Treason trial: I have not done anything to abet the crime – Colonel Gameli  

Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, the fifth accused person in the ongoing treason trial of ten persons, has denied aiding the high treason. 

He admitted that he knew the late Dr Frederick Mac-Palm and Johannes Zikpi, a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) but denied knowing the other accused persons.

In his evidence-in-chief at the High Court presided over by Justices Hafisata Amaleboba, Stephen Oppong and Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, Colonel Gameli said. “That I have been charged with the offence of abetment of crime to wit High Treason.”

“That I deny the charge and say that I have not done anything to abet the crime I have been charged with and I do not know anything about the charges of the other accused in this case.

With his 34 years’ service as a military officer, Colonel Gameli said he had been a patient of late Mac-Palm since 2015 when he had some serious waist pains.

His friend, Brigadier-General Ntem, then took him to Mac-Palm, whom he was told was a former school mate.

“Since I started going to the Citadel Hospital, Dr Mac-Palm and I became good friends and I visit him after work to sit with him and have some food and drinks to relax after work,” adding that “My family also became patients of Dr Mac-Palm”.

The Court heard that sometime in early 2017, he visited Mac-Palm and he told him that he needed someone to install CCTV cameras at his (Mac-Palm’s) house near Dodowa.

“I therefore introduced Zikpi to Dr Mac-Palm to do the estimates and installation for him. After the installation, I sometimes met Zikpi with Dr Mac-Palm when I visited him (Mac-Palm).”

He said, “The three of us took food and drinks together and thereafter we left for our respective homes.”

“On one of the evenings that I visited Dr Mac-Palm, I met him and Zikpi drinking and chatting.

I also joined them for the drinks. Since I do not know what they were discussing, I continued taking my drinks and just listening to them passively.

I did not ask them what they were discussing but when I heard them mentioning communication equipment (gota), I decided to find out later from Dr Mac-Palm what he needed the communication equipment for,” Colonel Gameli added.

“I did not report anything to my superiors because I was not sure of the purpose of that equipment.

As a senior officer, I must have sufficient evidence before I report any suspicion to my superiors”.

“I deny that I had any evidence of any plot to overthrow the constitutionally elected government of Ghana, let alone assisting Dr Mac-Palm in that regard.

Late Dr Frederick Mac-Palm, Donya Kafui alias Ezor, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu alias Bright Alan Yeboah alias BB, Johannes Zikpi Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Warrant Officer Class II Esther Saan Dekuwine, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Airforce Corporal Ali Solomon, Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon and Assistant Commissioner of Police Benjamin Kwasi Agodzo are being held over alleged high treason.

They have been arraigned for varied charges over their alleged involvement in the crime which they have denied and are on bail except WOII Dekuwine whose bail was recently rescinded.