Court softens bail terms for 8 ‘coup plotters’

A High Court in Accra has varied downwards the bail conditions imposed on six persons accused of being part of a plot to overthrow the government.

Dr Frederick Mac-Palm, Donya Kafui, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu, Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Corporal Seidu Abubakar and Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon were initially admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢10 million each, with two sureties to be justified.

However, following an application for variation filed by their lawyers, the court, presided over by Justice Samuel Asiedu, reduced the bail sum to GH¢6 million each with three sureties to be justified.

The six accused persons were part of a group of eight, including Johannes Zikpi and Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, who were admitted to bail by the court on May 8 this year.

Two other accused persons — Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo and Warrant Officer (II) Esther Saan Dekuwine — are already on bail.
Hearing continues on July 3, 2020.

Charges

The 10 accused persons are alleged to be part of Take Action Ghana (TAG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which, prosecutors claim, was planning to destabilise the country and possibly take over the government.

Dr Mac-Palm, Kafui, Debrah, Dekuwine, Abubakar, L/Cpl Akanpewon, L/Cpl Solomon,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 the prosecution, were that TAG plotted to destabilise the country and overthrow the government.

The prosecution claims that as part of the plot, Dr Mac-Palm, who is accused of being the mastermind, along with 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,” the prosecution said.

The prosecution 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.

It said 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, the prosecution said, planned to jam all radio stations, with the exception of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

The prosecution said in furtherance of the plot, Dr Mac-Palm invited Kafui, who was a blacksmith at Alavanyo in the Volta Region, to Accra to manufacture explosives and pistols for the group.

With regard to ACP Dr Agordzo, the prosecution 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.