Togo

Another brother of the president arrested in coup plot

Article published on the 2009-04-17 Latest update 2009-04-17 11:01 TU

State prosecutor Robert Bakaï.
(www.presidencetogo.com)

Essozilam Gnassingbé, the half-brother of Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé was arrested on Thursday in a growing round-up of military officers, politicians and members of the president’s family accused of plotting a coup d’État.

Togo’s chief prosecutor, Robert Bakaï, presented a cache of arms to the media in the capital, Lomé. The weapons, which were seized Wednesday at Kpatcha Gnassingbé’s residence, are proof that he was the mastermind behind the plot, Bakaï claims.

Bakaï would not give the number of people arrested in relation to the coup plot. Unconfirmed reports indicate that eight military officers are being detained in addition to the two half-brothers.

The Togo government says that it will establish an interministerial commission to monitor the detention conditions of the group, though their exact location still has not been made public.

Former Prime Minister Agbeyomé Kodjo, today in opposition, has called on the government to guarantee the rights of the suspects, citing specifically the right to a defense and the presumption of innocence.