Dr Frederick Mac Palm, an accused person in the ongoing treason trial has told the Accra High Court that the Beretta pistol retrieved from his bed
Dr Frederick Mac Palm, an accused person in the ongoing treason trial has told the Accra High Court that the Beretta pistol retrieved from his bedroom is licensed.
The Chief Executive Officer of Citadel Hospital is not holding the gun to cause harm to any government official but for his personal protection, Mr Ephraim A. Vordoagu, his counsel revealed this during a Cross-examination of Mr Francis Aboagye, the tenth prosecution’s witness.
The gun was among the alleged weapons retrieved from Dr Mac Palm upon his arrest on September 20, 2022, at the Hospital located at Alajo.
However, Dr Mac Palm has denied ownership of the other weapons namely: the locally made pistols and the Improvised Explosive Devices and others that were allegedly retrieved from the facility.
The High Court hearing the trial heard that Take Action Ghana (TAG), a Non-Governmental Organisation, was formed to mobilise Ghanaians both home and abroad to seek the betterment of the country.
“TAG uses modern, a digital technological platform to mobilise citizens both home and abroad with a common goal to make Ghana better for us and generations to come.
It is an organisation that seeks to mobilise individuals to belong to a particular… such as trotro drivers, taxi drivers, civil servants, police, army, nurses, doctors, teachers, Ghanaians, abroad, engineers, scientists, economists, finance, unemployed, young graduate, pastors and imams to be placed on one major platform to share their grievances relating to important issues such as education, health, agriculture and many other socio-economic issues of national interest that will arise from time to time,” he indicated.
Mr Aboagye, of the National Intelligence Bureau, disagreed with the Defense Counsel and said it was Camouflage, adding that the mission statement idea was developed by one Dr Albert Sam and sent to Dr Mac Palm on August 12, 2019.
The defence counsel said that there was no point in time that any of the accused persons including Dr Mac Palm made an announcement expressing interest or intention for the removal of the government in power and stated that the witness’ investigation did not also prove the contrary.
The lawyer said Dr Mac Palm wanted to exercise his constitutional right to engage a counsel and did not make any confessions but the witness said it was false, as the accused person did not indicate that he wanted to exercise his constitutional rights during his interrogation but he confessed particularly when confronted with the facts as narrated by Kafui.
The Defense Counsel challenged that what the witness was saying about his client was conjecture and imaginative.
In a rebuttal, Mr Aboagye said it was not a conjecture and his imagination and whatever he said in court was factually supported and consistent with his professional ethics.
Again, Defense Counsel said it was Staff Sergeant Sule Kwadwo Awarf who planted the said sketch which had vital security installations allegedly targeted by the accused persons.
It is false that Staff Sergeant Awarf planted the sketch because the investigation team went to the place in the company of Dr Mac Palm’s relatives.
Dr Mac Palm is standing trial with nine others: Ezor, Bright Alan Debrah, alias “BB,” Freight Manager, Johannes Zikpi, signaler with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Esther Saan, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Corporal Sylvester Akanpewu, Lance Airforce Corporal (LAC) Ali Solomon, Colonel Kojo Gameli and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo.
They are being held over charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, high treason, possession of ammunition and abetment.
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