Court Adjourns “Kitchen Knife Coup” Case To April 13 Over COVID

The Accra High Court hearing the treason case in which the government is claiming that a group of about six people were plotting to overthrow it with weapons including kitchen knives, has adjourned the case to April 13th, 2021.

The Court of Justice Samuel K. Asiedu, an Appeal Court Judge with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, adjourned the case out of concern over the upsurge in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections.

According to the judge, the Court had been advised that due to the rising cases of the pandemic, cases involving transporting accused persons from the prisons should be held up for the meantime.

Even so, the April 13th date is not a definitive fix and may be varied depending on whether the upsurge in infections continues or not.

The trial had originally been booked to start on Tuesday, February 16, after a jury was empaneled on January 21, 2021.

Suspects, Dr Mac Palm, a medical doctor and the Director for the Citadel Hospital, Donyo, alias Ezor, a blacksmith, Debrah a Freight Manager, WO2 Saan, Corporal Abubakar, Lance Corporal Ali and Sylvester Akanpewu all soldiers, were arrested in September 2019.

Later, Colonel Kojo Gameli and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Korsi Agordzo, who are senior military and police officer, were also arrested.

 All the accused persons who belonged to “Take Action Ghana,” a Non-Governmental Organization, had been accused by the Government of plotting to overthrow President Akufo-Addo.

The arrest and the coup plot allegation had led to public trolling when the government took photographs of weapons that the group was allegedly plotting to use for the operation – among the weaponry was a kitchen knife.

As the public trolled the government over what was seen as unhealthy paranoia, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, responded to the trolls adding that the suspects had also purchased sacks of dry pepper to be used in the manufacture of local bombs for the alleged coup.

Prosecutors would however later appear before court and provide a finer case statement, abandoning the alleged pepper bombs and kitchen knife that the suspects had earlier been alleged to have prepared to use to overthrow Akufo-Addo.

As the Ghana News Agency reports, the Prosecution had earlier told the Court that in June 2018, security agencies had picked up intelligence of the “Take Action Ghana” group’s intention to overthrow the government and usurp executive powers, and that, they had several meetings to that effect at the expense of Dr Mac Palm.

The prosecution said investigations revealed that the group was incorporated in August 2018 and a WhatsApp platform was created to recruit members, where ACP Agorzo was added and he support them with GH¢1,000.00 and drafted a speech for Dr Mac Palm.

On September 19, 2019, Dr Mac Palm and Donyo went to the Military Shooting Range to test fire and they were arrested, after their release, they went to the Hospital to conceal the manufactured weapons but luck eluded them when the military and other security agencies stormed the place the next day, leading to their arrest.