- Title: GHANA: ALLEGED LEADERS OF ABORTIVE COUP FACE MILITARY TRIBUNAL
- Date: 30th April 1967
- Summary: COURT HOUSE; THE THREE ACCUSED OFFICERS; COURTROOM; TRIBUNAL REPRESENTATIVES; AIR-VICE MARSHALL OTU READS CHARGES; JUDGE AND PRISONERS. Initials AB/VS/CCT/K Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th May 1967 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ACCRA, GHANA
- Country: Ghana
- Reuters ID: LVAAT98K4JI6VGJUVVOD4KCQQEPJ
- Story Text: THE YOUNG GHANAIAN OFFICERS APPEARED BEFORE A FIVE-MAN MILITARY TRIBUNAL IN ACCRA ON FRIDAY, FACING SUBVERSION CHARGES ARISING OUT OF THE ATTEMPTED COUP ON APRIL 17. ALL THREE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO ALL CHARGES.
AFTER THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY, THE CHARGES WERE READ BY AIR-VICE MARSHAL OTU. THE OFFICERS ARE ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING TO KILL LT-GENERAL JOSEPH ARTHUR ANKRAH AND LT-GENERAL EMMANUEL KWASI KOTOKA, MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL WITH A VIEW TO SECURING THE OVERTHROW OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA.
IN HIS PROSECUTION ADDRESS, ATTORNEY-GENERAL VICTOR OWUSU REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PUBLIC DETAILS OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE ALLEGED PLOT. FACING HIM WERE LIEUTENANT SAM ARTHUR, LIEUTENANT M. YABOAH AND SECOND LIEUTENANT E. OSIE POKU. LIEUTENANT YABOAH WAS ALLEGED TO BE THE MURDERER OF GENERAL KOTOKA GHANA'S ARMY COMMANDER, WHO WAS DISCOVERED WITH TEN BULLET WOUNDS IN HIS BODY NEAR ACCRA AIRPORT AFTER THE COUP. LIEUTENANT ARTHUR, WHO ANNOUNCED ON GHANA RADIO THAT THE COUP HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WAS ACCUSED OF KILLING A CAPTAIN WHO REFUSED TO GIVE HIM AMMUNITION. AND LIEUTENANT POKU, WHO ONLY GRADUATED FROM A MILITARY ACADEMY FIVE MONTHS AGO, WAS DESCRIBED AS THE COMMANDER OF THE REBEL UNIT WHICH ATTACKED CHRISTIANBOURG CASTLE - THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.
MR OWUSU TOLD OF AN ALLEGED MASTERPLAN, SAID TO BE IN LIEUTENANT ARTHUR'S HANDWRITING, WHICH, UNDER THE CODE-NAME 'OPERATION GUITAR-BOY' CALLED FOR THE OVERTHROW OF THE RULING NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL (N.L.C.), INCLUDING THE MURDER OF EIGHT OF ITS MEMBERS AND ALL SENIOR ARMY OFFICERS.
THE PROSECUTING COUNCIL DESCRIBED PRACTICE EXERCISES NEAR THE TOGO BORDER, AND A SUNDAY NIGHT (16 APRIL) ASSEMBLY OF THE 120-MAN SQUADRON UNDER THE COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT ARTHUR. THE SQUADRON APPARENTLY BELIEVED IT WAS TAKING PART IN A COUP INVOLVING ALL ARMY UNITS TO OUST THE N.L.C., MR OWUSU ALLEGED.
IT WAS FURTHER ALLEGED THAT LIEUTENANT ARTHUR THEN DIVIDED THE MEN INTO FOUR SQUADRONS TO TAKE THE AIRPORT, THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, ARMY HEADQUARTERS AT FLAG STAFF HOUSE, AND THE RADIO STATION. IT WAS FROM HERE THAT LIEUTENANT ARTHUR LATER MADE HIS PREMATURE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE COUP. WHEN IN FACT LIEUTENANT POKY LATER ENTERED CHRISTIANBOURG CASTLE TO LOOK FOR THE CHAIRMAN OF THE N.L.C., LIEUTENANT-GENERAL ANKRAH HAD MANAGED TO ESCAPE, SAID THE PROSECUTING COUNCIL.
THE TRIBUNAL IS TO RESUME ITS INVESTIGATIONS TOMORROW (MONDAY).
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