The alleged engineer of a coup plot, Dr Fredrick Mac-Palm says he is licensed to hold the Beretta pistol retrieved from his bedroom at the Citadel Hospital at Alajo in the Greater Accra region on September 20, 2019.

He alleged that the licensed Berretta pistol in his possession was not meant to kill any public official including the president but for his own personal protection. 

Dr Mac-Palm told a three-member panel of judges – Mrs Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Mrs Hafisata Amaleboba and Mr Stephen Oppong – yesterday that  there was no material time that he together with others standing trial with him conceived to attack any member of the public or government official. 

Through his legal counsel Mr Ephraim Vordoague, indicated to the count yesterday that Take Action Ghana (TAG) that he represents is not a violent group but a non-government/civil organisation with a sole aim to mobilise Ghanaians from all walks of life to seek the betterment of the country.

Lawyer Vordoague while cross-examining the Attorney General’s 10th prosecution witness (PW10), Francis Aboakye of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) who also played a key role in the investigation of the alleged coup plot, said certain confessions attributed to his client are false.

Take Action Gahana (TAG) it is an non-governmental/civil organisation that uses modern, digital technological … to mobilise citizens both home and abroad with a common goal to make Ghana a better for us and generation to come. It is an organisation that seeks to mobilise individuals to belong to a particular… such as trotro drivers, taxi drivers, civil servants, police, army, nurses, doctors, teachers, Ghanaians, abroad, engineers, scientists, economists, finance, unemployed, young graduate, pastors, and imams to be placed on one major platforms to share their grievances relating to important issues such as 2education, health, agriculture and many other socio-economic issues of national interest that will arise from time to time,” he indicated.

He reiterated that Dr Mac-Palm, first accused (A1), was tortured by the security investigation team to sign those inventories.

 According to him, the first accused at the point of making the so-called confessions, was denied an independent witness and his constitutional right to a counsel.

The counsel further contended that after his client’s arrests and alleged seizure of the Beretta pistol, alleged locally manufactured weapons, Improvised Explosive Devices and chemicals from the hospital, it was put under lock and key by the security.

He said no relative of A1or nurse resides at the health facility and that it took the intervention of the Kaneshie District Court for keys to the hospital and his residence Kpone Bawaleshie to be released to him by the security.

On this basis, the lawyer accused a witness in the case, one Staff Sergeant Awarf Sulley for planting a sketch that depicts vital installations targeted by TAG.

Mr Aboakye on the other hand denied flatly the assertion made by the lawyer, saying the TAG members had the evil intention to plug Ghana into chaos.

According to him, the NGO or Civil society organizations that the group touts itself was nothing but a Camouflage, since the mission statement was an idea that was developed by one of their cohorts, Dr Albert Sam who sent same to Dr Mac Palm on August 12, 2019.

He also denied the claims that the Staff Sergeant Awarf planted the sketch in A1’s office, stressing that two relatives and nurses were residents at the hospital and one of the relatives accompanied the security during their reconstruction of the crime scene.

PW10 further told the court he can speak to the fact as to whether A1 has been licensed to hold the Beretta pistol.

This statement, however, didn’t sit well with the lawyer and asked nd as diligent officer you are required by training which of the weapons are lawfully possessed by A1, not so?” and PW10 answered positively.