ACP Dr. Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo has refused to comment about the performance of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, following his five-year trial and how the police supported him or otherwise, during the period.
For declining to comment about political interference in the Service, the man who has been acquitted after being accused of treason and other charges, said he would rather speak about Dr. Dampare in the context of policing in Ghana rather than zeroing in on the police chief.
“I will rather we reserve this particular topic for another day and I can assure you that if you that if you decided to give me a whole interview on police reforms, the current situation in Ghana, I’ll speak to it but for now, to just make a comment or two on it, I would rather not comment on the current situation.
“The current IGP, I would rather not talk about him but if you invite me to talk about policing issues and then rope in the IGP’s activities, then I will have a context, within which to talk about him so that it will not seem like I’m zeroing in on him,” he told host of Hot Issues, Keminni Amanor on TV3 Sunday, January 28, 2024.
He, however, accused Dr. Dampare of expressing no concern at the time his troubles started when the IGP was in charge of the welfare of the personnel.
“Yes, because you asked me about my welfare at the time and he was in charge of welfare and I expected him to… today he is IGP and when he became IGP, at least, he hasn’t shown any interest in my case,” Dr. Agordzo disclosed.
ACP Dr Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo, was aquitted with two others who were also accused on the matter.
The judgment, handed down by the three-member panel of judges on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, marked a significant turn in the legal proceedings surrounding the alleged plot to oust a government.
The two other persons who were accused alongside ACP Agordzo, were Colonel Gameli, and another junior military officer, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, who were both acquitted.
The late Dr. Frederick Yao Mac Palm, the alleged mastermind of the entire plot, was posthumously declared the first accused. The second accused, Donya Kafui, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason. Similarly, the third accused, Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, faced convictions on charges of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason.
Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan Dekuwine, the sole female among the accused, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason but not guilty of high treason. On the other hand, Cpl Seidu Abubakar, the seventh accused, was acquitted of both conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason. Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, the eighth accused, received a mixed verdict, being found guilty of conspiracy but not guilty of high treason.
Coup plot
The charges stem from an alleged plot to destabilise the country, with the accused facing accusations of conspiracy to commit high treason, abetment to high treason, and high treason. The trial, which commenced on June 8, 2021, caught the nation’s attention due to its high-profile nature.
Supporters of the accused gathered in the courtroom, expressing relief and jubilation at the acquittal of ACP Dr Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo. The trial had been ongoing since April 2021, with the judgment date set on November 22, 2023, following extensive legal arguments and the presentation of witnesses.
The prosecution team, led by Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, presented a formidable case, including testimony from seven soldiers. In contrast, the defence, comprising lawyers such as Rita Akukunti Ali, Victor Kodjogah Adawudu, and others, vigorously defended their clients throughout the proceedings.
The fallout from this trial is expected to resonate across the legal and political landscape, raising questions about the nature of the charges and the complexities surrounding the alleged coup plot. As the nation absorbs the verdict, the implications of this high-profile case are likely to reverberate for some time to come.
