Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) has confessed to an Accra High Court of taking monies from the accused persons before accepting to inspect the places of abode of their sureties.
The court trying 10 persons accused of plotting a coup was told by Mr. Nkrumah, Investigator in the case, that when it came to the execution of bail, and when he was to inspect a surety’s’ place of abode, he would, sometimes, be asked to meet the person at the place by taking a taxi or Uber, and that he had to take money from the suspects before he proceeds.
Although he did not disclose how much each of the accused persons was charged before he inspected their sureties’ places of abode, he, however, told the court that those monies were due him.
Mr. Nkrumah, 13th prosecution witness (PW13), was responding to questions by Kormivi Dotsi, holding brief of Martin Kpebu, Counsel for Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Akwasi Agordzo, 10th accused person (A10), during cross-examination.
The Counsel quizzed the witness:
Q: You are honest?
A. I can say so.
Q. That means you approach your work with fairness and integrity?
A. Yes.
Q. And you have never accepted MoMo gift during your investigation in the 25 years experience?
A. I receive MoMo from an accused person if the money is due me.
Q. Under what circumstance will you say money from an accused person is due you?
A. In the course of investigations, especially when it comes to the execution of bail, and when I have to inspect a sureties’ place of abode, and sometimes I can be asked to meet the surety at the place by taking a taxi or Uber I have to take the money before I proceed. This is what I referred to as money due me.
Q. Did you receive any such money from any of the accused persons, or their relatives in this case?
A. Yes my Lord. I received money from a relative of A5 (Colonel Samuel Kodzo), and from sureties of A7 (Corporal Seidu Abubakar) and A8 (Lance Corporal Ali Solomon) during the inspection of properties of Anin Yeboah. The sureties’ places when the court granted the accused persons bail.
The Investigator also told the court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Justice Hafisata Amaleboba and Justice Stephen Oppong, yesterday, that a statement he made in an affidavit to support a motion that the accused persons were arrested in a meeting while finalising their coup plot was a typographical error.
Mr. Dotsi, therefore, told the court that the witness had admitted that there was a typographical error in the facts that he gave to the prosecutors; it also suggested a statement that ACP Agordz (A10) and Dr. Mac Palm (A1) agreed to organise a demonstrations that would lead to the takeover of the government was also an error.
But, the witness did not agree and said: “No my lord, I said they discussed to organise a massive demonstration, which would lead to the overthrow of the government.”
The Counsel replied that throughout the conversation between A1 and 10 there was absolutely no statement or discussion about “organising a massive demonstration leading to the overthrow of the government.”
This time round, the witness said that was true, but the chat between A10 and A10 could not stand on its own without linking it to a discussion on a WhatsApp group platform called TAG executive platform.
However, the Counsel indicated to the court that ACP Agordzo was not a member of the said WhatsApp group platform.
He added that the GH¢2,000 donation that ACP Agordzo gave to Dr. Mac Mac Palm was in support of a health outreach, but the witness said it was in aid of the coup plot.
