Acquitted police officer launches book on justice system

A former police officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (retd) Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo, who was acquitted on the charge of abetment of high treason in a coup plot trial, has launched a book chronicling his experience with the justice system. 

He was one of two people acquitted by the High Court in Accra in the trial which deprived him of work as a police officer for close to two years.

In his 500-page book, ACP Agordzo takes readers on a journey best described as one filled with hostility and frustration as he navigates the justice system with chilling episodes of his arrest, novel interrogation methods, compulsory retirement from the police service, the trial and his subsequent acquittal.

Titled: “From Persecution to Freedom: Reflections on my journey through the Justice System in Ghana”, the book has 28 chapters and seeks to make recommendations geared towards protecting the rights of accused persons.

Relying on the power of personal experience and research, the book’s theme is centred on the perseverance of the vociferous police officer who, over a 37-year period, rose from a constable to high ranks including National Elections Security Task Force Coordinator within the Ghana Police Service (GPS).

Launch

The book launch, which was held at the Christ the King Church in Accra last Wednesday was chaired by Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a statesman.

The first four copies of the book were bought for GHc 5,000 each.

The Chairman for the launch urged the public to put their experiences with state institutions into writing to help lead to reforms.

That, he said, would help the next generation to also appreciate the country’s past.

On what inspired him to scribble his experiences into a single book, ACP Agordzo said following his unfortunate prosecution, “I feel strongly that a story must be told because there were too many gaps in investigations and orchestrating that the world must know whether there was actually a coup or someone wanted to be relevant”.

He maintained that there was no attempt to overthrow the government.

“From what I have experienced, there are too many people in jail today but are innocent.

“At the time they asked me to open my defence, they (the court) knew there was nothing on me but they went ahead to tell me to open my defence,” he said, describing the bench’s ruling dismissing his submission of no case as unusual.