The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has accused government of seeking to make political capital of the recent announcement of a foiled coup plot.  

The Nadowli-Kaleo legislator challenged the Akufo-Addo government to put evidence of the foiled coup before the court if it is not playing to the political gallery.

“The evidence so far made available shows that that group of people could not have overthrown our government...so you ask why government is doing that if not for political benefit?”

“These quick political gains don’t help the system and [national] development so I would want government to move away from it,” he said. 

Speaking on the sidelines of a Parliamentary Press Corp workshop at Prampram, he challenged government to put the evidence before the court.

Government in a statement last Monday said a joint security operation last Friday led to the retrieval of several arms, explosive devices and ammunition from locations in Accra and Kpone-Bawaleshie in Dodowa.

The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah disclosed that the operation was to neutralise an elaborate plot targeted at the Presidency, and with the ultimate aim of destabilising the country.

“The arrest and seizure come after 15 months of surveillance and gathering of evidence on the activities of the prime suspects and others,” he said.

State Prosecutors on Tuesday pressed charges against Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, Dornyah “Ezor” Kafui (a local weapon manufacturer) and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu (aka BB or ADC) a freight manager for their involvement. 

On Friday, senior military officer, Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli and a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces, Gershon Akpa, were also slapped with the charge of possession of explosives and ammunition without lawful excuse for their roles. 

It emerged on Saturday that there is a video in which the suspects had planned to kidnap President Nana Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at a meeting.  

The videos yet to be tendered in evidence were taken by spies planted by the state who infiltrated the camp of the alleged ‘coup’ plotters. 

But Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament said as one of the leaders in the country who has seen the said evidence, he doesn't see any evidence to support government's claim of coup attempt.