By William Yaw Owusu
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Alhaji Issah Abass, one of the two men standing trial for narcotic offences, has been named as the one who secretly recorded the conversation between ACP Kofi Boakye, then Director of Police Operations and some suspected narcotic drug dealers.
The meeting took place at ACP Boakye’s official Kanda residence on May 15, 2006.
Kwabena Amaning, popularly called Tagor, an accused in the case and who also participated in the meeting, made the disclosure yesterday when he opened his defence at an Accra Fast Track High Court.
Tagor, led in evidence by his counsel, Nana Asante Bediatuo, told the packed court that Abass had told him that Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) had told him that they had placed ACP Boakye under surveillance and had consequently asked him to record the senior police officer secretly.
Tagor and Abass were among 14 people recommended for prosecution by the Justice Georgina Wood Committee set up by the Ministry of the Interior last year to investigate the loss of 77 parcels of cocaine from M.V. Benjamin vessel at Tema Port and another quantity of the substance seized from a house at East Legon in Accra in November 2005.
A meeting allegedly held at ACP Boakye’s residence by him and four suspected narcotic barons prior to the commencement of the committee sitting, was said to have been secretly recorded by an unknown person. The recording formed the basis for the establishment of the committee.
Seventy-seven parcels of cocaine were allegedly brought into the country on April 26, last year, but 76 got lost at the break waters of the Tema Port before the security agencies could intercept them.
Tagor is facing four counts of conspiracy, engaging in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs and supply of narcotic drugs while Abass is charged with three counts of conspiracy, engaging in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs and supply of narcotic drugs.
The two have pleaded not guilty and are in prison custody.
"Before we met at ACP Boakye’s house, I met Abass at Golden Tulip Hotel in the morning and he showed me the recorder which he was going to use on the instructions of a NACOB official called Ben.
"All we were doing was to bait ACP Boakye to talk so that we can record him," Tagor said.
Touching on his involvement in the meeting, Tagor told the court that sometime last year, the police posted a notice at his East Legon house requesting him to see ACP Boakye at the Police Headquarters but he went there the following day with Kwabena Acheampong, the first prosecution witness.
"When we got to the Police Headquarters, ACP Boakye sent his bodyguard called Ahoto to come for us and on reaching the reception to his office, Ahoto stopped Acheampong from entering so I entered the ACP’s office alone.
"Just as I was entering that office, I saw Abass also leaving the same office and when I got in, ACP Boakye commanded me to sit down."
ACP Boakye, he said, accused him of not going to pay homage to him since he came down to Ghana and reminded him to know that anybody who comes down pays homage to him.
Tagor claimed that a lady officer then entered the office and ACP Boakye pretended he was having a friendly conversation with him but immediately the lady left them, ACP Boakye renewed his accusation.
"He then said he had heard that I was spreading rumours that he had gone unto the MV Benjamin to take cocaine and that I should tell him the truth or I will see today."
Tagor claimed that, at that point a man, with Nigerian accent, entered the office and after he had left, ACP Boakye continued threatening him.
Tagor said ACP Boakye had a powdery substance on his desk which he rubbed in his face and he looked very angry.
"He said I had a business with Abass which I denied and he then ordered me out of his office and said ‘I will call you.’
"When I stepped out, Acheampong asked me what the problem was and I told him, after which he said Abass had said I should call him.
"When I met Abass on the Spintex Road, he told me that ACP Boakye did the same thing to him and added that the ACP had a question mark on him."
"Later Ahoto called me to meet him at On the Run, Legon, and when I went, (he) Ahoto said we have to be one with Commander (ACP Boakye) since he can protect me but I was scared.
"I then visited my grandmother in Kumasi where Alhaji Moro called me to meet him at his car park at Nhyaeso which I did.
"I sat in his car and he called ACP Boakye for me to listen to what he was saying through a speaker phone. I heard ACP Boakye ask Alhaji Moro to bring me to Accra if he got me."
He said "we planned to bait ACP Boakye to talk so that Abass could record him for NACOB."
He claimed that it was ACP Boakye who instructed them to put their ears on the ground about the missing cocaine and added that he did not have a driver who bought a house.
"At the meeting, whatever I said was part of the plan to get ACP Boakye to talk because the NACOB said they suspected him and I also do not know the Colombians that ACP Boakye talked about."
Just then, his counsel said he had nothing more to ask Tagor. But Tagor continued saying "after the meeting, I left with Moro to eat while Abass took the tape to NACOB."
"Abass later called me to say that he listened to the tape on his way to NACOB and he realised that he does not think ACP Boakye knows about the missing cocaine."
The prosecution, led by Ms Gertrude Aikins, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), then told the court that investigations had revealed that Tagor had changed his name a number of times during and after his secondary school days.
The prosecution said at Pope John’s Secondary School in Koforidua, Tagor was called Ernest Henry Osei, St Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, he was known as Ernest Kwabena K. Osei and when he opened his business Cross Trade Investments Limited, he registered with the name Kwabena Amaning Kwarteng.
Tagor explained to the court that he got the Osei from his step-father but acquired the name Amaning from his deceased father.
He said he left Ghana for the United States with a passport that did not belong to him and said he stayed in New York and Maryland.
He said he had been Kwabena Amaning since he returned to Ghana in December 2004.
He admitted that he had been in prison custody with Abass and had discussed the matter but told the court "the story I am telling is not a fabrication."
He claimed that he knew of the secret recording but did not tell the Justice Georgina Wood Committee because NACOB was going to rescue them.
He said he owned a house at East Legon but denied having other houses in various parts of Accra. ‘I did not return to Ghana to establish cocaine business."
However, he admitted that what they discussed at the meeting was cocaine and confirmed that the references to ‘goods’ and ‘keys’ related to drugs.
Tagor also said the tape recording was known to him and Abass alone.
The court, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse of the Court of Appeal, adjourned proceedings until tomorrow for the prosecution to continue cross examination of Tagor after which Abass will take his turn.
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