The Kaneshie District Court has began committal proceedings in the case involving a former Director of Transformation Office of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo who has been charged with abetment to commit treason.
This was after the court dismissed an application challenging its jurisdiction over the case.
The court also directed that the accused should be moved from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to police custody.
Lawyers of ACP Agordzo prayed the court to have him placed at the in Police custody because of difficulty by his family members having access to him while in BNI custody.
The defense led by Martin Kpebu told the court that ACP Agordzo who is a Senoir Officer of the Ghana Police Servce has paid his dues to the Country and should not be treated in that manner.
He said ACP Agordzo is being kept in BNI cells with people who were not initially there with him and the situation is traumatizing the accused person.
Lawyer Kpebu said his client is on a hunger strike and prayed the court to move him to the Cantoments Police Station which is closer to the police hospital so that in case of any emergency he can be attended to.
In response, Prosecution led by ASP Sylvester Asare said he was surprised to hear that the suspects family and counsel were denied access to see him when the court specifically ordered to that effect.
He however, said they did not object to the request of the defense for police custody but their issue has to do with their selection of police station.
He said under the circumstance, suggesting a particular police station in an open court is fatal to the security of the suspect and the public considering the gravity of the charge against him.
ASP Asare said they respect the suspect as a senior officer and has assured the court that the liberty rights and security is of utmost importance to the state and he therefore prayed the court to remand the suspect in police custody without specification of police station in court.
The magistrate, Eleanor Kakra Barns-Botwe granted the request of the defense and ordered that he should be taken to the ministries police station which is also closer to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in case of any emergency.
She also asked that the suspects counsel and family members should be allowed to visit him.
Mrs. Barns Botwe asked the family to refrain from talking to the media and allow the legal team to do their job.
She also advised ACP Dr. Agordzo to desist from talking to the media.
In the earlier ruling in dismissing the competence of the court to hear the case, the magistrate said that there ought to be committal proceedings to indictable offenses before it is sent to the high court, where one can apply for bail.
She further added that such cases are not sent straight to the high court but rather brought to the district court for the suspect to be told why he or she must be arrested.
She however, said they could seek a redress else where.
Counsel for ACP Dr. Agordzo therefore said that they would move to the Supreme Court for interpretation.
ACP Adordzo who was in uniform when he first appeared before the court was today in a civilian clothes.
ACP Dr. Agordzo is alleged to have offered some assistance to the leader of an alleged coup plotters, Dr. Frederick MacPalm and some eight other suspects.
The case has been adjourned to November 20, 2019.
Story filed by Rita Nyarko
