The Legal counsel for three persons suspected of plotting to overthrow government says the claims have been fabricated.
“I am telling you that this whole issue is a set up,” Victor Adawudu told JoyNews Tuesday after the state filed five charges against the three.
A doctor, Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, a freight manager, Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu and a local weapons manufacturer, Dornyah “Ezor” Kafui are before the court for what the Information Ministry says is a coup attempt.
The Ministry said it found weapons and ammunition in Citadel hospital in Alajo, a densely populated community in Accra, where the doctor works.
Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm in handcuffs
It listed six pistols, three smoke grenades, 22 IEDs, two AK47 magazines and one long knife and said the swoop comes after 15 months of surveillance.
Government said Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm and two others based in the US had formed a group on social media, Take Action Ghana (TAG) which it claimed was to “radicalize” youths it had recruited under the guise of nation-building.
According to the group’s Facebook page formed in August 2018, the goal is to “Restore, Reclaim, Redeem, Resurrect a new future Ghana for the people by the people and with the people so GOD be with us.”
There are several photos of health-screening exercises and philanthropic work.
Victor Adawudu said government felt “uncomfortable” with discussions on the platform and decided to move against the group by framing its leaders.
He said his client had no knowledge of a sack of weapons which state security officials retrieved close to a generator in the hospital at Alajo where Dr Yao Mac-Palm worked.
The lawyer disputed the government’s claim that it found some weapons in the doctor’s house.
“They went there twice, they found nothing in his house” he insisted.
Victor Adawudu said the government wants to divert attention from growing public discontent by cooking up stories of a coup plot.
He predicted that government’s claims will suffer in court.
“Let the government come,” he challenged.
A Magistrate court hearing a case against three suspects in a coup plot has detected mistakes on the charge sheet brought by state prosecutors.
The Magistrate Rosemond Dodua Agyiri pointed out in court, some of the five charges were beyond her jurisdiction.
1. Conspiracy to commit crime – Manufacture of arms and ammunition without lawful authority.
2. Conspiracy to commit crime – Possession of explosives and firearms without lawful authority.
3. Manufacture of firearms without lawful authority.
4. Manufacture of explosives and ammunition’s without lawful authority
5. Possession of explosives and firearms.
Source: myjoyonline
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