Alleged coup plot: 'I’m being victimized and vilified' - Senior Military Officer

A Senior Military Officer who has been accused of aiding some alleged coup plotters has accused state security and investigative agencies of targeting him because of his strong stance against some rot in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli told the Kaneshie District Court on Tuesday [March 3, 2020] that the allegations against him were an orchestration to punish him.

“Me being linked with this alleged coup plot is an orchestration by the investigation agencies because of some problems within the Ghana Armed Forces which some of us are against,”

"I’m being vilified and victimized. I deny all the charges levelled against me,” he said.

Colonel Gameli was speaking to the charge of abetment to commit treason felony at the court during committal proceedings at the court which would facilitate their eventual trial at the High Court, reports Graphic Online's Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson from the court.

Colonel Gameli denied participating in any plan to overthrow the government.

“I have served the Ghana Armed Forces and mother Ghana for the past 31 years. I know the effect of a destabilization because of my experience in Liberia and Rwanda,” he said.

He said he was recently promoted to the position of Colonel and, therefore, he would not engage in anything that will bring shame to his superiors and the GAF.

Colonel Gameli admitted that he knew Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, the alleged mastermind of the coup plot because he was his schoolmate and also Dr Mac-Palm was his doctor, but deny plotting any coup with him or anybody for that matter.

Colonel Gameli wanted to reveal the said rot he was talking about but the presiding magistrate, Mrs Eleanor Kakra Banes Botchway, stopped him and said he could add that to his defence during the main trial.

The accused persons are Dr Mac-Palm, a medical practitioner; Donyo Kafui, alias Ezor, a blacksmith; Bright Alan Debrah, a fleet manager.

Other accused persons are Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzor, Warrant Officer II Esther Saan Dekuwine, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon and Johannes Zikpi, a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF)

The 10 individuals were accused of being members of Take Action Ghana (TAG), a group alleged to have hatched a plan to “destabilise the country and possibly take over the government”.

The committal proceedings is still ongoing...

more to follow...