Police arrests alleged Ivorian, Ghanaian coup plotters
Three persons alleged to be procuring arms and ammunitions in Ghana to topple the ruling Ouatara Government in Cote D’Ivoire, have been arrested by the Central Regional Police Command.
The names of the men two of whom are Ivorian Nationals aged 27 and 40 and 73-year-old Ghanaian, were not disclosed by the Police for security reasons.
The 27-year old is an ex Ivoirian soldier whilst the 40-year old is a cook and a member of an Ivorian political party against French-dominated governments.
The Central Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Stephen Andoh Kwofie, who briefed the media on Monday, said the men were arrested in Cape Coast.
He said last Thursday, September 13 the Police had information about two Ivorians and a Ghanaian, who had held several meetings in Cape Coast to procure arms and ammunitions from Ghana in a bid to stage a coup against the ruling Ivoirian Government.
He said the 73-year old Ghanaian, served as a middleman between the two Ivorians and the suppliers of the ammunitions after they had given him the list of preference of the arms and ammunitions needed to be purchased.
DCOP Kwofie said the Police monitored the situation and on Friday, September 14 at about 0500 hours, ASP Emmanuel Tetteh, Cape Coast Metropolitan Police Commander led a six-man team to the meeting place in Cape Coast.
He said unknown to the three suspects, the suppliers were policemen, who feigned interest and met with the Ivorians, who showed up at the meeting place at about 0720 hours with five AK47s assault rifles and a box of 1400, 7.62 ammunitions as samples.
He said after a long deliberation over the prices, the Ivorians requested to inspect the samples, which were stored in a vehicle the ‘suppliers’ brought and during the inspection, they were arrested.
Upon interrogation, they mentioned the Ghanaian, an ex merchant navy captain of the Black Star Line, who had lived in Cote D’Ivoire from 1986 to 2012 and he was also arrested.
DCOP Kwofie said investigations were on-going to arrest other persons involved in the plot.
Source: GNA