Judgment day for alleged coup plotters
A three-members panel of the High Court in Accra will, today, January 24, determine the fate of the nine persons accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
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The accused persons are in court for allegedly taking part in the activities of Take Action Ghana (TAG), a non-governmental organisation accused by the prosecution of planning to destabilise the country to take over the government.
They are Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo, Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu (a fleet manager), Johannes Zikpi (a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces) and Donya Kafui, aka Ezor (a blacksmith).
The rest - Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon and Warrant Officer II Esther Saan Dekuwine - are all soldiers.
ACP Dr Agordzo and Col.Gameli have pleaded not guilty to abetment of high treason while the rest have pleaded not guilty to high treason and conspiracy to commit high treason.
Punishment
Per Section 180 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), the punishment for high treason is death.
The two senior security officers are on bail in the sum of GH¢1 million, with the rest in the sum of GH¢2 million.
Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli (middle ) and Gershon Akpa being escorted from the court
The case is before a three-member panel made up of Justices Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Hafisata Amaleboba and Stephen Oppong – all Justices of the Court of Appeal sitting as additional High Court judges.
The accused were put before the court on April 24, 2021.
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.
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