Dr Peter Mac-Palm and five others have told an Accra High Court that the evidence given by the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Major General Nicholas Andoh, was nothing but hearsay.
The six accused persons, being represented by Lawyer Kojoga Adawudu, told the court that there was no occasion when they planned to overthrow the government, as the Major General had wanted the court to believe.
The defence lawyer said this while cross examining the second prosecution witness (PW2), Major General Nicholas Andoh.
Thus, Mr Adawudu intimated to the court that the evidence of Gen. Maj. Andoh was borne out of what he heard from a third party, Corporal Awarf, and some videos and audios he was alluding to.
The three-member panel of judges – Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, George Oppong and Hafisata Amaleboba – was told yesterday that the Major General did not have the expertise to determine that the voices on the said audios were that of his clients.
He also told the court that the witness could not give specific durations of the supposed meetings, which the accused persons were alleged to have held, because he was not present.
Mr Adawudu also told the court that it was not a crime to procure a rifle in Ghana, as the witness was trying to portray.
With this, he stated that the accused persons never procured any rifle.
However, the Major General, in response to the questions, said the law of Ghana does not permit anyone, including persons in the security, to procure assault rifles.
According to the witness, the accused persons really attempted to procure assault rifle, and sealed their plan by paying some monies to one Gershon Akwah to help them in that direction.
Maj. Gen. Andoh said Gershon Ackwah had confessed receiving an amount of GH¢2,000.00 from Dr Mac-Palm to procure an AK 47 rifle, adding that Dr Mac-Palm was seen and heard in video lamenting over why Mr Ackwah had refused to acknowledge receipt of the money.
He also added that his evidence to the court was a combination of information from the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), videos, audios and verbal briefings from operatives who attended the alleged meetings held by the accused persons.
Maj. Gen. Andoh asserted that his evidence was based on confessions and the physical discovery of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), pistols, chemicals and a sketch that were found with Dr Mac-Palm at his clinic.
PW2 also told the court that even though he was not a sound expert, the video and audio were taken simultaneously, so the voice on the audio and video matching.
“My lord, I want to tell this court that the voices on the audio were transcribed by experts from the School of Languages, Legon, and the correlation was established,” he stated.
On the question that there was no occasion that the accused persons planned to overthrow the government, he said: “My lord, this assertion is false. There were discussions and plans; areas were selected to be captured, attacked and were drawn on paper.”
He said the accused persons had also sketched their plan on paper, which was found in Dr Mac-Palm’s drawer at citadel hospital 14 months after one of their meetings at Lascala.
The Major General avowed that the accused persons wanted to procure weapons through Gershon Ackwah to overthrow and kill the President, and all that was on videos and audio.
Dr Mac-Palm is standing trial with Donyu Kafui, Colonel Kodzo Gameli, Johannes Zikpi, WO II Esther Saan, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Corporal Ali Solomon, Sylvester Akanpewu, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu, and ACP Dr Benjamin Agordzo.
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