A Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has criticised private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu’s commentary in reaction to the acquittal of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Benjamin Agordzo.
Six individuals implicated in an alleged coup plot have been convicted for conspiracy to commit high treason and committing high treason.
However, Assistant Commissioner of Police Benjamin Agordzo, Colonel Gameli, and another junior military officer, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, have been acquitted.
Reacting to the development, the lawyer of ACP Agordzo accused the state of taking ACP Agordzo through a needless trial, adding that his client was taken through a “frivolous case.”
He said “The Attorney General knows that he mounted a frivolous case against ACP Agordzo.
“From day 1, the Attorney General knew that Dr Agordzo didn’t say anything or wasn’t involved in any coup. He was just educating a group that if you want to embark on a demonstration, this is the way to go – notify the police 5 days ahead of time … If you don’t, there are consequences.
“So ACP Agordzo just sought to educate them and the Attorney General put together a very frivolous case in a way to gag police officers, and other public officers because Akufo-Addo was misgoverning,” he stressed.
In response to the comments, the Deputy AG said this is not the way to react over a client being discharged and acquitted.
According to him, Mr Kpebu has the right to resort to the court of law if he thinks the prosecution of his client was malicious.
He explained that “a case of treason is not a child’s play and so if you are prosecuting a case of treason, you need to do a lot of work. In criminal prosecution, you may prosecute some and win while you lose others. Those that have been convicted what should they be saying?
“In prosecution, you go with the evidence, the court is expected to sieve the evidence, weigh it and then come to the conclusion on the matter. If the court concludes the matter, it is either the way of the prosecution or defense – whichever way it goes that is the beauty of the rule of law.”
He expressed surprise that Mr Kpebu was speaking more like a politician than a lawyer on the matter.
“He handled this case as a lawyer, he should respond to issues as a lawyer. He should not seek to denigrate the integrity of the Attorney General. I don’t think his client will be interested in attacking the prosecutors,” he said.
Source: Ghana News