Six individuals, including three soldiers, received death sentences by hanging on Wednesday for their involvement in a coup plot three years ago, marking Ghana’s first treason trial since 1966. The verdict, handed down by the court, found all six guilty of high treason and conspiracy to commit high treason, with the convictions stemming from activities allegedly aimed at overthrowing the government. The accused, arrested in 2021, were reportedly testing locally manufactured weapons in Accra, including improvised explosive devices and AK-47 rifles, in preparation for the purported coup.
While the group, which included a gunsmith, pleaded not guilty during the trial, the court ruled otherwise. Defense lawyers announced plans to appeal the decision in the Supreme Court. Notably, police chief Benjamin Agordzo, army officer Colonel Samuel Gameli, and one junior military officer, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, were acquitted of all charges. Following his acquittal, Agordzo expressed gratitude and confidence in the judicial process.
State prosecutors argued that the group intended to organize protests to destabilize President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government ahead of the 2020 general elections. Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame lauded the court’s decision, emphasizing the severity of treason as a punishable offense under Ghana’s constitution. The country last executed a death sentence in 1992 upon its return to democratic rule. Notably, Ghana’s lawmakers voted last year to abolish the death penalty for ordinary crimes, replacing it with life imprisonment.
The recent events in Niger and Gabon underscore a concerning trend of military coups resurfacing in African politics, with at least seven coups occurring since 2020, predominantly in West and Central Africa.
