By
Gifty Amofa, GNA
Accra, Nov.6, GNA -
The Kaneshie District Court has remanded Assistant Commissioner of Police
(ACP), Benjamin Agordzor into the Bureau of National Investigations’ custody
for his alleged involvement in a plot to destabilize government.
This is to allow the
Court presided over by Mrs Eleanor Kakra Barnes-Botchway to rule on a
preliminary objection raised by the defence on the constitutionality of the
process as well as a counter argument by the prosecution.
The matter had been
adjourned to Friday, November 8.
The Court directed
that lawyers of the accused should have access to him between 0900 hours and
1600 hours and that their privacy must be upheld.
The charges were not
read in court neither the facts.
The Defence counsel
was made up of Mr Issah Adams leader, Mr Martin Kpebu and Miss Hamdiya
Mohammed.
The defence team
argued that it had not been served with any bill of indictment and hence were
not in Court for committal proceedings.
The defence again
argued that their client, Dr Agordzor cannot be referred to as an accused
person because the prosecution only cautioned him and had not charged him
yet.
Miss Mohammed prayed
the Court to seek constitutional interpretation at the Supreme Court on the
issues raised by the defence because the Court has no jurisdiction over the
matter.
Miss Mohammed said
the prosecution intentionally brought him to the court knowing that the
district court has no jurisdiction to grant him bail, adding that it was an
attempt by the prosecution to delay the “suspect”.
She said the fact
that it was done in the past did not mean it was the right procedure to follow.
Assistant
Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sylvester Asare in a rebuttal said the suspect
was arraigned as stipulated by the law as well as properly charged.
He said the Court is
one of first instance on matters relating to indictable offenses and that
investigations were on going and far advanced, and soon the State would
commence committal proceedings, and thus, prayed the Court to remand the
accused to assist in the investigations.
ASP Asare said “We
object invitation by defence for court to decline jurisdiction, the submission
by defence is merely to frustrate justice”.
He said a bail
application would be premature for the accused and suggested that since defence
knows how to apply for bail in such matters, it should use the appropriate
channel for it at the High Court.
ACP Agordzor
together with Dr Frederick Yao Mac Palm, Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Warrant
Officer II (WO2) Esther Saan Dekuwine, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal
Solomon Ali, Lance Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon, Lance Corporal Albert Baba
Ibrahim and Lance Corporal Godwin Nii Ankrak have been charged with acts
intended to destabilised the government.
The other suspects
are Donyo Kafui, also known as Ezor, a blacksmith, Bright Alan Debrah, a fleet
manager, Gershon Akpan, a weapons mechanic at the Ghana Armed Forces.