Coup trial: Court seeks death certificate confirming Mac-Palm’s death

The High Court trying Dr Frederick Mac-Palm and nine others over alleged coup plots has ordered his defense counsel to serve it with his death certificate as evidence.

This comes after Madam Maud Opoku, his lawyer had announced to the Court that his family confirmed to her that he had died on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

The Court said it was not asking for the cause of death but only the certification of death, which should not take two weeks as requested by his counsel.

The three-member panel said the document should be ready by Wednesday, March 29, 2023, with copies to all the interested parties.

Dr Mac-Palm, Chief Executive Officer of the Citadel Hospital, was standing trial with Donyo Kafui, alias Ezor, a Blacksmith, Bright Alan Debrah, a Freight Manager, Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli, Johannes Zikpi, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, and Lance Corporal (L/C), Sylvester Akankpewu.

The rest are Lance Airforce Corporal Ali Solomon, Warrant Officer II (WO2) Esther Saan and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Agordzo, all standing trial over alleged high treason and they have since been granted bail, after pleading not guilty. 

The prosecution has maintained that the accused persons, all members of ‘Take Action Ghana’ - a Non-Governmental Organisation, incorporated by Mac-Palm in 2018, had planned to demonstrate and take over the government. 

The Court ordered them to open their defense after it had established the basis for the charge against them.

Thus, Dr Mac-Palm after giving his evidence-in-chief was being cross-examined when he was reported dead ahead of Monday's court hearing.