Six individuals from Ghana, including three soldiers, have been sentenced to death by hanging for their involvement in a coup plot that occurred three years ago.
This trial marked the first treason trial in Ghana since 1966 when Kwame Nkrumah, the leader after independence, was overthrown.
The group was apprehended in 2021 while testing weapons in the capital city of Accra, with the alleged intention of overthrowing the government.
Despite pleading not guilty, the defendants were found guilty of high treason and conspiracy to commit high treason. The court documents revealed that the men were in possession of locally manufactured guns, improvised explosive devices, and AK-47 rifles.
The prosecution argued that the group had planned to organize protests to destabilize President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government before the 2020 general elections.
The court considered intercepted communications and testimonies as compelling evidence against the defendants.
The Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, commended the court’s verdict, emphasizing that Ghana’s constitution strongly condemns any attempt to overthrow a government and that treason is punishable by death. The last execution in Ghana took place in 1992, following the country’s return to democratic rule.
BBC
