Witness contradicts evidence of accused

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday November 28, 2007
A defence witness who testified at the instance of Joseph Kojo Dawson, the MV Benjamin vessel owner standing trial for allowing his vessel to be used to import 77 parcels of cocaine into the country yesterday contradicted the evidence of the accused person.

Dawson, standing trial together with the vessel’s crew that brought the cocaine had told the court in October that he paid off the crew in March 2005, before Sheriff Asem Darke, the man wanted in connection with the importation of the cocaine allegedly engaged them when he chartered the vessel to tow his distress vessel from the high seas in Conakry Guinea.

But when Prince Otchere an accounting personnel from Dashment Company Limited, joint owners of the vessel where Dawson is the Managing Director testified he told the court that he paid off the crew in February 2005, and not March.

When suggested to him by William Kpobi, a Principal State Attorney prosecuting the case Dawson had testified that it was March, Otchere said “I will be surprised because I was in charge of the payment of salaries of workers at Dashment and I paid them off in February when the vessel developed a fault.”

Dawson is being tried with four others for the importation of the narcotic drug.

Dawson and his accomplices - Isaac Arhin, 40, Phillip Bruce Arhin, 49, a mechanic, Cui Xian Li, 49, a vessel engineer and Luo Yui Xing, 49, both Chinese, who were on board the MV Benjamin vessel that allegedly brought the narcotic drug package, in April 2006, lost their respective applications for submission of ‘no case’ after the close of the prosecution’s case.

The sixth person, Pak Bok Sil, a Korean vessel engineer, who was jointly charged with the five was acquitted and discharged by the court for lack of evidence.

The five men have been charged for the roles they played in the alleged importation of the cocaine to the Tema Port in April last year.

Sheriff, popularly called “Limping Man,” now at large, allegedly chartered the vessel from Dawson at 150,000 dollars under the pretext of towing his distressed vessel from Conakry, Guinea.

Isaac Arhin, Bruce Arhin, Li and Xing have all pleaded not guilty to two counts of engaging in prohibited business as related to narcotic drugs and possessing narcotic drugs unlawfully.

The prosecution called 13 witnesses after which the accused persons filed a submission of no case’ because they believed the prosecution failed to establish a case against them.

Led in evidence by D.K Ameley, counsel for Dawson, Otchere told the court that in early 2005, when the vessel developed a fault on the high seas the company sent canoes to bring the crew on board and 31 members were brought, leaving behind five crew including Isaac Arhin and Bruce Arhin on board the vessel.

He told the court that the two arrived in June and they were also paid off before Jil Bae, a joint owner of the vessel brought Sheriff to make arrangements for the charter of the vessel.

Defence counsel tendered through the witness documents showing the payment of the salaries of the workers at Dashment.

Earlier, John Kobena Dawson son of Dawson who had signed the charter agreement on behalf of the company testified before the court.

He told the court that he signed the agreement because when the company was entering into partnership with the Koreans he was the same person who had signed those documents.

He said apart from the Benjamin the company had two additional vessels and also added that he never knew Sheriff until the day that the agreement was signed.