Treason trial: Accused persons did not discuss overthrow of government – Adawudu
Mr Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, Defense Counsel for five of the ten people accused of high treason, says his clients did not discuss the overthrow of government at the “Next Door Beach Resort”.
He said Bright Alan Debrah, who mostly chaired the said meetings that allegedly plotted the offence, among other participants, mentioned nothing in relation to the government’s overthrow.
This was during a cross-examination of Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, an investigator with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and the thirteenth prosecution’s witness about the recordings (audio and video) of the meetings.
The prosecution’s witness, however, insisted there was a discussion of overthrow in the meetings.
The counsel told the witness to “tell the Court the number of times Corporal Seidu Abubakar (A7) attended the alleged overthrow of government meetings.”
Mr Nkrumah said, “…to the best of my knowledge, he attended once on June 22, 2018.”
The lawyer said there was nowhere the investigator would find Corporal Abubakar (A7) in a video of the meeting, but the witness said he was wearing a yellow/orange La Coste T-shirt.
Again, he challenged the detective that there was nowhere in the video that he would find Lance Airforce Corporal Ali Solomon-A8 in a video played in court, but the witness said he was in the next video.
On the part of Corporal Sylvester Aknapewon – A9, the defense counsel said the contribution A9 made in another meeting was in relation to allowances for them- the soldiers and asked whether the witness heard that whilst watching the video.
“Yes, my lords, I heard that, the 15 minutes video was not the entire meeting we watched, comparing the audio with video, audio lasted about 15 minutes which is at the end of the meeting,” the witness answered.
After some videos were played, the witness identified some of the soldiers- Corporal Abubakar and Lance Airforce Corporal Solomon, at the meeting.
Counsel insisted that those images were his clients, and the witness said: “I identified him as A7 and even if he is not the very person as said by counsel, A7 attended the meeting with Staff Sergeant Sule Awarf, Godwin Nii Ankrah -PW12, A8 and others on that very day.”
The counsel also said his clients-A7 and A8 had denied conspiring to commit a crime to wit high treason and high treason, but the witness said they did so, but witnesses said they were there to discuss the overthrow.
“Can you tell the court the month and year in which Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon-A9 attended a meeting in Dr Frederick Mac Palm’s-A1 residence in relation to the matter before the Court?” Mr Adawudu asked.
Witness: A8 and A9 indicated to me that they attended the meeting in A1’s house before the June 22, 2018, but I cannot tell whether it was June or May.
Lawyer: Do you have any evidence to attest to the fact that A9 attended a meeting in A1’s house in relation to the matter before this Court?
The witness said A8 and A9’s statements attested to that fact.
Lawyer: Mr Nkrumah, what A8 said in his cautioned statement was that he went to pay a visit to A1 at the invitation of Debrah-A3, who said they should meet him there.
The witness said it was not true and that it was A9 who was invited by A3 and A9 also invited A8, and they all went to A1’s house.
“Can you tell the court the exact discussion they had,” the counsel demanded, and the witness said no, because they did not disclose it to him.
The Lawyer said it was because there was no meeting, but the witness disputed it and said there was a discussion, but they did not disclose it to him.
Dr Mac Palm, Donya Kafui, Debrah, Johannes Zipki, Colonel Samuel Gameli, Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan, Corporal Abubakar, Solomon, Corporal Akanpewon and Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Benjamin Agordzo are being tried for the offence for, which they denied.
Source: GNA