A prosecution witness in the ongoing treason trial Wednesday told the High Court that Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo has cited his work as the greatest challenge for him to take part in any civil unrest.
Frank Aboagye, the witness and an investigator with the NIB (National Intelligence Bureau), said ACP Dr Agordzo told Dr Frederick Mac Palm that “sometimes I find myself restrained by my profession, that is my greatest challenge now.”
The conversation was at the time Dr Mac Palm was recruiting Dr Agordzo into the Take Action Ghana (TAG), a move to mobilse the youth for nation-building.
Mr Aboagye explained that the team, after studying the Whatsapp conversation between Dr Agordzo and Dr Mac Palm, concluded that the former was aiding the TAG in its bid to overthrow the Government.
“We realised that Dr Mac Palm, in his bid to recruit people into the TAG, got the phone contact of ACP Agordzo from another police officer,” the witness said.
Per the investigation, the two started their conversation on November 8, 2018, and arranged to make voice calls using WhatsApp, since ACP Agordzo was out of the country.
Mr Aboagye said after the talks, Dr Mac Palm sent a WhatsApp link of TAG to ACP Agordzo and he accepted the invitation, adding that he (ACP Agordzo) sent a message three days later, the day he joined the TAG platform.
The witness read the message: “But you won’t miss me because I will fully contribute to discussions on our platform and will be involved in any activity we would agree to embark on.”
He said when the team of investigators read on TAG’s executive platform on January 5, 2019, that “use mass protests to overthrow the government and force out the constitution of Ghana,” they became alarmed of the communication between Dr Mac Palm and ACP Dr Agordzo.
The witness said the conversation continued on January 6 when Dr Mac Palm sent a message enquiring of Dr Agordzo’s wellbeing and told him he was adding him to the TAG Spring Board Whatsapp platform, which had just been created.
On January 7, ACP Agordzo sent a message: “I suggest creating awareness leading to mass enlightenment and action. We just have to be careful with our use of words for security reasons.”
Another message was sent on February 5, which read: “Thinking beneath a drafted speech are reasons for demonstration. We need to go beyond the Ayawaso incidence and mention a lot more in a chronological order.”
He said the messages went on and on with the conclusion that a demonstration would be held by the TAG members in TAG T-shirts.
When Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecution, asked the witness to briefly tell the court the investigation on Dr Agordzo, he said “Investigation concluded that ACP Agordzo was aiding Dr Mac Palm and TAG in the organisation of their demonstration to unseat government.
“The idea was conceived in 2018, the group created WhatsApp pages to enhance its recruitment, agenda and to also enhance the dissemination of its agenda,” he said.
The pages included the general and executive and the executive platform was where sensitive matters on the group were discussed.
“The purpose for setting up TAG was to overthrow the government using a manner similar to the Arab Spring,” the investigator said.
Source: GNA