Accra, March 29, GNA – Mr Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, Counsel for five out of the ten accused persons in the ongoing treason trial has said that Take Action Ghana (TAG) targeted prominent personalities to speak against the ills in society.
The five are Donya Kafui, alias Ezor, Bright Alan Debrah, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon and Sylvester Akanpewu.
He mentioned that one of such people was Commissioner of Police (COP) Nathan Kofi Boakye and asked whether he was invited by the investigative team.
This was during the cross-examination of Mr Francis Aboagye, the eighth Prosecution Witness and investigator with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), on Tuesday at the High Court hearing of the trial.
The Defense Counsel asked the witness whether he took a statement from Commissioner of Police (COP) Boakye when he stated there was the need for a third force and advised Dr Frederick Mac Palm, an accused person, to consult Reverend Andrews Kwabena alias “Sofo Kyiri abosom,” on the formation of a third force political party of which Mr Boakye agreed.
“Indeed the investigating team did not find any criminality in the advice of COP Boakye professed,” the defence counsel probed and the prosecution witness said, “yes COP Boakye had indicated that he realized that the accused had a political agenda and so he was not interested and directed him (Dr Mac Palm) to see Osofo Kyiri abosom”.
“I am suggesting to you that indeed TAG at no point in time had the intension to overthrow a constitutionally elected government,” questioned defence counsel, but the prosecution witnesses disagreed, saying, it was false, adding that “As I have demonstrated how the vision and mission of TAG were targeted at the overthrow of government as evidence on TAG’s Whatsapp platform”.
Defence Counsel: “I am suggesting to you that one of the objectives of TAG was to bring prominent citizens together to speak against the ills of society”.
However, the prosecution witness said, “That is false, my answer is backed by the evidence made available”.
Defence counsel challenged the eighth prosecution that in their investigating the case, he and his team did not find any usage of weapons by his clients nor did they use any gun or dangerous implement on any public officer, the witness answered no, but said all evidence available shows they intended to carry out an attack on public officials in the pursuit of overthrowing the government.
Defence counsel also asked whether the weapons allegedly retrieved from the Citadel Hospital belonging to Dr Mac Palm had the fingerprints of his clients, but the witness denied that, and said the investigative team was informed by the experts who examined the said weapons and equipment and that they were unsuccessful in getting anyone’s prints on them because they had rough surfaces.
He said there was no connection between the guns purportedly retrieved and Ezor but the witness said it was false as Ezor from the day of arrest admitted making them, whereas Dr Mac Palm said that they were made for him.
Again, the Defense counsel put it to the witness that during investigations, pictures of personalities such as Dr Valerie Sawyer, Kofi Adams, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo, another accused person and Superintendent Peter Lanchene Toobu, now Member of Parliament for Wa West, were shown to Debrah to identify them.
Ezor, Debrah, Corporal Abubakar, Lance Corporal Ali and Corporal Akanpewu, are standing trial together with Dr Mac Palm, Johannes Zikpi, Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli, Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan and Assistant Commissioner of Police Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo.
They have been charged with various offences such as conspiracy to commit a crime, high treason, abetment of crime and possession of arms.
They have denied the charges and are being tried by a three-member judge panel.
GNA