Coup plotters planned ‘blowing up’ Akufo-Addo, Bawumia at a gathering - Kweku Baako

The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has revealed how the five ‘coup plotters’ planned on taking over the country from the Akufo-Addo-led government.

According to Kweku Baako, the suspects, in a bid to kidnap President Akufo-Addo, the Vice President; Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief of Defence Staff; Lt. General Obed Akwa, and other top government officials, contemplated on exploding chemicals that will go off at a gathering where the said leaders would be present.

Speaking on JoyNews’ news analysis programme, Newsfile, the veteran journalist emphatically said he had the opportunity of watching the video and listening to audio recordings of the coup plot the conspirators intended to carry out to destabilise the country.

Giving details of the footage, Kweku Baako said the suspects were seen manufacturing weapons they would have used to achieve their purpose.

“There were scenes where they even contemplated the kidnapping of the President, and this is video, it will come out in court. They contemplated a situation the kidnapping of the President, the Vice President, Chief of Defence Staff and some other top shots have congregated at a place to explode that thing they were doing (you see the guy manufacturing) with the doctor present, this is video,” he made known.

“And they talk of exploding this thing with needles coming out and then also some chemicals that will make you go off. They contemplate that, these are things that were discussing and you see the manufacturing in action,” he added.

Moreover, he said the video which is yet to be used as evidence in court was taken by moles over a period of 15 months. He commended the defence intelligence for acting swiftly.

“You see they had been infiltrated. It was the infiltrators who were videoing and recording for 15 months and I give credit to the security establishment, the defence intelligence in particular. The meetings where they met and decided to recruit is all recorded. So in my view, this is not one of the fakes, although there have been fakes before,” he exclaimed.

Furthermore, he cried, “I will be disappointed if charges of treason are not preferred subsequently with what we are going through because of what I know and what I’ve seen; it will not be in the national interest. Let the court decide whether they are guilty or not guilty but the evidence is available to the state, and it should be sooner than later that it is put before the court.”



Background

Dr Mac-Palm, together with two others; Ezor Kafui and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, were on Friday, September 20 picked up by a joint team from Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for plotting a coup against the presidency with the intent to destabilise the country.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, in a press release, revealed how state agencies detected and foiled the planned attack leading to the retrieval of several arms, explosive devices and ammunitions from Alajo and Bawaleshie in Accra and Dodowa respectively.

It explained that surveillance on the activities of the persons involved commenced in June 2018 when Dr Mac-Palm and Ofosu started organising a series of meetings at the Next Door Beach Resort, Teshie, and other locations in Accra, in furtherance of their objectives.

Following the alleged coup attempt, the three accused persons were on September 24 arraigned before the Kaneshie District Court and slapped with five charges.

The charges pressed against the suspects include the following;

1. Conspiracy to commit a crime – Manufacture of arms and ammunition without lawful authority.

2. Conspiracy to commit a crime – Possession of explosives and firearms without lawful authority.

3. Manufacture of firearms without lawful authority.

4. Manufacture of explosives and ammunition without lawful authority.

5. Possession of explosives and firearms.

The suspects have however been remanded in prison custody and are set to appear in court on October 9, 2019. A fourth suspect only named as Sulley is currently on the run.

Some military officers alleged to be involved in the case have also been caught and are facing interrogation.

Meanwhile, the lawyer for the accused persons, Victor Adawudu has persistently denied the involvement of his clients in the alleged crime, stressing “all of this is a set up to bring my client down.”