Alleged coup trial truncated after accused person was rushed to hospital

The Hearing of the case in which some 10 persons are standing trial for their alleged involvement in an attempted coup was truncated after Warrant Officer Class Two (WOII) Esther Saan, the Sixth Accused person fell ill and started throwing up in court during proceedings.

Lawyers of Yohanne Zikpi, the fourth Accused person (A4) led by Lawyer Anthony Lartey was subjecting Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, the 14th and last Prosecution Witness to further cross-examination when sitting was interrupted.

Chief Inspector Nkrumah, is the investigator in the case and is facing scrutiny from the defence lawyers.

Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, the Chief Executive Officer of Citadel Hospital, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo and eight others have all been charged.

While Dr Mac-Palm and seven others including WOII Esther Saan have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and high treason, ACP Dr Agordzo and Col. Kojo Gameli have also denied the charge of abetment.

They have been admitted to bail and are standing trial.

In court on Monday, further cross-examination was interrupted because the Sixth Accused person started throwing up and was taken to the Court Clinic.

The Court Warrant officer who took her to the clinic came back to inform the court that, WOII Esther Saan was throwing up because she took medicine on an empty stomach.

Consequently, the three-member panel of the High Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe adjourned proceedings to June 22.

According to EIB Network’s Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah, Mr Lartey is expected to conclude his cross-examination in 40 minutes at the next sitting as per the case management completion plan agreed on with the court.

The prosecution would be required to close its case when Mr Lartey ends his cross-examination of the witness.

Cross-examination

While subjecting Chief Inspector Nkrumah to cross-examination, counsel suggested to him that he requested A4 (Yohanne Zikpi) to rewrite exhibit AQ1 (investigations Cautioned statement dated 21/10/19) for the sole purpose of incriminating A4 (Zikpi) and A1 (Dr Mac-Palm) and nothing else.

But the investigator said that was not true.

The Investigator told the court that he obtained the exhibits AQ (Cautioned Statements) and AQ1 immediately after the fourth Accused (A4) immediately after interrogation.

When it was put to him that, he was not physically present throughout the period when A4 was interrogated, the Investigator said, he was there.

It was the case of counsel that, the interrogation of A4 took place behind closed doors at the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) premises.

But the witness debunked that assertion, saying “It took place in our usual interrogation room.”