• Court ruled to admit into evidence audio and video files presented by the prosecution
• Defense lawyer has applied for stay of prosecution pending ruling of Supreme Court
Defense counsel for four of the accused persons in the ongoing treason trial has filed for a review of the High Court’s decision to admit some audios and videos into admission at the Supreme Court.
A three-member panel headed by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe on Tuesday, November 8, 2021, ruled to admit into evidence a hard drive containing audiovisual recordings of activities of the alleged coup plotters.
However, the lawyer for four of the accused persons, Victor Kwajoga Adawudu has filed for an application at the Supreme Court, asking the court to overturn the High Court’s decision.
Before the ruling of the court, lawyers for the ten accused persons grounded their objections against the admission of the tapes on originality, authenticity, and relevance of the recordings, as well as breach of the accused person’s right to privacy.
The court in a ruling on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, however, indicated that the said recordings had passed the admissibility test, and as such are admissible.
In furtherance to his appeal, however, Lawyer Adawudu has asked for stay of proceedings pending the decision of the Supreme Court.
The High Court will make a decision on whether to stay proceedings when sitting resumes on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
The ten accused persons are standing a High Court trial for allegedly plotting to destabilise the country in order to take over the government.
The accused persons include Dr. Frederick Mac-Palm, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo, Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu (a fleet manager), Johannes Zikpi (a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces) and Donya Kafui, aka Ezor (a blacksmith).
The prosecution’s case is based on the evidence of video and audio recordings gathered by Staff Sergeant Awarf Sule who was allegedly contacted by the leader of the group, Dr Frederick Yao Mac Palm to aid them in their activities.
Ten persons are standing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow the government