Colonel Isaac Amponsah, the first prosecution witness in the alleged coup plot by some army officers of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), a senior police officer, as well as civilians, has become the new Aide-de-camp (ADC) to President Nana Akufo-Addo, in the wake of the latest Army promotions, which has seen Bismark Onwona, also promoted.
The promotion is largely seen as a reward for Colonel Isaac Amponsah, for what has become known as “Kitchen Knife Coup”.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Benjamin Agordzor, senior military officer, Col. Samuel Kojo Gameli and eight others; Dr Mac Palm, Donyo Kafui, Bright Alan Debrah, Johannes Zikpi, WO II Esther Saan, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Corporal Ali Solomon and Sylvester Akankpewubare, are facing charges, including High Treason.
The accuse persons who are being tried at an Accra High Court, have contentiously denied being involved in any attempt to destabilize the constitutional rule.
The President’s known ADC, Brigadier General Bismark Onwona, have been promoted to the rank of Major General and shipped out from the Jubilee House, the seat of government to Burma Camp; his second major promotion under five years.
Brig Gen. Bismark Onwona, now the Commandant of the Training and Doctrine Command of the GAF, had overstayed his role as the President’s ADC from January 2017 until the beginning of this year. He had gotten to the position as a Colonel, but stayed on even after his promotion to the rank of a Brigadier General against military regulations that a General cannot be seen protecting another General.
Colonel Isaac Amponsah, until his new appointment, was an instructor at the Military Training Academy. He also served at the Defence Intelligence Unit of the Armed Forces.
The president’s new aide-de-camp, Colonel Isaac Amponsah was born on 12 November 1970, in Kumasi-Ghana. He is married and he has two children.
Colonel Amponsah has served in several capacities in the Armed Forces. Some of the roles he has served in are; Director Operational Intelligence, Department of Defence Intelligence, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces, Command Operations Officer, Southern Command, Ghana Army.
Others are Deputy Director Army Operations, Ghana Army Headquarters, Deputy Command Operations Officer, Northern Command, Military Assistant to the ECOWAS Special Envoy to Liberia, Course Commander/Acting Chief Training Officer, Ghana Military Academy, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Chief of the Defence Staff, Ghana Armed Forces, Instructor/General Staff Officer III, Jungle Warfare School, Akyem Akyiase and Platoon Commander (Op GONGONG)
In the area of peacekeeping, Colonel Amponsah, has worked as a Military Liaison Officer at the United Nations Secretariat, in New York, Planning Officer, United Nations Secretariat, New York.
He also served as the Force Provost Marshal for UNOCI (Cote d’Ivoire), Deputy Commanding Officer/Chief Operations Officer, Ghana Battalion, MONUSCO (DR Congo), Military Liaison Officer UNIOSIL (Sierra Leone) Administrative Officer, UNIFIL (Lebanon) and Platoon Commander, UNIFIL (Lebanon).
Colonel Amponsah in terms of civil qualifications, holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Ghana (LECIAD) and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Geography, Sociology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
By way of Military courses and qualifications, Colonel Amponsah holds a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies (Distinction) from the College of International Security Affairs, National Defence University, Washington DC, USA
From the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, he obtained a certificate in Joint Campaign Planning and Integrated Peace Support Operations (IPSO) Course.
He also has a certificate in Conflict and Crisis Management and in Defence Management from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) and from the Cranfield University.
Colonel Isaac Amponsah is a polyglot. He speaks English, French and Akan fluently and his hobbies are Gym, swimming, reading and listening to music and World News.
At the Accra High Court trying the allege coup plotters sometime in July 2021, Col Amposah, narrated how the Defence Intelligence Department of the GAF secretly filmed meetings of the alleged coup plotters.
The then Director of Operational Intelligence of the Defence Intelligence Department was led in evidence by Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to testify.
He recalled sometime in June 2018, he was briefed by his superior then Brigadier General M.P. Andoh about the fact that a soldier in the army, one Corporal Awarf Sule had been approached by one of the accused persons about a plot to overthrow government.
