The special High Court sitting in Accra yesterday sentenced four persons to death for treason. They were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the government of Ghana in 1994. They are a 56 year old Technician, Alex Ofei alias Kwame Alex also know as Kwame Offei, who hails from Bokruwah in the Eastern Region, Kwame Ofori Appiah a cleaner, who is 50 and comes from Offinso in the Ashanti Region, a 49 year-old teacher, Silvester Addae Dwomoh from Tepa also in Ashanti and John Owusu Boakye, a 34 year old student-nurse from Offinso in Ashanti.
All the convicts were in London but returned to Ghana in 1994 to execute the coup plot. A 49-year-old driver, Emmanuel Osei Kofi from Beposo Nsuta in Ashanti who was tried with them was however acquitted and discharged. The Court was composed of Mr. Justice Richard Apaloo, Miss Justice Ivy Ashong and Mr. Justice P.K. Owusu Sekyere presiding. Defence Counsel said they would appeal against the sentence.
After he had been freed, Osei Kofi bowed, knelt down with hands raised and uttered some silent prayers. The convicts remained sad and worried.
The panel chaired by Mr. Justice P.K. Owusu-Sekyere, with Mr. Justice R.K. Apallo and Ms Justice Ivy Ashong as members finished handing down the two-hour judgment to a packed court at exactly 12 noon. Mr. Justice owusu-Sekyere, who read the judgment, said the defence of the accused could not be true in the face of overwhelming and credible evidence adduced by the prosecution. He said the soldiers whose support the accused sought to enlist at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in the commission of the crime, could not be said to have instigated the coup plot since the (accused) themselves went there to make those contacts with them.
The request by the accused for 10 hand grenades, Mowags with firing pins, their possession of a recorded cassette containing the names of the President and other officers of state, as well as sensitive installations like Tema harbour and the airport which they had targeted, clearly established that they intended to overthrow the government by violent means, he said. Mr. Justice owusu-Sekyere ordered that the mobile phones are given to the Ghana Police Service and the grenades returned to the Ghana Army. He said all moneys exhibited in the trial should be paid to government chest and the vehicle used in conveying Major Oppong Addae and Captain James Owu both formerly of the Ghana Army be confiscated to the state.
The facts of the case were that between July 1994 and September 1994 the four accused conspired with Major Oppong Addae and Captain James Owu, in London, Abidjan, Lome, Tema and Accra to overthrow the government. Offei, Ofori-Appiah, Addae-Dwumoh and Owusu-Boakye and major Oppong-Addae lived in Britain and belonged to the London branch of the Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church while Osei-Kofi belonged to the Accra branch.
According to the prosecution, at one of their prayer meetings, Offei claimed that he had a vision to liberate Ghana and urged the members to support him to ensure that he succeeded in the venture. Owusu-Boakye second accused, secretary to the church took notes on series of the deliberations, to liberate Ghana and brought the book containing all the entries to the country. Offei, Ofori-Appiah, Addae-Dwumoh and Major Oppong Addae now at large also came to Accra.
In August 1994, the accused secured accommodation at Kwashieman a suburb of Accra, where they resided and continued to hold meetings about the planned coup-plot. Later, Offei, Ofori-Appiah and Addae-Dwumoh established contacts with some soldiers at the BBC and solicited their assistance to overthrow the government for a fee. Ofori-Appiah gave the soldiers ?450,000 to recruit more soldiers and additional ?400,000 for the procurement of 10 hand grenades, of which the soldiers were able to provide only six.
According to the prosecution, Owusu-Boakye later bought five mobile telephones from Millicom Ghana Limited, to facilitate their communications. However, the soldiers, who feigned interest in the undertaking, informed the military authorities, who asked them to, pretend to be accomplices in the coup plot. At one of such meetings, major Oppong Addae and Captain James Owu directed the soldiers to contact some military officers for a Mowag (armour vehicle) to assist in the plot. They also undertook to reward each of the participating soldiers with ?3 million and a pajero each.
The coup-day, also termed Deliverance or D-Day, was eventually fixed for August 31 at 12 noon, but this was later changed to September because the soldiers from the Recce Regiment expected to man the Mowag, were not readily available. When Major Oppong Addae and Captain Owu were informed of the change of date, they hurriedly escaped from the country. The rest of the accused continued with their meetings and their last encounter was on September 1, 1994, at Abossey Okai, where Ofori Appiah and Addae-Dwumoh demanded the grenades, but the soldiers refused citing their inexperience in the handling of such ammunition as an excuse.
On September 2, 1994, the accused were arrested and the grenades were seized. When the Kwashieman house was searched, red armbands, some of which had been given to the soldiers as a means of identification during the coup, a recorded cassette containing a message to be broadcast to the nation were taken. Also found were the mobile telephones and mega telephones meant to address the soldiers.
Meanwhile, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, counsel for Ofori Appiah, and Colonel (Rtd) S.M Asante who represented Offei, have indicated their intention to file an appeal in the case. Mr. J. C. Amoonoo-Monney, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appeared for the state.
