Court demands death certificate of Dr Mac-Palm
The Accra High Court is demanding the death certificate of Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm who passed on at the weekend.
The late medical practitioner was one of the nine accused plotting to overthrow the government, and was expected to appear for further cross examination by one of the accused, Allan Debrah.
When the case was called, his counsel, Ms Maud Opoku, told the three-member panel conducting the trial that the family of Dr Mac-Palm had informed the legal team of his passing.
Dr Mac-Palm was said to have collapsed in his house and rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The medical practitioner, a member of TAKE ACTION Ghana (TAG), a group allegedly formed to cause social change, studied medicine in the United States of America.
Until his death, he was standing trial together with two senior military and police officers, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo, Colonel Samuel Gameli, and civilians before the Accra High Court.
The cause of his death is unknown at the time of this report.
Dr Mac-Palm and the other accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and currently on bail.
In 2020, the Kaneshie District Magistrate Court presided over by MrsElleanorKakra Bans committed the accused to stand trial before the Accra High Court.
Other charges preferred against them include abetment of crime, possession of arms and ammunition and explosives without lawful excuse.
Mrs Hilda Craig, a Principal State Attorney, then prosecuting, said in June 2018, the security agencies received information regarding the activities of some group of persons, who were planning to overthrow President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to her, intelligence revealed that Alan Debrah, the sixth accused, a fleet manager in Accra was holding meetings with WOII Saan, Lance Corporal Ali Seidu, Corporal Sylvester Akapewu and Lance Corporal Ali Solomon in furtherance of the plot to overthrow the government.
The prosecutor said the accused held several meetings where they discussed recruitment of more soldiers, the acquisition of weapons and bullet proof gears, development of sketch maps of key installations and facilities of the state to be attacked during the takeover.
Mrs Craig stated that the accused also discussed the procurement of electronic jamming devices and vehicles that would enable them take over the National Communications Authority (NCA) and jam all radio stations with the exception of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
The court heard that discussions by Dr Mac-Palm, DenyoKafui, the third accused, and a witness in the case bordered on how to capture the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Staff, and the plan to force the President to announce his overthrow once he was captured.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
