Tagor, Others' Case To Be Rescheduled

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, 10 October 2006
A large crowd that thronged the 28th February Road courts popularly called Cocoa Affairs, to witness the trial of four alleged cocaine barons yesterday went home disappointed.

Unknown to the crowd and apparently the legal teams, the trial judge had begun his annual leave hence the case could not be heard.

Kwabena Amaning also called Tagor, Alhaji Issah Abass, Kwabena Acheampong and Victor Kisseh, popularly called Yaw Bilah, the suspects, are standing trial for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of 77 parcels of cocaine from the MV Benjamin vessel at the Tema Port.

They are facing provisional charges of conspiracy, engaging in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs and establishing and promoting a narcotic drugs related enterprise.

Around 10.20 am, Ms Gretrude Aikins, Chief State Attorney, together with the investigator and some of the lawyers entered the courtroom to agree on the next adjourned date.

She later told the media that they had agreed to return to the court on October 23.

Last week, the court discharged Kwadwo Ababio, who was being tried together with the four, following the prosecution’s submission that it was no longer interested in prosecuting him.

Tagor, Abass, Acheampong and Ababio (now discharged), were arrested on August 2, after testifying before the Justice Georgina Wood Committee while Yaw Billah was picked up later.

The provisional facts as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abichab Boye, when the trial commenced are that sometime in November, last year, the police had tip-off about the arrival of a vessel, MV Benjamin, at the Tema Port with 78 parcels of cocaine. However, when the police raided the vessel, only one parcel was found.

Police investigations later revealed that the other 77 parcels were removed from the vessel before the raid and that the accused persons were suspected to have had knowledge about the missing cocaine parcels.