An Accra High court on Monday, November 11, 2019, has denied seven suspects involved in the alleged coup bail.
The seven who included junior military officers were hopeful of being given bails but that did not materialise.
Defence counsel for the seven, Victor Adawudu explained why his clients were found with guns at the court.
He said his clients bought the guns to protect members of a group, Take Action Ghana, not to stage a coup, as maintained by the state prosecutors.
He told the court that members of the group were attacked during an outreach program in the northern part of the country.
The leaders of the group, therefore, bought and registered the guns on the advice of a serving soldier Mr Adawudu identified only as “Sulley†who is not standing trial.
The lawyer insisted nothing has been put forward by the state to show that they were engaged in any such plot.
While pledging to ensure his clients show up in court to stand trial he insisted a grant of bail is only fair since the state is not ready to commence the committal process.
Hilda Craig, Senior State Attorney opposed the application saying the state does not suspect them of plotting a coup but the state knows as a matter of fact that they agreed and plotted to overthrow the government.
Explaining why the suspects should be denied bail, she maintained that some of them are serving officers of the armed forces and could interfere with investigations since the state’s witnesses include soldiers.
She told the court that the state does not trust that they will show up in court to stand trial if granted bail.
“The activities of these persons do not show that they are NGO’s who needed weapons. Why not contact the police if they had concerns†she said.
“As far as we are concerned, they had one intention, to overthrow the state. The state has overwhelming evidence and will provide it at the right time,†she said.