Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, a senior military officer who is standing trial on treason charges, has denied being recruited by Dr. Frederick Mac Palm, who was reportedly spearheading the alleged coup plot to overthrow the Akufo-Addo government.
His Counsel, Eric Pongo, told the Financial and Economic Court ‘1’, presided over by three justices – Mrs. Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Mrs. Hafisata Amaleboba and Mr. Stephen Oppong = on Tuesday this week, told the court that Col. Gameli was a patient of Dr. Mac-Palm, and not a coup recruit as it was being made to believe.
According to the defence counsel, Col. Gameli had been attending Dr. Mac Palm’s Citadel Hospital since 2014. Meanwhile, the court has been informed that the idea of the coup plot was cooked in 2018. He added that the Investigator in the case, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, also retrieved the medical records of his client at the hospital, which indicates that Col Gameli was, indeed, a patient of Dr. Mac Palm.
But, DC/Insp. Nkrumah responded that the fourth accused person in the case, who also was a civilian employee with the Signal Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Johannes Zikpi, wrote in his caution statement that Dr. Mac Palm recruited Col. Gameli.
The Investigator also added that after Col. Gameli was recruited, he also enlisted Zikpi as a communication expert to join the coup plot. Mr. Pongo then handed the statement of Zipki to Mr. Nkrumah to read where it was stated that Dr. Mac Palm recruited Col. Gameli.
The counsel, not being convinced with the paragraph that said Mr. Nkrumah, who is the prosecution’s 13th witness (PW13) in the trial, had read to the court to prove the accusation, said “I’m putting it to you that there is nothing in the caution statement which said A5 was recruited by anyone for any job.”
The court was further told that it could not be true that Col. Gameli introduced Zikpi to Dr. Mac Palm to assist in a coup plot in 2018, as the duo knew each other since 2017. The Counsel indicated that PW12, Francis Aboakye, who is with the National Intelligence Bureau, told the court that the duo had been communicating since November 2017 on Take Action Ghana (TAG) issues.
This, he reinstated that “Since A1 and A4 knew each other, it cannot be true that A5 introduces A4 to A1 to assist in the coup plot,” and added that Zikpi got to know Dr. Mac Palm in early 2017 when A1 needed someone to fix CCTV cameras on the Citadel Hospital premises.
He, therefore, asked the witness to further prove to the court when Col. Gameli was recruited by Dr. Mac Palm, exactly what he did in respect of the recruitment, to which PW13 answered that after the recruitment, the senior military officer also brought Zikpi, and they had discussions together.
The witness said a decision was arrived at that a communication jamming machine should be procured from overseas to interrupt all radio station frequencies with the exception of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation for the purposes of the coup plot.
He added that the three further agreed on the acquisition of GOTA sets to aid their communication.
The Counsel challenged the witness on this evidence, saying, “In fact, your senior … Francis Aboakye, gave evidence extensively on the acquisition of GOTA, but did not mention A5 (Col Gameli). I’m putting that to you?” and Mr. Nkrumah responded: “I don’t know the evidence that Mr. Aboakye gave in this court. After the discussion of the acquisition of GOTA sets, A4 (Zipki) approached one Sergeant Ghartey to show him where they can get some of the GOTA.”
The Counsel added that it was not true that was a coup plot, since Col. Gameli and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Agordzo, who are the senior most security officers among the 10 standing trial, never knew each other until their arrest.
Q. Now, you also told this court that A5 cautioned A1 not to attend meetings at the Next Door Beach Resort. Do you still stand by that?
A. Yes.
Q. From your investigation, has A1 ever attended any meeting at the Next Door Beach Resort?
A. Yes my lord. According to the witnesses, A1 once attended a meeting with them, but did not stay for long.
Q. Can you tell this court the date A1 attend any meeting at the Next Door Beach Resort?
A. No.
Q. There’s evidence before this court on the days that you alleged that meetings took place at the Next Door Beach Resort, not so?
A. That is so.
Q. I’m putting it to youthat no evidence shows that A1 ever attended any meeting?
A. That is not true. Sergeant Awarf Sulley and Sergeant Natorna told me A1 attended the meeting and briefly he left.
Q. You are aware that Sergeant Awarf gave evidence in this court?
A. I’m aware.
Q. He never mentioned the issues that you are talking about in your evidence?
A. My lord, I don’t know what Sergeant Awarf told this court, but he informed me that A1 attended meeting[s] with them at the Next Door Beach Resort.
Q. Mr. Nkrumah, you once told this court that you are a experienced investigator?
A. I have not told the court.
Q. To your knowledge, did A5 ever meet with the soldiers plotting the coup?
A. No, my lord. A3 told the soldiers that there were senior soldiers behind, and at appropriate [time] the juniors will know them.
Q. Did your informant tell you that A5 was one of the senior officers they have recruited?
A. No.
