State witness in coup plotters case facing charges for murder

• State witness says he killed someone in self-defence

• Some ten people are standing trial for treason felony

The Attorney-General’s star witness in the coup plotters case is facing murder charges in court.

This was revealed by the lawyer for Dr Frederick Yao Mac Palm, an accused person in the coup plotters case.

Dr. Mac Palm referred to a murder incident that happened at Nsakina, in the Amasaman district of the Greater Accra Region in 2020, to discredit the Attorney General’s star witness.

Through his lawyer, Dr. Mac Palm informed the 3-member panel – Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, and Justice Stephen Oppong overseeing the coup plotters case that the witness, Sergeant Sulle Kojo Awarf, uses his uniform to provide land guard services for both military and private individuals.

Sergeant Awarf however refuted this, indicating that the said murder incident happened in his attempt to defend himself from a mob attack.

Details of murder charges as per the charge sheet:

The star witness, Sergeant Sulle Kojo Awarf, who is aged 37, was charged with murder after he shot one Isaac Quansah on August 30, 2020 at Nsakina near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region.

In a charge sheet and fact case sighted by GhanaWeb, the witness has been charged with, murder and attempt to commit murder.

According to the brief facts, Sergeant Sulle Kojo Awarf was serving as a soldier at the Military Defence Intelligence, Teshie Camp Accra.

He is said to have been invited to the Homowo night party at Nsakina, by Oblitey Commey who is a friend.

The complainants, Dennis Kwagyiri Quansah, Isaac Quansah (now deceased), victim Bright Quansah and some natives of Oshuiman also attended the Homowo Night Party.

About 9 pm on the same day, a fight ensued between some youth of Abbeyman and Oshuiman at the party grounds.

A young man who was being beaten by some youth ran to the accused person’s table to seek refuge but his assailants pursued him and beat him up.

The accused person intervened to rescue the said youth from their grips but the youth of Oshuiman turned around to fight him instead.

They hit the accused person’s head with an object and he sustained cuts and bled resultantly. In an attempt by the youth to disarm Sulle who had a weapon at the time, a struggle ensued.

The weapon went off and a bullet hit both Isaac Quansah and Bright Quansah in their abdomen. The accused, Sergeant Sulle managed to escape from his attackers and left behind his footwear.

Isaac Quansah, one of the injured brothers, was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival, while Bright Quansah received treatment.

The case has since been adjourned to November 10, 2021.

Sergeant Sulle Kwadwo Awarf’s defence:

Sergeant Awarf, who is also the star witness in the ongoing coup plotter’s case explained that the said unfortunate attack and murder incident happened when he travelled to Nsakina to visit his son. According to him, he is not involved in any land guard activities like was being suggested by counsel for Dr. Mac Palm, but was only trying to defend himself from being attacked. He admitted that the case was reported to the Amasaman Police after it happened and he was subsequently admitted at the 37 Military Hospital for two days before being released to the police headquarters to be processed for the court.

The star witness, though admitted he indeed was charged with murder indicated that he was discharged by the court following hearing, on the basis that, the murder was in self-defence,

Coup plotters in court:

Ten persons, including three civilians, six military personnel, and a senior police officer, are facing charges of treason felony and conspiracy to commit treason felony in a case where they are alleged to have wanted to throw the country into a state of instability, destabilize the state and to topple the government.