US embassy cable - 04ACCRA2206

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 002206 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, GH 
SUBJECT: ALLEGED COUP PLOT THWARTED IN GHANA: SEVEN ARRESTED 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) On November 6, the Ghanaian Criminal Investigative 
Division (CID) arrested seven men for allegedly engaging in 
'coup plotting'. Local press reports are conflicting on 
whether there were current and/or active members of the 
military among the seven arrested. The head of the CID, Mr. 
David Asante-Apeatu, issued a press release saying that the 
men were "planning to commit acts of sabotage and subvert the 
state." He denied allegations that there were any active 
military members or former officers arrested. One news source 
reported that four of the seven have been released on bail, 
but this has yet to be confirmed by local authorities. End 
summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
ALLEGED COUP PLOT THWARTED: POSSIBLE MILITARY INVOLVEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
2. (SBU) A group of seven men were arrested on November 6 for 
allegedly plotting a coup to overthrow the current government 
and disrupt national elections planned for December 7. 
According to a press release from Mr. Asante-Apeatu, head of 
the CID, the alleged coup plotters were found with military 
equipment, a firearm, and ammunition. 
 
3. (U) Press reports about the military connections of those 
arrested are conflicting. The Ghanaian Times, a state-owned 
newspaper considered to be one of the more reliable dailies 
here, reported that there were both "serving and retired 
military personnel" among the group arrested. The Ghana 
Review International also quoted a high-level source from the 
president's office as saying that the group included "serving 
and retired military personnel." However, other press reports 
either do not address this allegation or dispute it. Mr. 
Asante-Apeatu is quoted in a Reuter's story as saying, "I 
want to emphasize that what we've uncovered had nothing to do 
with the armed forces. The group we arrested on Saturday 
consists of civilians or ex-soldiers." 
 
4. (SBU) No names have been released to the public. However, 
three of the four suspects were reportedly detained 
previously on similar allegations and eventually released 
(Note: These three are among the four who are alleged to be 
former military members). A Pol contact reported that the 
police found no weaponry when they searched the suspects' 
residences. 
 
5. (U) One radio station, Joy News, reported that four of the 
seven have been granted bail, though this has not yet been 
confirmed by local authorities or other press outlets. Under 
Ghanaian law, the suspects can be held for 48 hours to allow 
for initial investigations. If they are not brought before a 
court within 48 hours of arrest, then they must be freed. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
DESPITE SECURITY THREATS, THE SITUATION IS CALM 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
6. (U) Despite this latest incident, the security situation 
in Ghana remains calm. There is no evidence of heightened 
military or police presence as a result of the weekend's 
arrests. In his press release, Mr. Asante-Apeatu reassured 
the public that the authorities had been effectively 
monitoring the threat and had reacted appropriately. In a 
separate address in Kumasi, the Minister of Defense, Dr. 
Kwame Addo-Kufuor, further upheld the Ghana Armed Forces as 
being ready to protect and defend the Ghanaian constitution. 
 
7. (U) One local press report quoted an unnamed member of the 
major opposition party, the National Democratic Congress 
(NDC), as denouncing the alleged coup plot as a 'fabricated' 
scare tactic by the ruling National Patriotic Party to gain 
political leverage in the final weeks before the election. 
(Note: This opinion appears to be an isolated one, and its 
credibility is further reduced by the fact that no NDC 
representatives have gone on the record saying this). 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
8. (SBU) In the lead-up to this year's presidential and 
parliamentary elections, isolated rumors and incidents of 
violence have cropped up. Regional violence related to 
chieftancy disputes in the north continues to be a concern 
for many. Scattered rumors of mercenaries and coup plotters 
have previously been denied by both major political parties, 
though may/may be partially verifiable by the November 6 
arrests. In spite of these isolated incidents, however, a 
full-scale political coup in Ghana seems unlikely and the 
prospects for free and fair elections in December remain 
optimistic at this point in time. End comment. 
YATES