Sojas dey among di six pipo court sentence to death by hanging for ‘plotting coup’ for Ghana

One High court for Accra don sentence six pipo including three sojas to death by hanging on top accuse say dem follow plot coup for di kontri five years ago.

Di court say dem dey guilty for plotting to overthrow di goment.

Dem don find say Warrant Officer II Esther Saan Dekuwine, Lance corporal Ali Solomon and Corporal Sylvester Akanpewan, be guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason.

Di court find di odas Donya Kafui (wey be be blacksmith) and Bright Ofosu (fleet manager) guilty of conspiracy to commit treason and treason.

Dem also convict Johannes Zikpi wey be civilian employee for di Ghana armed forces, afta dem find am guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason.

Three-member panel for di high court wia Justice Afia Serwaa Akoto Botchway don dey lead, read di sentence.

“We don sentence you to death by hanging by di neck you die wey dem go bury your body for place di president go order.”

But di court don release one top police officer and two sojas.

Dem be assistant commissioner of police ACP Dr Benjamin Agordzo, Colonel Samuel Gameli together wit one junior soldier, Corporal Seidu Abubakar.

One of di accused pesin wey be medical doctor, don die during di five-year trial.

Di security agencies don arrest di ten pipo for 2019 wia dem charge dem wit treason and high treason.

Attorney general wia lead di prosecution, Godfred Dame tok say “di court verdict be significant.”

Wetin di sentence mean

Despite say di kontri don remove some part of di death penalty from di law books, some crime like treason and high treason still dey attract death penalty.

Treason be say pesin don dey plan war against Ghana or if pesin don assist any state or pesin to incite war.

E also dey cover di situation if pesin conspire wit odas to levy war on Ghana or say pipo dey attempt to use arms or oda violent means to overthrow di organs of goment.

Wit di sentence, di six pesin wey di court find guilty go dey death roll, even though dia lawyers tok say dem go appeal di decision.

For di three pipo wia di court acquit and discharge afta di five-year trial, dia lawyers also tok say dem go sue di state for compensation.

Dia lawyer, Martin Kpebu tok afta di court ruling say “we go drag di goment to court for malicious prosecution.”

“We go prove say dis trial na abuse of di process for political reason, to gag pesin.”

“Malicious prosecution be mata wey dey arise if di state take pipo through trial without justifiable reason,” di counsel explain.

Afta di court proceedings, ACP Dr Agordzo wey be director of police operations bifor dem arrest am in 2019, don dey sing victory song in front of di court complex.

Im tok journalists say im know say im go be vindicated.

“From di beginning, I know say dis na how di case go end. Na I dey confident say dis trial go amount to nothing,” ACP Dr Agordzo tok.

Di police service don interdict am immediately afta im arrest five years ago.

E never be clear if di service go reinstate am afta di court ruling.

ACP Dr Agordzo get ova 26 years experience inside di police service wia im specialty be investigations, training, human resource and police operations.

Background to coup plot

For 2019, security agencies for di kontri arrest one group wia dem call dem ‘Take action Ghana’ say dem dey plan to overthrow di goment.

Dem pick dem up for dawn operation.

According to di information ministry at di time, di agencies carry out joint operation for 15 months.

Some of di accused, Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm (wia don die), Etor Kafui and Bright Debrah don target young pipo to “radicalize dem”, according to di ministry.

Di information ministry add say di accused plan say dem go target key state installations like di jubilee house togeda wit di state broadcaster as part of dia plot.