‘Coup plotters’ protest military escort

The five soldiers accused of being part of a plot to destabilise the country have raised concerns over soldiers always following them to court.

Their lawyers yesterday asked the Accra High Court to order the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to desist from the act, saying their clients were not comfortable with the “intimidating” arrangement.

Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon and Warrant Officer (II) Esther Saan Dekuwine are part of a group of 10 who are standing trial at the Accra High Court over an alleged coup plot.

Defence lawyers — Mr Eric Pongo and Mr Ziyerley Agbambilah — said the five soldiers were no longer in military custody, having been granted bail, and, therefore, there was no basis for soldiers to be following them to court.

“It is quite intimidating that armed soldiers follow them to court always,” Mr Agbambilah argued.

Morale support

Following the complaints from the accused persons, a lawyer from the GAF, Squadron Leader Adusa-Nana Akua Agyemang, intervened as an ‘amicus curie’ — a friend of the court — from her place in the public gallery, and explained the rationale behind the act.

She said soldiers following the accused persons to court was part of the protocols of the GAF.

Soldiers, she said, always followed their colleagues who were facing legal issues even in civil related cases to court.

The presiding judge, Justice Samuel Asiedu, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, sitting is a High Court judge, asked Squadron Leader Agyemang the purpose of that practice.

“The purpose is to provide morale support for the soldiers,” Squadron Leader Agyemang said.

The defence lawyers, however, said their clients were not interested in any moral support.

“This is a situation where we don’t need any moral support,” they said.

Justice Asiedu, however, said there was nothing wrong with the practice, and rather he believed it was out of respect for the soldiers who were standing trial.

He said so far as the soldiers were not following the accused persons out of court to curtail their personal liberties, there was nothing wrong with the practice.

Trial

Meanwhile, the trial — which was expected to commence yesterday — was adjourned to May 4 this year.

This is as a result of the absence of three of the accused persons from yesterday’s hearing.

Not guilty

The five soldiers, along with a senior police officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Benjamin Agordzo, and four others — Dr Frederick Mac-Palm, Donya Kafui, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu and Johannes Zikpi — have been accused of plotting to destabilise the country.

They are accused of being a part of Take Action Ghana (TAG) — a group the prosecution claims was planning to destabilise the country.

Dr Mac-Palm, Kafui, Debrah, Dekuwine, Abubakar, L/Cpl Akanpewon and Zikpi have been charged with conspiracy to commit 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.

All the 10 accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh