By Gifty Amofa
Accra, Jan. 17, GNA – The Accra High Court trying Dr Frederick Mac Palm and nine others for treason, on Monday re-ordered the accused persons to file their disclosures.
The accused persons failed to comply with the order made six months ago by the three-member-panel Court but they pleaded for more time to do.
The Court stated that none of the accused persons challenged its ruling that they had to answer the charges against them, except that only two of them applied for a stay of proceedings.
They are to file their disclosures by January 27, 2023 and make their next appearance on February 1, 2023.
The Court made up of Justices: Hafisata Amaleboba, Mr Stephen Oppong and presided over by Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, Appeal Court judges with additional responsibilities as high court judges, said six months since the order was made and their failure to comply had attracted contempt charge already.
“Comply before you do anything else, non-compliance can attract a contempt,” the Court ordered, saying that “only two people filed the appeal, the eight did not.”
Two applications for stay of proceedings by Mr Martin Kpebu and Mr Eric Senyo Pongo, Defense Counsels for Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo and Colonel Samuel Gameli, respectively is not a stay (does not stop proceedings in itself), the Court added.
“Proceedings will continue, we have agreed to meet on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 12 noon, by January 27, 2023, file your disclosures. Coming back to court on February 1, 2023 for case management, better comply if you do not you would not like it”.
Whilst Mr Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, Defense Counsels for Donya Kafui, Bright Alan Debrah, Airforce Corporal Ali Solomon, Corporal Seidu Abubakar and Corporal Akanpewon and A2,3,7,8,9 prayed that their disclosures would be filed by Mr Samuel Tuah, holding brief for Mr Anthony Lartey, for Johannes Zikpi and Madam Emma Adinyira and Mr Samuel Tuah prayed the Court to give their clients by Friday, January 20, 2023, to file their disclosures.
Mr Adawudu prayed the Court that they were stressed so much that they could not comply as some of the witnesses lived far away, some of them do not live in Accra.
As Mr Pongo must file for witness statements and not disclosures Mr Kormivi Dzotsi who held Brief for Mr Kpebu in an Affidavit for ACP Agordzo has stated that ACP Agordzo had great chance of success and would waste money if disclosures were filed.
Prosecution was led by Madam Winifred Sarpong, Senior lawyer of the Attorney General’s Department.
Dr Mac Palm, Kafui, Debrah, Johannes Zikpi, Colonel Gameli, Warrant Officer Class II Esther Saan, Corporal Abubarkar, Airforce Corporal Ali Solomon, Corporal Akanpewon and ACP Agordzo have been charged for their various contributions towards an alleged treason.
They have all denied conspiring or abetting to commit the crime and have since been granted bail.
GNA