The embattled Chief Executive Officer of the defunct gold dealership firm Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, affectionately called NAM1, has described the acquittal and discharge of (ACP) Dr Benjamin Agordzo, who was one of the people standing trial for allegedly plotting a coup, as an “enviable feat under Ghana’s democratic dispensation by the judiciary, under the 1992 Constitutional rule”.
NAM1’s statement was contained in a tweet on January 26, 2024, sighted by GhanaWeb.com where he also paid “tribute to the many preyed accused coup plotters down history lane from 1981-1992, who never had their day in Court.”
The businessman, along with his companies Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult Ghana Limited, currently faces 39 counts of defrauding by false pretense, inducing members of the public to invest, and money laundering.
In the initial charge sheet presented to the court, the three were accused of inducing the public to invest a total of GH¢1,680,920,000. However, this figure has now significantly decreased to GH¢340,835,650. This reduction is attributed to some complainants being unwilling to testify.
The trio faces a total of thirty-nine charges, encompassing one count of selling gold without a license, one count of operating a deposit-taking business, one count of inducement to invest, 22 counts of defrauding by false pretense, seven counts of fraudulent breach of trust, and seven counts of money laundering.
The charges brought against NAM1 and his companies Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult Ghana Limited pertain to defrauding their customers of various sums of money between 2016 and 2018.
An enviable feat under Ghana’s democratic dispensation by the judiciary, under the 1992 Constitutional rule. I pay tribute to the many preyed ACCUSED coup plotters down history lane from 1981-1992, who never had their day in Court. Floreat! Ghana’s Rule of Law. Ghana ayekoo🇬🇭🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/fqpsQFUc5o
— Nana Appiah Mensah (@nam_the_patriot) January 26, 2024
Agordzo’s acquittal
The High Court convicted six out of nine alleged coup plotters for counts of conspiracy to commit high treason and committing high treason.
The Court, however, acquitted Benjamin Agordzo, Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli and one other junior military officer, Corporal Seidu Abubakar.
The six convicted for plotting a coup have been sentenced to death by hanging.
The six persons, including three soldiers, are; Donya Kafui, aka Ezor (a blacksmith) and Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu (a fleet manager), were found guilty of conspiracy to commit treason and treason, while Johannes Zikpi (a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces) was found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason.
The three soldiers – Warrant Officer II Esther Saan Dekuwine, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, and Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason.
Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, the Chief Executive Officer of Citadel Hospital (now deceased) and ACP Dr. Agordzo together with eight others were charged variously on April 24, 2021, for conspiracy to high treason, abetment to high treason and high treason.
Dr Mac Palm (A1- now Deceased), Donya Kafui alias Ezor (A2), Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu alias Bright Alan Yeboah (A3), Yohannes Zikpi (A4), Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan Dekuwine (A6), Cpl Seidu Abubakar (A7), Lance Corporal Ali Solomon (A8) and Cpl Sylvester Akanpewon (A9) were charged for conspiracy to commit high and high treason.
Col. Samuel Kodzo Gameli (A5) and ACP Dr Benjamin Agordzo (A10) have each been charged for abetment.
All 10 accused (then) pleaded not guilty and had been granted bail while standing trial.
However, following the death of Dr Mac-Palm (A1) who was then in the witness box giving testimony, his evidence was deleted from the records after his passing away was confirmed to the Court.