dekuwine — are already on bail.
Bail application
Making a case for bail, counsel for the accused persons, Mr Victor Kodzoga Adawudu, argued that his clients had been in custody since September 2019, and that it would be in the interest of justice for them to be granted bail.
He said there was no way his clients were going to interfere with investigations when granted bail, since investigations had been completed and the trial about to commence.
Again, he argued that two other accused persons were already on bail and, therefore, it would be fair for his clients to also enjoy that right.
Counsel further argued that his clients could not abscond from the country when granted bail because all borders had been closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said his clients were not flight risks but were ever ready to appear before the court to defend themselves against the charges levelled against them.
According to him, his clients also had competent people to stand as sureties to guarantee their bail.
In response, the prosecutor, Ms Hilda Craig, a Senior State Attorney, opposed the bail application and urged the court to continue to keep the accused persons on remand.
She argued that granting them bail when the trial was about to commence was prejudicial to the trial, adding that most of the accused persons were soldiers who could escape from the country when granted bail.
On the issue of the COVID-19, it was her case that the Nsawam Minimum Security Prison where most of the accused persons were kept had not recorded any case of the virus and was, therefore, safe.
Charges
Dr Mac-Palm, Kafui, Debrah, Dekuwine, Abubakar, L/Cpl Akanpewon and Zikpi have been charged with conspiracy to commit treason felony and treason felony, while Dr Mac-Palm and Kafui have been separately charged with conspiracy to possess explosives and ammunition without lawful excuse and possession of explosives and ammunition without lawful excuse.
Col Gameli and ACP Dr Agordzo have been charged with abetment to treason felony.
Prosecution’s facts
The facts of the case, as presented by Ms Craig, were that TAG plotted to destabilise the country and overthrow the government.
She claimed that, as part of the plot, Dr Mac-Palm, who is accused of being the mastermind of the plot, Kafui and Debrah planned on kidnapping the President, the Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief of the Defence Staff and force the President to announce his overthrow.
“Again, there were discussions on whether or not to kill the President in the process of overthrowing the government,” she said.
The prosecutor added that in June 2018, the security agencies picked up intelligence that the accused persons, under the auspices of TAG, had planned to overthrow and take over the government.
According to her, as part of the plan, Col. Gameli recruited Zikpi, who was a signal specialist with the GAF, to help jam the radio signals of the National Communications Authority.
TAG, she said, planned to jam all radio stations, with the exception of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.
The prosecutor said in furtherance of the plot, Dr Mac-Palm invited Kafui, who was a blacksmith at Alavanyo, to Accra to manufacture explosives and pistols for the group.
With regard to ACP Dr Agordzo,Ms Craig said he donated GH¢2,000 to TAG to aid its cause and also drafted a speech for Dr Mac-Palm to be read at the planned demonstration by TAG.