Yabson Ordered To File Defence (Unpublished Article)

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday November 16, 2007
An Accra Fast Track High Court yesterday could not fix a date for judgement in the case of three policemen standing trial for their involvement in the missing 76 kilogrammes of cocaine because one of the policemen had not file his address.

On October 16,the court presided over by Justice Annin Yeboah of the Court of Appeal had ordered both the defence and the prosecution to file their addresses by November 14, before judgement date could be fixed but when trial resumed on Thursday, Lance Corporal Dwamena Yabson, one of the accused had not file any address before the court.

However, Sergeant David Nyarko and Lance Corporal Peter Bundorin who are charged together with Yabson had filed their addresses through their counsel, Musah Ahmed.

The judge then asked Yabson to inform his counsel to file the address before the court resumes sitting on November22.

The prosecution has already indicated to the court that they would prefer an oral submission before the court.


The three policemen have been charged in connection with the missing cocaine brought into the country on April 25, last year, by the vessel M.V. Benjamin.

They were alleged to have collected an undisclosed amount in US dollars from Sheriff Asem Darke popularly called Limping Man who is wanted by the police for the importation of 77 parcels of the cocaine, 76 of which were offloaded at the Kpone beach near Tema.

The prosecution led evidence to show that the policemen saw Sheriff at the Kpone beach offloading the cocaine but left him and his accomplices to go.

A fourth policeman, Detective Sergeant Samuel Yaw Amoah, who allegedly 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 of whom are with the Tema Regional Police Command, have pleaded not guilty to two counts of engaging in a prohibited business related to narcotic drugs and corruption by a public officer.

They are currently in police custody.