By William Yaw Owusu
Thursday August 2, 2007
Lance Corporal Dwamena Yabson, one of the three policemen standing trial over the missing 76 parcels of cocaine yesterday admitted sitting in the land cruiser allegedly used by Sheriff Asem Darke to facilitate the carting of 76 parcels of cocaine from the Kpone beach.
He said when he entered the vehicle there were other occupants including the two fishermen who had reported Sheriff’s activity to the police and they all drove to Tema.
He said this when he opened his defence before an Accra Fast Track High Court where he together with Sergeant David Nyarko and and another Lance Corporal 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 and his men 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 his counsel, Yabson told the court that on the dawn of April 26, last year it was a man called Martey who came to him with the news that there were some people carrying stolen fish along the Tema New Town beach, saying “although I do not work at New Town I needed to act as a policeman”.
He said they tailed the suspect who diverted the said cartons to Kpone so he went to the Kpone Police Station for reinforcement where he met a Sergeant called Manu, a witness in the case adding that “Sgt. Manu asked Sgt Asante and Bundorin to follow me to arrest the suspects”.
“At the beach there were so many people and canoes so Sgt Asante suggested that I and Martey should get close while he took position at the top. When we got there I was feeling dizzy due to my heart problem so we returned to the top but my colleagues had left the place”.
“I then sat down expecting Amoah and another policeman in uniform (Nyarko) to arrive from Tema and as I sat, I saw Amoah interecting with some people so I signalled Martey to let him know that I was around”.
“I moved to where Amoah was and in the process I saw a green land cruiser emerge from the other side and Amoah asked the driver to stop which he did”.
He claimed Amoah had a chat with the driver (Sheriff) who he later realised was frequenting the Tema Community One Pilce Station and later searched the car and when he did not find anything, asked him (Yabson) to sit at the back while he (Amoah) sat in the front seat.
He told the court that on reaching the Kpone township, Amoah alighted and later came to tell them that Asante and Bundorin had already reported back to the office so they left for Tema.
He said throughout the journey he placed his head on the seat of the car and at the Community 5 traffic light he overheard Sheriff tell Amoah that he needed to pick something from home.
“We got in front of a house where there were wild dogs and Amoah and one of the fishermen entered because Amoah had said he wanted to attend nature’s call”.
He claimed that he returned to the the Community One Police Station to book himself before going to seek medical attention at the Meridian Clinic where he said he was admitted.
Yabson said he did not see Nyarko throughout the operation and also did not see any car apart from the land cruiser at the beach.
“I did not collect any money from anyone. I deny the charges preferred against me. As a police officer I acted in good faith”.
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