For undergoing a five-year trial and being acquitted of his charges, ACP Dr. Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo, has expressed the need for him to be compensated by the state.
He says the traumatic experience, coupled with the stigma suffered by his family and the disgrace he has been subjected to, over the period, can only be appeased with a compensation.
Speaking on Hot Issues Sunday, January 28, 2024, on TV3, the security officer indicated that the emotional scars caused his family and himself by the case can only be treated with a compensation.
“Definitely, you can’t treat me, I mean do you know what my family has gone through? Do you know how traumatised they are? Do you know how some members of my family have suffered because they are associated with me?” he voiced out when host, Keminni Amanor asked if he thinks he deserves a compensation from the state.
“I returned from Liberia not two weeks before I was arrested just to go and teach and all of a sudden, your career collapses, your wealth collapses, and you’re being disgraced, a tag has been placed on you, nobody wants to talk to you, you lose your friends. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve saved, five years without doing anything, your money will be off. Can you imagine what we have gone through? So when we talk about compensation, it is in order. The state would have to compensate us, either willingly or we’ll go to court,” he pointed out.
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ACP Dr Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo, was aquitted with two others who were also accused on the matter.
The judgment, handed down by the three-member panel of judges on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, marked a significant turn in the legal proceedings surrounding the alleged plot to oust a government.
The two other persons who were accused alongside ACP Agordzo, were Colonel Gameli, and another junior military officer, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, who were both acquitted.
The late Dr. Frederick Yao Mac Palm, the alleged mastermind of the entire plot, was posthumously declared the first accused. The second accused, Donya Kafui, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason. Similarly, the third accused, Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, faced convictions on charges of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason.
Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan Dekuwine, the sole female among the accused, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason but not guilty of high treason. On the other hand, Cpl Seidu Abubakar, the seventh accused, was acquitted of both conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason. Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, the eighth accused, received a mixed verdict, being found guilty of conspiracy but not guilty of high treason.
Coup plot
The charges stem from an alleged plot to destabilise the country, with the accused facing accusations of conspiracy to commit high treason, abetment to high treason, and high treason. The trial, which commenced on June 8, 2021, caught the nation’s attention due to its high-profile nature.
Supporters of the accused gathered in the courtroom, expressing relief and jubilation at the acquittal of ACP Dr Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo. The trial had been ongoing since April 2021, with the judgment date set on November 22, 2023, following extensive legal arguments and the presentation of witnesses.
The prosecution team, led by Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, presented a formidable case, including testimony from seven soldiers. In contrast, the defence, comprising lawyers such as Rita Akukunti Ali, Victor Kodjogah Adawudu, and others, vigorously defended their clients throughout the proceedings.
The fallout from this trial is expected to resonate across the legal and political landscape, raising questions about the nature of the charges and the complexities surrounding the alleged coup plot. As the nation absorbs the verdict, the implications of this high-profile case are likely to reverberate for some time to come.
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