The embattled Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Citadel Hospital, Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, has described as “falsehood” the prosecution’s allegation that Senior Police Officer ACP Dr Benjamin Agordzo wrote a speech for him to be read after the overthrown of the government.
According to Dr Mac-Palm, a medical practitioner accused of masterminding an alleged takeover of government by Take Action Ghana (TAG) said, throughout his engagement with ACP Agordzo, they never also discussed an issue of coup d’etat
De Mac-Palm and seven others have pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and high treason while ACP Dr Agordzo and Col. Kojo Gamelie have each also denied the charge of abetment.
Under further cross-examination from lawyers of ACP Agordzo led by Lawyer Kormivi Dzotsi, holding brief for Martin Kpebu, Dr Mac-Palm said the allegations have no basis.
“It is falsehood. it is never true because A10 (ACP Agordzo) and I never ever discussed overthrowing the sitting government,” he said when asked about his reaction to that allegation by the prosecution.
Dr Mac-Palm, who is the first accused, also told the court that the meeting he had with ACP Agordzo at the Coconut Grove Hotel was attended by Supt Peter Toobu.
The first accused intimated that at that meeting there was no discussion “whatsoever about coup d’etat.”
On the contrary, he said ACP Agordzo introduced him to Supt Toobu as someone who could help advance the good governance agenda of TAG.
He told the court that he subsequently had an engagement with Supt Peter Toobu one-on-one at the Tesano Police Training Depot
With that engagement, Dr Mac-Palm said throughout the discussion with him there was nothing about the unlawful overthrow of the government
He told the court that his attempt to get A10 to introduce him to his boss Kofi Boakye did not hold because ACP Agordzo told him he could not but he should have a discussion with him instead.
He said later “I did introduce myself to him (Kofi Boakye) eventually,” where he held discussions with him about the goals and activities of TAG.
He again told the court that his discussion with him did not include the “unlawful overthrow of government or coup d’etat”
Controversial phrase
Responding to counsel for a reaction to the prosecution’s allegation that the use of the phrase ’Big Bang’ in their conversation by ACP Agordzo meant he was calling for a coup d’etat, Dr Mac-Palm disagreed.
“Over and over I repeatedly say we never ever discussed coup d’etat with anybody. Now the word ‘Big bang’ as far as my knowledge and understanding, is a little of a phrase associated with major changes in any situation or environment at any particular point in time,” he stated.
“One of the core objectives of TAG is to cause change in the corrupt system as we deemed it and I will like to say that TAG had the intention of demonstrating our displeasure until we see or saw a change. So if ACP Agordzo use the phrase ‘Big Bang,’ I personally did not at that time even now read it to mean coup d’etat into that phrase
Dr Mac-Palm also told the court that, ACP Agordzo was not the only person who made cash donations to the course of TAG.
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He said ACP Agordzo did not only promise but made a donation of GHc2k to support their medical outreach programs but when he joined TAG one of his major concerns was to consult Civil Society Organizations to support its activities.
Legal aid Lawyer
Meanwhile, the third accused person Allan Debrah Ofosu had requested a state-assisted lawyer after informing the court of his inability to offer financial obligations to lawyers.
The three-member panel of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe ordered the Director of Legal Aid to provide him with a lawyer.
“There is no (legal) appearance for the third accused person. He now says that he is not able to meet the financial obligations put up by lawyers.
“The director of Legal Aid is therefore ordered to provide a lawyer for A3 before March 13,” the panel which also includes Justice Amaleboba and Justice Stephen Oppong ordered.
The panel, all Justices of the Court of Appeal said the adjournment to March 13 was to give the new lawyer time to study the documents and conduct the cross-examination.
The CEO of the Citadel Hospital together with Donya Kafui alias Ezor (A2), Bright Allan Debrah Fosu,(A3), Johannes Zikpi (A4), WOII Esther Saan Dekuwine (A6), CPL Seidu Abubakar, (A7), LAC Ali Solomon, (A8), CPL Sylvester Akanpewon, (A9) are facing two charges of conspiracy and high treason, have all pleaded not guilty while Col. Samuel Kodjo Gamelie (A5) and ACP Benjamin Agordzo have each denied a charge of abetment.