Alleged Coup Plotters Ordered To Open Defence

The 10 persons accused of attempting to oust the government in a coup have been ordered by an Accra High Court to open their defence.

This was after the court, in an assessment of the evidence before it, held that the prosecution had made a sufficient case to warrant the 10 to open their defence.

The ten made up of civilians, junior and senior military personnel, as well as a senior police officer, have been charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit high treason, high treason and abetment of high treason, to which they all pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution, during the trial, called 13 witnesses to prove its case and, in the course of the trial, tendered guns, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other ammunitions confiscated from some of the accused persons during their arrest.

A three-member panel of the court presided over Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe and assisted by Justices Stephen Oppong and Hafisata Amaleboba, in a ruling on a submission of no case held that the prosecution has made a prima facie case against the accused persons and accordingly ordered them to open their defence.

Dr. Frederick Mac-Palm, Donya Kafui aka Ezor, Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu aka Bright Alan Yeboah or BB, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, Lance Corporal Sylvester Akapewu, Lance Corporal Seidu Abubakar, WO II Esther Saan Dekuwine aka Mama Gee and Johannes Zikpi, a civilian employee with the Ghana Armed Forces, are facing two counts of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason.

ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo and Col. Samuel Kojo Gameli, on the other hand have been charged with two counts of abetment of high treason each.