President Akufo-Addo and WO II Esther Saan, aka Mama Gee
A witness in the case of the alleged coup plotters, Major General Nicholas Andoh, has insisted that the 10 persons who are standing trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the NPP government actually planned to capture and kill President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Major General Andoh, who is the prosecution’s second witness, while under cross- examination debunked claims by Victor Adawudu, counsel for Dr. Frederick MacPalm and four others that, the accused persons on no occasion discussed any plans to over to overthrow the government.
He told the court that the accused persons, as part of their plans to overthrow the NPP government, sought to procure weapons – an AK47 riffle through Gershon Akpa, a civilian employee with the Ghana Armed Forces and their discussion on plans to overthrow the government and eventually kill the President were seen in videos recorded by operatives of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Bureau of National Investigations.
“I am putting it to you that there was no occasion that the accused persons planned to overthrow the government as you want this court to understand,” counsel for the accused, Victor Adawudu challenged the witness.
“This assertion is false. There were discussions, there was a plan, it was drawn on paper, areas were selected to be captured, attacked and blocked. It was discussed and seen in the video. The plan was seen in the video at Laskala. The same plan and sketch was seen in a drawer of Dr. MacPalm at the Citadel Hospital 14 months after the discussion,” the witness told the court.
Major General Andoh continued that “the IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) and the pistols were seen in the video and were physically located at the Citadel Hospital and then the sedative chemical that was put in the IEDs, two samples were found during a search at the Citadel Hospital. All the meetings centered on the overthrow of the government and to cause havoc in the country.”
Trial
The 10 accused persons include 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.
Second Witness
Major General Andoh, who is the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, led in his witness-in-chief by the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, told the court that Dr. MacPalm masterminded the plot to overthrow the government.
He said analysis of a joint surveillance revealed that the medical doctor was the brain behind the coup and that “he took practical steps to recruit military and police officers through BB (Bright Alan Debrah) to advance his cause.”
He also outlined some of the important meetings held by the accused persons at various venues where they discussed among other things how to carry out the coup, and how to capture or block some key installations in the country in order for their plans to succeed.
Cross-Examination
Mr. Adawudu, who is the counsel for Dr. MacPalm and four other accused persons, asked the witness whether he was at any of the meetings that he spoke about, and the durations of the meetings as well as the video and audio recordings.
Major General Andoh told the court that he was not at any of the meetings and could not specify the duration of the meetings as well as the durations of the video and audio recordings, but added that as the Director of Defence Intelligence at the time, he did not need to be at the meeting “but by my structures I could monitor through the recordings and reporting that I received. So my account is based on the review of the videos and reports I received from my operatives.”
The lawyer of Dr. MacPalm then suggested to the witness that since he was not at the alleged meetings he could not tell what was discussed at these meetings.
The witness in his reply said, “I can, on the basis that all the videos, audios and the verbal briefings I received turned out to authenticate the activities that were physically uncovered.”
The lawyer also suggested to the witness that “it is not a crime to procure a rifle in Ghana,” but the witness said, “My Lord, it is a crime to procure an assault rifle without permission. It is a crime.”
Dr. MacPalm’s Lawyer: And I’m also putting it to you that when you procure a rifle, you have to register it. Is that not so?
Witness: My lord AK47 rifle is the preserve of security agencies and their procurement must be authorised.
Dr. MacPalm’s Lawyer: I am putting it to you that it is not a crime to procure a rifle and register it in Ghana.
Witness: My lord, the procurement of assault rifle – AK47 is an assault rifle and it is not permitted for any individual not even in the military to acquire. It is meant for the police, the army and the security agencies.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak