3 Policemen open defence in coke trial

By William Yaw Owusu

Wedneday May 30, 2007
The three policemen standing trial over the missing 76 parcels of cocaine yesterday opened their defence before an Accra Fast Track High Court.

The three, Sergeant David Nyarko and Lance Corporals Dwamena Yabson and Peter Bundorin, have been charged in connection with the missing cocaine brought into the country on April 25, last year, by the MV Benjamin vessel.

They were alleged to have collected undisclosed amount in US dollars from Sherriff Asem Darke, the police's most wanted man in connection with the importation of 77 parcels of the cocaine, 76 of which were offloaded at the Kpone beach near Tema by the fugitive but the policemen who saw him left him off the hook.

Another policeman, Detective Sergeant Samuel Yaw Amoah who played a leading role in the case escaped soon after he was granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court in September last year.

The accused, all with the Tema Regional Police Command, have pleaded not guilty to two counts of engaging in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs and corruption by a public officer.

They are currently in police custody.

Led in evidence by his counsel Musah Ahmed, Sgt. Nyarko who was the first to mount the witness' box told admitted that he saw the green land cruiser which the police suspects was used to facilitate the carting away of the 76 parcels of cocaine at the Kpone township where they had gone to effect the arrest but said he did not see the occupants.

The vehicle he said stopped 70 about metres away from where he was and he saw Amoah alight from it to tell him that he did not find any thing from the beach.

Nyarko told the court that on April 26, 2006, it was Amoah who asked him to accompany him to effect arrest of some thieves along the beach, saying "I obliged and took my AK47 and 20 rounds of ammunition and we picked a taxi to the Paradise beach where we saw two poeple including the fisherman who had brought the information".

"We then walked along the beach and in the process Amoah and the two men started juggling but I could not because I was suffering from my knee", adding "I never saw them again so I moved to a nearby road and saw Sgt. Isaac Asante, a witness and Bundorin in a taxi".

Nyarko who spoke in Twi said "from my interaction with them I got to know that they were there for the same purpose for which Amoah asked me to follow him", adding "when we got to Kpone Sgt. Asante said he was thirsty so he left us to drink water at the barracks and I did not see him again".

He said it was after some few miniutes that he saw the land cruiser GT21W from which Amoah alighted to tell him that he did not find anything at the beach, adding "when I asked Amoah about the whereabouts of the fisherman and the other man he said they were in the land cruiser".

Nyarko said he then asked Bundorin to inform the Kpone Police that they did not find any thing at the beach before he said he picked a taxi to Tema Community 1 where he called Amoah on phone to find out where he was. He said he did not see Yabson during the operation.

He said later Amoah came back with a friend he did not know and they all left in taxi to Tema New Town barracks.

Nyarko further said he was arrested 4 months after the incident and his taxi cab which he bought on July 2006, impounded by the police.

He told the court that the car was jointly owned by him and his sibblings.

He said Amoah never gave him any money and denied knowing Sheriff saying "I do not know the work he does or where he lives".

He also said he did not see any van or any whiteman during the operation and also denied the charges preferred against him.

Nyarko is expected to be cross-examined by the prosecution on June 5, after which Yabson wiill take his turn.