GH¢80m Bail For ‘Coup’ Doctor, 7 Others

The medical doctor at the centre of an alleged plot to overthrow government, Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, and seven others, some of whom are soldiers, have been granted a total of GH¢80 million bail by an Accra High Court.

They were each granted a bail sum of GH¢10 million with two sureties each to be justified.

As part of the bail condition, they are to report to the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) twice a week, as well as deposit their passports with the court registry.

Accused Persons

The accused are among 10 persons who were allegedly plotting to destabilize the country and overthrow the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

They are Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, the alleged mastermind behind the coup plot; Donya Kafui aka Ezor, a local weapon manufacturer (blacksmith) from Alavanyo; Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, aka BB; Col. Samuel Kojo Gameli, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, Lance Corporal Sylvester Akapewu, Lance Corporal Seidu Abubakar and Johannes Zikpi, a civilian employee with the Ghana Armed Forces.

The other two accused persons, ASP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo and WO II Esther Saan aka Mama, had already been granted bail by another court.

The accused had made their first appearance before the court presided over by Justice Samuel Asiedu, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, after they had been committed by the Kaneshie District Court to stand trial for treason felony and other charges.

Bail Application

Appearing before the court, private legal practitioner Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, who is counsel for Dr. Mac-Palm and four others, argued for bail pending trial.

He said his clients were not flight risk and that the accused had been in custody for almost a year and that remand should not be used as a way of punishing them.

Tony Lartey, counsel for Mr. Zipki, said his client had some health conditions and would not run away since Ghana’s borders had been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The application was opposed by Hilda Craig, a Senior State Attorney, who argued that the accused persons would not appear for the trial if granted bail.

Justice Asiedu, upon hearing both sides, granted bail to the accused persons with strict conditions attached.

Accused Plea

Meanwhile, the court is yet to take the pleas of the accused persons as all of them were not present in court as result of the restrictions placed on court sittings to curtail the spread of Covid-19.

The case was adjourned to June 5, 2020 for their pleas to be taken and the trial commenced.

By Gibril Abdul Razak