After being advised by friends and people closer to the realms of power to be careful, following his utterances at an IDEG programme, ACP Dr. Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo, has disclosed he was threatened by a senior government official for his comments on a WhatsApp platform.
The retired senior officer of the Ghana Police Service accused of abetting an overthrow of the government and acquitted by an Accra High Court says after making a contribution on what constitutes civil uprising on a WhatsApp platform, he was told he needed to be “brought to order”.
The incidents that took place prior to his arrest and prosecution, according to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), makes him suspect his trial was politically motivated.
“…And earlier I had said that a very senior member of government had threatened me on [a] platform that I shared with him for expressing my opinion on what constitute civil uprising.
“We were all discussing, after a while the Defence Minister came back to say “he’s off the mark, he must be brought to order”. So, all these things played on my mind and I knew where it was coming from,” he shared with Keminni Amanor in an interview on TV3 Sunday, January 28, 2024.
The acquitted police officer had suspected that his arrest and prosecution stemmed from a statement of truth he made at an Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) programme he attended where he critiqued happenings in the police service.
According to him, despite sharing a general challenge which hampered the progress of the Police Service, the government in power felt attacked and subjected him to the ordeal and embarrassment he suffered the past five years.
“This whole thing started from the IDEG presentation that I did in 2018 where I critiqued not sitting government, but a system in place where the Police Council is dominated by the party and the government in power and for that matter, we could not have an independent police operating.
“Because definitely they’re in your hands and you could move them. You could move the IGP anywhere anytime and the Commissioners could be moved anyhow. The President at any point in time could instruct where a particular Commissioner should be because it is part of the constitution and therefore I critiqued that system.
“And I think from that point looking at the people at the workshop, and the fact that defence intelligence, CID, the police Capos and other things, people were there, once you begin to talk about this kind of thing in a tough way, and especially in uniform as an Assistant Commissioner, you’re on national security radar and they’ll be watching you and even after my presentation, a lot of friends, even from their own side called me to say; ”be careful they’re looking out for you. The least thing you do, they’ll take you on” so I wasn’t surprised,” he disclosed.
ACP Dr Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo, was aquitted with two others who were also accused of the same offence.
The judgment, handed down by the three-member panel of judges on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, marked a significant turn in the legal proceedings surrounding the alleged plot to oust a government.
The two other persons who were accused alongside ACP Agordzo, were Colonel Gameli, and another junior military officer, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, who were both acquitted.
The late Dr. Frederick Yao Mac Palm, the alleged mastermind of the entire plot, was posthumously declared the first accused. The second accused, Donya Kafui, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason. Similarly, the third accused, Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, faced convictions on charges of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason.
Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan Dekuwine, the sole female among the accused, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason but not guilty of high treason. On the other hand, Cpl Seidu Abubakar, the seventh accused, was acquitted of both conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason. Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, the eighth accused, received a mixed verdict, being found guilty of conspiracy but not guilty of high treason.
Coup plot
The charges stem from an alleged plot to destabilise the country, with the accused facing accusations of conspiracy to commit high treason, abetment to high treason, and high treason. The trial, which commenced on June 8, 2021, caught the nation’s attention due to its high-profile nature.
Supporters of the accused gathered in the courtroom, expressing relief and jubilation at the acquittal of ACP Dr Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo. The trial had been ongoing since April 2021, with the judgment date set on November 22, 2023, following extensive legal arguments and the presentation of witnesses.
The prosecution team, led by Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, presented a formidable case, including testimony from seven soldiers. In contrast, the defence, comprising lawyers such as Rita Akukunti Ali, Victor Kodjogah Adawudu, and others, vigorously defended their clients throughout the proceedings.
The fallout from this trial is expected to resonate across the legal and political landscape, raising questions about the nature of the charges and the complexities surrounding the alleged coup plot. As the nation absorbs the verdict, the implications of this high-profile case are likely to reverberate for some time to come.