Tuesday, April 25th 1967.

Reuters Text:

Three civilians and an Army lieutenant appeared before a military tribunal in Accra yesterday (Tuesday) charged with plotting a coup last January, and planning to assassinate the members of the ruling National Liberation Council.

The four accused are: Sampson Sasu Baffour-Awuah, a student of the now defunct Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute; John Osei-Poku, a former senior administrative officer of the Worker's Brigade; Kofi Owusu; and Lieutenant Augustus Owusu-Gyimah.

The tribunal is sitting in public. It was adjourned yesterday before charges were read, or pleas taken, to enable the accused to obtain legal representation. It will resume today.

Ghana's Naval Chief of Staff, Rear-Admiral David A. Hansen is presiding over the six-man tribunal which has the power to give the death sentence. Mr. Justice G. C. Mills-Odoi, Judge Advocate-General of the Ghana Army, is Judge Advocate of the Tribunal.

Mr. K. Gyeke-Darko Principal State Attorney, is leading the prosecution.

Source: Reuters News Archive.

Music: "Military Percussion 5" by Chris Karan.

Note:

1. This trial was totally unconnected with the tribunal which tried and later convicted the protagonists in the "Operation Guitar Boy" coup led by Lt. Samuel Arthur in April 1967.

2. The coupists were seeking to create the conditions in which Dr. Kwame Nkrumah could return to power. The evidence in relation to Lt. Arthur's coup attempt does not support a pro-Nkrumah thesis.

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