Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Nov. '98 Mr Nyamekye Baah, counsel for Alex Offei, the first accused in the treason trial, has called on the High Court hearing the case to acquit and discharge his client becausethe prosecution has failed to prove the case against him.
Addressingthe court in case in which five persons are charged with treason Counselsaid there were doubts in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, whichthe court could not rely on to convict Offei.
Thoseon trial with Offei are Kwame Ofori-Appiah, Sylvester Addai-Dwomoh, JohnKwadwo Owusu-Boakye and Emmanuel Osei Kofi. They are alleged to haveconspired and solicited the help of some soldiers who were on guard duty at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) between August and September,1994 to stage a coup.
Theyhave pleaded not guilty and have been detained in prison since their arrestfour years ago.
Mr Baah said three of the accused, who were living in London, including his clientare members of Cherubin and Seraphim and came to Ghana on a businesstrip and to propagate the activities of the sect.
Counselsaid all the exhibits tendered by the prosecution, including grenades, red bands, megaphones and a mobile phone were a ploy to implicate his client.
He said: "It is the court's duty to consider the evidence of my client and that of the prosecution witnesses and find out whether Offei, as a private person, can havean intention of staging a coup.
"I urge the court, in the name of God and in law, to acquit and discharge my clientbecause the evidence of the prosecution is full of doubts".
Mr S. A . Asante, counsel for Ofori-Appiah, said the evidence of the prosecutionwas incoherent and full of inconsistencies and doubts.
Submissionscontinue.
