The legal representative for ACP Benjamin Agordzo, Martin Kpebu, has described the trial of his client as politically motivated.

ACP Benjamin Agordzo, the late Dr. Mac Palm, and eight others were arraigned in 2021 on counts of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason.

The High Court, however, acquitted ACP Benjamin Agordzo on January 24, 2024, while six others were convicted for counts of conspiracy to commit high treason and committing high treason.

In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Martin Kpebu said the trial was an attack on freedom of speech.

“It was an affront to free speech to gag public officers not to complain about President Akufo-Addo’s misgoverning. The very Arab Spring that he complained about was the same thing the man [ACP Agordza] was complaining about. Akufo-Addo had said that Arab Spring was in Ghana; and that there was hunger, unemployment, and everything was there to show that citizens would rise up against the government so they needed to do something about it. So nobody tried President Akufo-Addo in opposition, why do you try ACP Agordzo for Arab Spring?” he asked.

ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo said he knew he would be acquitted by the court since the initiation of the legal action against him in the coup plotter’s case.

The six convicted for plotting a coup have been sentenced to death by hanging.

Background

Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, the Chief Executive Officer of Citadel Hospital (now deceased), and ACP Dr. Agordzo, together with eight others, were charged variously on April 24, 2021, for conspiracy to high treason, abetment to high treason, and high treason.

Dr. Mac Palm (A1 – now deceased), Donya Kafui alias Ezor (A2), Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu alias Bright Alan Yeboah (A3), Yohannes Zikpi (A4), Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan Dekuwine (A6), Cpl Seidu Abubakar (A7), Lance Corporal Ali Solomon (A8), and Cpl Sylvester Akanpewon (A9) were charged with conspiracy to commit high and high treason.

Col. Samuel Kodzo Gameli (A5) and ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo (A10) were at the time also charged with abetment.