ACP/Dr. Benjamin Agordzo
The hopes of ACP/Dr. Benjamin Agordzo to secure bail hang in the balance as an Accra High Court has set January 21 to rule on his application.
This is the second time his lawyer is applying for bail for him in the case in which he has been charged with abetment of treason felony over an attempted coup.
An earlier application for bail was dismissed by another Accra High Court presided over by Justice George Buadi who said the application was premature and also held that the accused person being a senior police officer could interfere with investigations.
The senior police officer is alleged to have abetted a group of people led by Dr. Frederic Mac Palm, Proprietor of Citadel Hospital at Alajo, Accra, who were planning to overthrow the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, according to investigations.
ACP Agordzo is alleged to have incited members of a non-governmental organisation — Take Action Ghana (TAG) — to demonstrate against the NPP government and subsequently overthrow it as he allegedly said it is within their right to do so.
Apart from his alleged involvement in the planning of the treasonable action, ACP Agordzo is said to have assisted the group with various sums of money to facilitate the organisation of the intended demonstration and overthrow.
ACP Agordzor, according to the BNI, also drafted a speech to be delivered on the day of the demonstration and the subsequent overthrow of government.
Bail Application
Moving the application, Martin Kpebu, counsel for ACP Agordzo, told the court that the prosecution had indicated that investigations had been completed and based on that he urged the court to grant his client bail pending the trial.
He said his client is a senior police officer and a family man and of no flight risk who is willing to stand trial to prove that he has no intention to carry out what the prosecution has accused him of.
Opposition
The prosecution led by Hilda Craig opposed the application, saying although the police had concluded some investigations and the case docket sent to the Office of the Attorney General, there could be the need for further investigations.
She said the senior officer could interfere with witnesses who are police officers and take direct orders from him.
She said the conduct of the accused person also showed that he may not obey the order of the court when granted bail, citing an alleged confrontation between ACP Agordzo and some police officers who were acting on a court order to confiscate his gadgets for investigations.
The court presided over by Justice Charles Ekow Baiden said he needs to give a detailed ruling, for which reason he adjourned the matter to January 21.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak