The Office of the Attorney General will today close its case in the trial of the 10 persons accused of plotting to overthrow the government in a coup.
The prosecution was expected to close its case on Monday, June 20, 2022, after Anthony Lartey, counsel for Johannes Zikpi, a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces who is charged with abetment of high treason, was done cross-examining the case investigator.
The proceedings was, however, cut short as the case had to be stood down when the court’s attention was drawn that WOII Esther Saan, the only female among the accused persons was throwing up in the courtroom.
She was taken to the Judicial Service Clinic at the Law Court Complex and the court was later informed that the condition was a result of her taking a medication on an empty stomach.
Mr. Lartey had been given one hour to cross-examine the witness, but was only 20 minutes into the cross-examination when the incident happened.
The three-member panel of the court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe and assisted by Justices Hafisata Amaleboba and Stephen Oppong, initially adjourned the case to yesterday but Lamtin Apanga, counsel for Esther Saan, told the court that the doctor was yet to conduct a laboratory test, and looking at her condition, it did not appear she could come to court on that day.
The court, therefore, adjourned the case to today, for Mr. Lartey to conclude the cross-examination to pave way for the prosecution to close their case.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lartey will also move his application for stay of proceedings filed before the court. He has been served with the prosecution’s affidavit in opposition to the application.
The 10 made up of civilians, a military officer, a senior police officer and some soldiers are before the court on charges of high treason and abetment of high treason for allegedly plotting to overthrow a democratically elected government.
They are Dr. Frederick Yao MacPalm, proprietor of the Citadel Hospital at Alajo in Accra who is suspected to be the mastermind of the plot; Donya Kafui aka Ezor, a local weapon manufacturer; Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu aka Bright Alan Yeboah or BB, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, Lance Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon, Lance Corporal Seidu Abubakar and WO II Esther Saan Dekuwine aka Mama Gee.
The rest are Johannes Zikpi, a civilian employee with the Ghana Armed Forces, ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo of the Ghana Police Service and Col. Samuel Kojo Gameli of the Ghana Armed Forces.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak