Alleged coup case: There was typographical error in affidavit – Prosecution witness

Police Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, the last prosecution witness in the ongoing treason trial, says there was a typographical error in the affidavit to support the accused’s motion.

Prosecution witness said a statement he made in an affidavit to support a motion that the accused were arrested at a meeting while finalising their plot to overthrow the government was a typographical error.

This was during cross-examination by Mr. Kormivi Dzotsi, defence counsel for Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Agordzo.

Mr. Dzotsi said if that was the case, the witness had also admitted that there was a typographical error in the facts that he gave to the prosecutors.

Defence witness said it also meant that a statement that ACP Agordzo and Dr. Frederick Mac Palm agreed to organise demonstrations that would lead to the takeover of the government was also an error.

Chief Insp Nkrumah, in a rebuttal, said Dr. Agordzo and Dr. Mac Palm discussed organising a massive demonstration that would lead to the overthrow of the government.

Mr. Dzotsi said that in conversations between ACP Agordzo and Dr. Mac Palm, there was no statement or discussion about organising a massive demonstration which would lead to the overthrow of the government.

Chief Insp Nkrumah agreed with the lawyer’s assertion but added that the chats between ACP Agordzo and Dr. Mac Palm could not stand on their own without linking them to discussions on Take Action Ghana (TAG) Executive WhatsApp platform.

Mr. Dzotsi said the GH¢2,000.00 donated by ACP Agordzo was in support of TAG’s health outreach programme, but the witness said it was in aid of the plot to overthrow the government.

ACP Agordzo’s lawyer asked the witness whether he arrested his client during a meeting, but the witness said no.

Mr. Dzotsi said the witness gave a contrary statement, as stated in the affidavit, that the accused were in a meeting to finalise the plot, which led to their arrest.

When the lawyer asked Chief Insp Nkrumah to point out from the exhibits where the accused discussed the demonstration that would lead to the overthrow of the government, he (witness) pointed at page ten of the chats between ACP Agordzo and Dr. Mac Palm.

Mr. Dzotsi said his client was not added to the TAG’s executive WhatsApp platform and that he could not have known about the discussion about the overthrow of the government through massive demonstrations.

That may be true, and based on that, ACP Agordzo was not charged with conspiracy and abetment of crime to wit High treason, the witness said.

Mr. Dzotsi said his client was a lecturer at the KAIPC and lectured in conflict prevention, specifically on contemporary security challenges; as such, when he had discussions with Dr. Mac Palm about the Arab Spring, it was in the context and consent of an expert.

The lawyer said his client also shared his thoughts on other platforms: where the interior and defence ministers and security experts shared and not only with Dr. Mac Palm.