A senior military officer being tried alongside nine others, Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli has ostensibly described Dr. Frederick Mac-Palm, an alleged coup leader, as someone who was peeved about how the Akufo-Addo Government was managing the Ghanaian economy.

This was according to the count that was given the Attorney General’s 10th prosecution witness (PW10), Frank Aboakye, to the court about some revelations Colonel Samuel Gameli made during his interrogation at the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).

According to him, Col Gamelia told the investigation team that in the course of their conversations, Dr. Mac-Palm often expresses his dissatisfaction about how the government runs the economy, corruption, and several other facets of national life.

The witness said this while being led to give his evidence in chief by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mrs. Yvonne  Attakora Obuobisa at the court presided over by Justice Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Mrs. Hafesato Amalebona, and Justice Stephen Oppong.

DPP asked him that now u have stated that you found some documents in the drawer of the accused person. Take look at Exhibit C and tell the court what it is?

A: My lords, these were the documents that we retrieved from the Hospital including the sketch of some vital information in Accra that was found in the drawer of Dr. Mac-Palm

Q: After the report, can you tell the court what happened?

A: After submission to the authority, the team began interrogating the suspects. My lords, before the interrogation, Bright Alan Ofosu had been arrested that evening when Mac-Palm and Kafui were arrested. We began it on 21st September 2019, with Mac-Palm. He was asked to explain to the team how the guns and IEDs found themselves at the Hospital. He indicated that the guns were for him and that they were made for him by Kafui Donya. He, however, indicated that the IEDs were not for him and they were for Kafui Donya. He said Donya intends to use them in the likely event of Nkonya Alavanyo conflict and contrary to the explanation given when arrested at the Hospital, he added that Kafui is often engaged to fire marketers at funerals and that he often used that for that purpose. 

We asked why the manufacturer made the guns for him, he said in 2018, a group called Take Action Ghana (TAG) had embarked on a trip to the Upper West and that they encountered a robbery scene that caused the delay and so after that the TAG members decided to arm themselves. He again said he didn’t know making guns were illegal. The team insisted that he should tell us if there was more to it than what he had told us and he said that was all to it. 

After that session, the team now interrogated Kafui, and he told the team that his number was given to Dr Mac Palm by one Oley O’ Charley resident at Kpando in the Volta Region. He said Mac-Palm called him on phone and asked him to come to Accra for discussions on some work. On arrival in Accra, he had a meeting with Dr. Mac-Palm, Bright, and Sargeant Sule and in the meeting, Mac-Palm told him that he wanted to conduct a deadly operation and needed weapons that could be used for that purpose. He said he went back to Alavanyo to prepare for that task and that in preparation he went to look for some special pebbles from Alavanyo, which were volcanic pebbles. And that he came back to Accra with the pebbles with tools needed for the task. 

He said when he arrived Dr. Mac-Palm gave him monies in installments for the purchase of materials needed for the assignment given. In an attempt to tell us the amount, the team got confused about the exact amount that was given for the purchase and further told us that he was asked by dr Mac Palm to produce ten guns and 21 IEDs, so he was asked whether he is as able to produce all and he said he was able to make six of the guns and after producing 21 IEDs Dr. Mac Palm said one was long and should be divided into two. So he was able to produce 22 IEDs asked as to what he used in the production of the IEDs he said he used metal tools, powdered pepper, clay, and the pebbles he brought from Alavanyo. He said for some of the IEDs he added chemicals provided him by Dr. Mac Palm. We showed him the items retrieved from the search including the Hylotene BP and a Buipibacne chemical retrieved from his personal bag of Donya when arrested. 

He confirmed that those were the chemicals Dr. Mac-Palm provided for use in the manufacturing of the IEDs. He also said for those chemicals, Dr. Mac Palm drew them from a bottle with a syringe and inserted them in the IEDs. He said Mac-Palm told him that when the IEDs were fired, those chemicals would put everybody around to sleep. He was asked where they were to use the made weapons and he said Mac Palm told him they were going to use them on the attack on the flagstaff house. 

We asked if Dr. Mac-Palm had told him they were going to launch such an attack and he stated that he had told him more than once and at one instance, his son, who was assisting in the manufacturing heard him and the son abandoned him since he did not want to be associated with the overthrow of the government. We asked that he demonstrated how the IEDs were supposed to be used and he told the team that it is normally put on the floor and that the IED had an ignition hole and that it is normally placed on the ground and often cigarette is lighted and put close to the ignition hole and as and when the cigarettes burnt to the ignition hole, the IEDs fired. We asked him about the effects of the IEDs and he said anything on its way would be destroyed including walls. 

When asked about the distance it can cover, he said it covered about 25 to 30 arm length. Witness stretched both his arms to demonstrate. Asked if he had been hired to fire musketries at funerals but he denied it. The team asked him and in the course, he mentioned that dr Mac Palm was putting pressure on him to make the guns weapons early and that cos he was not able to meet the time-space of dr, he was also looking for others elsewhere and he mentioned and cattle rearer at Amasaman and Dr. Mac Palm through kafui had contacted another person Geshon Akpa, a civilian employee at GAF for the supply of AK-47. 

