Judge In Cocaine Case Still Away

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, 23 November 2006
For the third time running, the court case involving Kwabena Amaning, popularly called Tagor, and three others for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of 77 parcels of cocaine from a vessel, MV Benjamin, at the Tema Port could not be heard.

The trial judge, Kwame Asiedu, had not returned from his annual leave as at yesterday when the case was called again.

On October 9 and November 3, the large crowds that thronged the 28th February Road Courts, commonly called Cocoa Affairs Court, to listen to the trial, went home disappointed as the judge was said to be on leave.

Those charged together with Tagor are Alhaji Issah Abass, Kwabena Acheampong and Victor Kisseh, also known as Billah.

The four accused persons are facing provisional charges of conspiracy, engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs and establishment and promoting a narcotic drug-related enterprise.

The chief State Attorney, Ms Getrude Aikins, prosecuting the case was also not in court yesterday. Nana Asante Bediatuo and R.S. Blay, counsel for the accused persons, therefore could not fix the next adjourned date as this is normally done in conjunction with the prosecution.

On October 4, 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 were arrested on August 2 after testifying before the Justice Georgina Wood Committee then investigating the loss of the drugs while Yaw Billah was picked up later.

The provisional facts as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abichab Boye, at the start of the trial on August 4, are that sometime in November, last year the police had a 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 on board.

Police investigations, later revealed that the other 77 parcels were removed from the vessel before the raid. The accused persons were suspected to have knowledge about the missing cocaine parcels, DSP Boye said..