GRABBED! Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm
The busted stockpile of arms at the Citadel Hospital at Alajo in Accra was intended for an attack on the Presidency, and a subsequent overthrow of the government, it is emerging.
In its first statement on the subject since last Friday’s operation which led to the arrest of suspects behind the weapons and seizure of telltale exhibits, the government said the exercise was jointly undertaken by personnel of the Defence Intelligence Directorate, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Three persons are currently being detained as investigations continue in the case. The operation led to the retrieval of an assortment of arms, explosive devices and ammunition from locations in Accra and Bawaleshie, near Dodowa.
According to the statement from the Information Minister, the joint operation was intended “to neutralize an elaborate plot targeted at the Presidency, and with the ultimate aim of destabilizing the country.”
15 Months Surveillance
The operation was a culmination of a 15-month period of surveillance and gathering of evidence on the activities of the prime suspects – one of them being the proprietor of the medical facility, Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, and two others, Ezor Kafui, a local weapon manufacturer (blacksmith), and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, aka BB or ADC.
Retrieved Exhibits
Five locally manufactured pistols with fitted magazines, one foreign pistol with two extra magazines, three locally manufactured pistol barrels and three smoke grenades were retrieved.
Others were 22 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), nine NATO type AK 47 magazines and a long knife.
The rest were seven mobile phones, two IPADS, two decoders, one modem, three tablets and one Ghanaian passport. Besides, two pen drives, one voice recorder, one USB connector including machines, materials for the manufacture of weapons, and IEDs were picked up.
At the Bawaleshie, location 63 mm rounds were retrieved.
Main Plan
Sometime in June 2018, Dr. Mac-Palm and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu started meeting at Next-Door Beach Resort, across the road opposite Wajir Barracks in Accra.
Their meetings attracted the attention of the security apparatus which continued to monitor for the next 15 months.
The surveillance covered their other meetings at other locations in Accra all geared towards the achievement of their objective.
Meeting Some Soldiers
Between June and August 2018, BB, who was acting for Dr. Mac-Palm, contacted some soldiers with a view to having them join the plot to hatch and execute to obtain weapons, take over key installations, secure funding for the purpose of taking over the reins of government meetings.
Take Action Ghana
A group ‘Take Action Ghana’ was formed in August 2018 by Dr. Mac-Palm and Kennedy Amoah and Dr. Albert Sam, a man based in the USA.
The group was ostensibly to mobilize the youth for nation-building, education, health and provision of shelter for the needy.
It has turned out that the actual objective for the formation of the group was to mobilize the youth, radicalize them for the purpose of overthrowing the government.
Local Weapons
As part of the project, Dr. Mac-Palm engaged an Alavanyo blacksmith to produce weapons locally alongside IEDs for an operation.
The blacksmith set up a workshop in a container, which previously served as an X-Ray laboratory within the Citadel Hospital. He started producing the weapons and IEDs within the location, the statement pointed out.
Korle Bu Ingredients
Dr. Mac-Palm and Mr. Ezor procured from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital some essential items needed as an additive to gun powder, stone chippings, surgical needles and powdered pepper for their operations.
A worker at the Base Workshop of the Ghana Army at Burma Camp was engaged for the supply of 10 AK 47 rifles for which an advance payment of GH¢7,000 was made.
Test Firing
At about 11 am on 19th September 2019, Dr. Mac-Palm, unknowing to him that he was under surveillance in the company of Mr. Ezor and a soldier, went to a location close to the Laboma Beach to test some of the finished weapons.
Major Arrest
Last Friday, between 0915 and 1755 hours, the security assigned the operation descended on the location at Alajo and arrested Dr. Mac-Palm and his accomplices. This was followed by the retrieval of the aforementioned exhibits.
BNI
The suspects and the exhibits, according to the Information Minister, are in the custody of the BNI as interrogation of the suspect continues.
Assurance
The security agencies have given an assurance that they will safeguard the security of the country.
On its part, government has said it will provide the necessary logistics and motivation to the security agents to secure the country.
The Information Minister urged the public to provide information to security agents about any ‘suspicious movements’ so that the necessary action could be taken.
Additional Information
DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the Alavanyo blacksmith engaged to work in the container within Citadel Hospital is singing and in so doing spilling valuable information for the ongoing investigation which is being championed by some of the finest interrogation experts within the security community.
Soldiers Turn Around
DAILY GUIDE has also learnt that unknowing to Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm and his accomplices, the soldiers they engaged to assist with the plot had feigned interest in the whole operation.
Intelligence gathered enabled the security agents not to waste time looking for the exact location of the container and to lay hands on the telltale exhibits.
Conflicting Reports
Some reports have it that staff and patients were ordered out of the hospital as the operation lasted. Others said they remained in there but their mobile phones were seized from them.
Cynosure
The sleepy brightly painted Citadel Hospital unnoticed by the many passers-by as motorists is now a cynosure because of the notoriety it has earned since the story about the weapon and bomb making factory within it made the headlines.
Surprise
Many residents and persons who use the hospital could not believe it when it dawned on them that they were patronizing a hospital which doubled as an armament factory. ‘What if something went wrong and there was an explosion? One of the patrons of the hospital asked rhetorically.
Court Today
DAILY GUIDE has been reliably informed that the suspects will make their first appearance in court today.
By A.R. Gomda