Alleged Coup: State calls last Witness in ongoing Mac-Palm, ACP Agordzo trial

State prosecutors are expected to close their case against Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo, and eight others standing trial for charges including high treason after presenting their last witness on Monday.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, stationed at the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) was the investigator in the matter and appeared as the 13th and final witness of the state.

While Dr. Mac-Palm, the Chief Executive Officer of the Citadel Hospital at Alajo, and seven others are facing charges of conspiracy and high treason, a Senior police officer, ACP Agordzo and Col. Kojo Gamelie are on the charge of abetment.

All the 10 accused persons have pleaded not guilty and have been admitted to bail.

In court on Monday, May 9, the prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa called the Investigator their last witness.

While being led to give his testimony to the court by the DPP, the witness gave an account that corroborated the testimonies of various witnesses called so far.

He told a three-member panel of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, that he joined the team in interrogating the accused persons but was quick to assert that he was not in the interrogating room.

“I obtained investigation caution statements from all the accused persons one after the other as and when the team finished interrogating them,” he told the court.

He also told the court that, when this happened in September 2019, he was briefed by the head of a section and who was among the arresting team DSO Mr. Aboagye that the accused persons were plotting to overthrow the government.

“My investigations reveal that the accused persons were brought in to overthrow the government of the Republic of Ghana and the said plot began in 2018 when A1 and A3 began meeting some soldiers at the Next Door Beach Resort at Teshie to discuss the overthrow of the government.

“Investigations further reveal that prior to this meeting A1 and A3 had registered an organisation called Take Action Ghana (TAG) as a humanitarian organisation.

“Investigations further revealed that before TAG was registered as a humanitarian organisation its executives had planned to use the organisation to cause disaffection for government by propagating what they called hardships in the country. Investigations again revealed that the registration of TAG was just a smokescreen to cover up its main activity of overthrowing the government.

“The executives of TAG have a WhatsApp platform where members share ideas regarding the overthrow of the government.

He also told the court that, ” investigations reveal that executives of TAG had planned to invite international communities after the overthrow of the government to help in drafting a new constitution and also supervising a fresh election so that TAG will be registered as a political party to contest the general election.

“Based on this agenda of TAG, A1 began a free medical outreach programme in some parts of the country to galvanise support for TAG so that ordinary Ghanaians will support TAG after the overthrow and also as a political party.

“My outfit wrote a letter to Registrar General Department to find out the status of TAG and also to know the executive members. I received a response from the head of my section and I studied the document and found out that A1 and A1 are executive members of TAG – Director and Executive Secretary respectively.”

The panel which also includes Justice Stephen Oppong and Justice Hafisata Amaleboba has adjourned sitting to Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

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