Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Dr Benjamin Agordzo, has been charged with abetment to commit treason for his alleged involvement in a coup plot.

ACP Agordzo’s lawyer Martin Kpebu, confirmed the charge to Joy News. He said his client was arrested and has been detained in BNI custody since 1 p.m. on Monday and slapped with the charge.

Martin Kpebu said his client was accused of communicating with the alleged coup plotters who the government said had been cooking an elaborate plan to destabilise the country.

“He was invited to appear before BNI and he did so this afternoon…initially they said they just needed him to assist with investigations but just this evening they turned from assisting with investigations to actually cautioning him.

“Meaning that he is on his way to be made an accused. The offence they have written is abetment of treason,” Mr Kpebu narrated in an interview on Joy News Prime.

Related: Alleged coup plot: What we know so far

Dr Agordzo, according to his lawyer, was accused of assisting the alleged leader of the coup plotters, Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, through messages he sent on instant messaging platform, WhatsApp.

Mr Kpebu said his client was confronted with the messages in which he had allegedly advised members of the group who were planning a demonstration to seek police permit.

Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu is lawyer for ACP Agordzo

“And there was another where he said Ghana has conditions which are similar to the Arab Spring. That is it. This Arab Spring that today if you check in the media, you will get over 40 commentators who have persistently warned that we should take steps to create employment lest we have Arab Spring. These are the reasons for which he is being kept,” Mr Kpebu added.

According to Mr Kpebu, his client sees his arrest and the subsequent charge as a political witch hunt.

He believes this is so because of his famous presentation at the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) where he bemoaned the political interference in the Police Service.

ACP Agordzo is still being held in BNI custody although the offence he has been charged with is bailable, his lawyer says.