The team followed up that evening to Alavanyo with kafui to arrest the son, who he said shd be there to corroborate the story, unfortunately, we didn’t meet him and he has since been at large. We arrested Gershon and he confirmed that kafui contacted him for the supply and he charged GH¢7,000 for each but Donya paid only GH¢2,000 initial payment. Akpa said he intended to steal from the armoury of his unit but could not have access but cos dr and kafui were putting pressure on him, he returned the money via momo. Based on this, we decided to speak to Mac Palm again and confront him with the information by kafui when dr first came into the interrogation room, he was asked whether he would stand by his previous statement and he said yes.

The team followed up that evening to Alavayo with Kafui Donya to arrest the son who Kafui said should be at Alavayo but unfortunately, he was not there and he has since been at large. We decided to confront him with the issues that have been provided by Kafui Donya. When Dr. Mac-Palm came into the room, he was asked whether he wants to stand by his previous statement and he answered positively. We then brought Kafui Donya and we asked him to tell us what he has earlier told us. Dr Mac-Palm changed his statement and said yes, he asked Kafui Donya to manufacture some of the IEDs so he could be used for the funeral of his great-granduncle who took care of him and was now set for the funeral. He also confirmed that he put in the chemicals in the IEDs and confirm that they were the hylotene BP and bupivacaine that were retrieved. He even said that he intended to try the IEDs on a goat

It became clear to the team that he was economic with the truth all this while. After that we interrogated Bright Alan Ofosu. In the course of the investigation we found out that Bright Original name is Bright Alan Yeboah and his original date of birth 27th October, 1988. However, he has falsified his date of birth to read 22nd October,1998, meaning he is now 23 and has sworn affidavit and done gazette to that effect. He made us aware that he did that for traveling purposes. So that explains why he is known as Bright Alan Ofosu and Bright Alan Deborah.

So he was asked how he came in contact with Dr Mac-Palm. And according to him, he met Dr Mac-Palm through the activities of Africa Transformation Movement, which he was an organiser. He further explained that Dr Mac-Palm and himself had been involved in Take Action Ghana. We asked him what TAG was and he explained that it was about preaching about change of mind-set and they were also into the provision of medical outreach for poor communities. He was asked if he was aware of the manufacture of weapons by Dr Mac-Palm or members of TAG and he answered in the negative. 

He was further asked if he has ever held any weapon and he said he has never held weapons. Members of the team watch the video and saw him holding a weapon that was being manufactured by Kafui Donya and based on that we asked him again whether he has ever held a weapon and he answered never. He said the last time he held a weapon was when he was in a private security a long time ago. He was asked whether he has ever had any meetings with any soldier and him no apart from WOII Esther Saan Dekuwine.

He later said apart from Saan Dekuwine he ever had a meeting with some other soldiers but couldn’t recall their names. He was asked about the subject matter of their discussion and he said it was mainly on TAG. He was then discharged.  

The team decided to invited Colonel Ntem and Col Gameli because Dr Mac-Palm mentioned their names. When the invitation was sent to the Military authorities regarding the fact that Col Gameli was needed for the interrogation section, the military authority decided to have a meeting with him in presence of myself, and another colleague of mine called Godwin Etor. The meeting was held in the office of the Director of Defence Intelligence. The meeting had in attendance senior military officers mostly colonels and above. 

Q: Do you remember any of them?

A. I remember Col Kommey the then Provos Marshel of the Ghana Armed Forces and Col Kwaiben. Col Gameli was asked at the meeting if he knows anything about Dr Mac-Palm. In answering the indicated that he is a friend to him and that he has heard of his arrest and seizure of some weapons at his hospital and he also stated that he didn’t fathom how a medical doctor could be associated with guns and IEDs. His authority pressed him to tell them anything he knows about Dr Mac-Palm before he is taken to the National Intelligence Bureau for interrogation. He insisted that that was all he knew about it and he was unaware of his production of guns for any purpose. We then asked him to proceed to the office of the NIB for Interrogation. However, they didn’t want him to go alone so some of the Colonels should accompany him to the interrogation. Col Kommey and Col Ntem sat in the interrogation. In the course of the interrogation, it turn out that contrary to the indication given to us at the meeting held by the military authorities before the commencement of the interrogation, he was informed by Dr Mac-Palm of his invitation to Kafui Donya for the manufacture of the weapons. 

We asked him to describe the personality of Dr Mac-Palm but he told us that Dr Mac-Palm is someone who is peeved with the management of the country. He further indicated that Dr Mac-Palm in the course of their conversations often express his dissatisfaction about how the government runs the economy, corruption, and several other facets of national life. 

Col Gameli knew about the invitation that was extended to Kafui Donya for the manufacture of the weapons.  Col Gameli added that he was at the lobby in Citadel Hospital when they were smoking and drinking, Dr Mac-Palm told him that Kafui has arrived from Alavayo and was doing the manufacturing of the guns and IEDs in the backyard. He also told us that he know about Dr Mac-Palm’s plan to overthrow the government and he has a point throw support for him but he himself knew that there was no way he was going to support him. 

He also knew that Dr. Mac-Palm was meeting some soldiers but he doesn’t know him. The investigation team ask Col Gameli why he didn’t inform the authorities about the plans of Dr. Mac-Palm and others. He responded that he was waiting for HR. When asked to explain what HR meant, he told us that it means when the people are in the process of staging the coup plot.