Kitchen Knife Coup: Agordzo, nine others Held In custody Despite Bail.

The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has refused to release the ten persons standing trial over charges of high treason in the infamous “Kitchen Knife Coup d’état”, despite then having been granted bail.

Eight of the alleged coupists were a GHS2 million bail each with two sureties to be, while ACP Benjamin Agordzo and Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli were granted bail to the tune of GHS1 million each with two sureties to be justified.

Whatsup News has gathered that ACP is still being held in custody despite the bail granted him some two weeks ago. It is unclear if the rest have also been held the same way. 

The ten were re-arrested and slapped with the new charges on April 25, 2021, after the state filed a Nolle Prosequi in the previous case where the suspects were facing charges of treason felony.

Late April 2021, Whatsup News gathered that the alleged coup plotters were ambushed and detained at the headquarters of the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) and their charges were surreptitiously changed from treason to High Treason.

The accused were bundled back into jail with the claim that the state has filed a Nolle Prosequi to withdraw the earlier charges of ordinary treason and replace it with High Treason. Curiously, not the judge nor the lawyers of the embattled culprits are aware of the said Nolle Prosequi, Whatsup News gathered.

According to insider sources, Dr Mac Palm, the medical doctor and the Director for the Citadel Hospital cited as the ringleader in the curious coup d’état and his supposed accomplices were summoned by the Senior State Attorney to meet at the NIB headquarters.

Suspects, Dr. Mac Palm, 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 for allegedly plotting to destabilise the country by overthrowing the Akufo Addo administration through a coup d’état. Some of the items retrieved from their supposed hideout were some plumbing materials, kitchen knives and some rudimentary locally-made guns. 

 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 the 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 supports 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.