There is a typographical error in affidavit – Witness in treason trial
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, the last prosecution’s witness in the ongoing treason trial, says there was a typographical error in the affidavit to support the accused persons’ motion.
He said a statement he made in an affidavit to support a motion that the accused persons were arrested in a meeting whilst finalising their plot to overthrow the Government was a typographical error.
This was during a Cross-examination by Mr Kormivi Dzotsi, Defense counsel for Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Agordzo.
Mr Dzotsi said if that iwas the case, then the witness had also admitted that there was a typographical error in the facts that he gave to the prosecutors.
It again 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.
Witness in a rebuttal, said, they discussed to organise a massive demonstration that would lead to the overthrow of the government.
Mr Dzotsi insisted that in the 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.
The witness agreed but quickly added that the chats between the two could not stand on their own without linking them to the discussions on Take Action Ghana’s (TAG) Executive WhatsApp platform.
He said that the cash donation of GH¢2,000.00 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 from a meeting but he said no.
Counsel said then he gave a contrary statement as stated in the affidavit that the accused persons were in a meeting to finalise the plot which led to their arrest.
He was then asked to point out from the exhibits where the accused persons discussed the demonstration leading to the overthrow and he pointed at page ten of the chats between ACP Agordzo and Dr Mac Palm.
Counsel said his client was not added to the TAG’s executive WhatsApp platform and that he could not have known the discussion about the overthrow of the Government through massive demonstration.
That may be true and based on that ACP Agordzo was not charged with conspiracy and abetment of crime to wit High treason, he said.
He said his client was a lecturer with the KAIPC and lectured in conflict prevention specifically in 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, adding that he also shared his thoughts on other platforms: where the interior and defense ministers and security experts shared and not only with Mac Palm. The witness disagreed and said if the lecture was a caution then the WhatsApp platform was not the channel to have been used.
Witness said Dr Mac Palm and ACP Agordzo also discussed the topic where ACP Agordzo suggested the printing of T-shirts for the demonstrators as well as forwarded a draft speech to Dr Mac Palm to be read on the D-day.
Counsel said the speech expressed concern that vigilantism had the potential to undermine the nation and needed to be curbed but witness said the speech rather incited the SWAT and Counter terrorism units of the Ghana Police Service against the ordinary Ghanaian.
Asked whether the witness was honest, he said, he could say so.
The counsel then enquired whether he had ever accepted any mobile money transfer gifts from any suspects and he said he had received such money whenever it was due him.
Under what circumstances would you say taking money from suspects or accused persons was due you, asked counsel, and he answered that during prosecution, visiting sureties’ places of abode, among others which required that he used taxis or online driving services he had to take money for those purposes.
He was asked whether he received monies from the accused persons in the treason trial and he admitted that he received money from some of them during the inspection of sureties’ property to meet the bail conditions.
Source: GNA