Col. Amponsah, said he got in touch with Corporal Awarf Sule and made available to him devises to be used to record meetings of the groups.
Corporal Awarf is then said to have attended the meetings of the group and secretly filmed the discussions. These are video and audio recordings.
Col. Amponsah, said a review of the recordings showed an elaborate plot geared at toppling government by capturing key state installations, including highly classified security zones where arms and ammunition belonging to the armed forces were kept.
He also said discussions regarding the elimination of President Nana Akufo-Addo, were advanced aside from a decision to jam all radio stations.
One of the accused persons, Bright Alan Debrah, who is said to have chaired one of such meetings, rebutted what he said were widely held suggestions of a near impossibility of a successful coup plot due to the existence of many radio stations. He is said to have insisted that a simple jam of the networks will make this possible.
Col. Amponsah alleged this recording also has a presentation of a sketch map showing these installations. A concern is said to have been raised about the incomplete nature of the plan with suggestions that additional details on how many men will be needed to capture each of these installations indicated.
Mr Debrah is said to have delivered a speech making a strong case on why the soldiers must intervene to save the future of the nation.
He is alleged to have argued that the two main parties, the Governing NPP and Opposition NDC, are the same and do little to deal with corruption.
The new promotion includes the following officers…
Maj Gen Amoah Ayisi -JTF Ops Koudanlgou
Maj Gen Onwona – COMDT TRADOC
Brig Gen Aphour -GHQ (COS) A/DCOS(Ops & Trg)
Brig Gen Agyemang Prempeh – GOC C/Comd
Brig Gen Asare -GOC S/Comd
Brig Gen Abdulai – DMNAA
Brig Gen Agyakwah – DA London
Brig Gen Mustapha – DA Saudi Arabia
Brig Gen Adu Brempong – DG PR&D
Brig Gen Hagan – DA Brazil
Brig Gen T Ampofo Gyekye -DA Beijing
Brig Gen W Agyapong – MILAD
Brig Gen BB Owusu – CSO Army HQ
Brig Gen Gagakuma – Comd HQSPSVCBDE
Brig Gen Asmah DG DCS(GHQ CE)
Brig Gen Asiedu -DG TRG
Brig Gen Baidoo- DCSO(Admin)Army HQ
Brig Gen Aggrey Quarshie GHQ PA as DG PR
Brig Gen TK Mensah DG DID
Brig Ampadu DG JOPS
Brig Gen Tanye-Kulono ASCOM HQ TRADOC
Brig Gen Commey DG IGD
Brig Gen Gbedawo -COS Boundary Commission
Brig Gen Wonje ASCOM(R&D) TRADOC
Brig Gen Woanya -DA Addis
Brig Gen Ntiri Dep Comdt GMA
Brig Gen Tei -Army HQ Ops & Trg
Brig Gen Parbey – ATRAC
Brig Gen Konadu -Dep CDI
Brig Gen Punamane -Army HQ
Col FK Baah -GHQ LOG Dir Accn
Col AY Owusu – Army HQ G5
Col Baba – Army HQ Eqpt
Col Penti – Chief GEO HQ SP SVC
Col Acquah – Headmaster AFSHTS
Col Osei – GHQ (TRG) D Trg & Doc
Col V Quaye -GHQ (DCIS) D Info Sy
Col Alipoe – GHQ (LOG) D Ops & Trg
Col Tieku –
Col Bannerman – CLO HQ N COMD
Col Agbenyega – GMA D Sp&Demo
Col Gyebi Abrokwa – D Corp Affairs GHQ (DID)
Col Appoh – Gender Advisor HQ SP SVC BDE
Col Kumi Woode -DRA AFHQ
Col Duodu- DRA Army HQ
Lt Col – Hoffman -CO 155
Lt Col Tommey- CO ATS
Lt Col Lamptey – CO GMP
Lt J Frimpong – CO Def MT BN
Lt Col Twumasi – CO 48 Engr
Lt Col IE Abdulai – CO Army HQ Camp
Lt Col W Issah-CO ARTS
Lt Col Atuiri -CO Arty Trg Sch
