RUBY COCAINE GANG CASE COLLAPSING?

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The trial of the case of six persons arrested in connection with the jailed Nayele Ametefe 12.5kilos cocaine scandal in the United Kingdom appears to be falling apart.

When the case resumed yesterday at an Accra Circuit Court, the body language of both the prosecution and the defence showed clearly that the case might collapse in the long run.

Prosecution’s Feet Dragging

Chief State Attorney Penelope Mamattah told the court presided over by Francis Obiri that investigations into the matter was still not complete and needed more time.

In the previous sittings before the accused persons were finally granted bail, the prosecution had asked for more time from the court to do further investigations into the matter.

However, before asking the court for more time to investigate, she said some of the defence counsel had been creating impression in the media as if the case had gone into full trial.

“The impression is being given that we are already on trial and it is because of what some of the defence counsel have been saying,” she said.

She insisted that the case was still under investigation, adding “we have not yet taken decision to go to full trial.”

The Chief State Attorney said that under normal circumstance it was the police that was required to lead the prosecution of the case at the preliminary stage but because of the high profile nature of the case, the Attorney General’s Department had to come in.

She also said the Circuit Court was not the appropriate forum for full trial to commence saying “in the event the case is going to full trial, it will go to the High Court and that will be determined whether after all the investigations are completed.”

Accused Persons

The first case involved Abiel Ashitey Armah, Foreign Service Officer in charge of the VVIP Lounge at KIA; Ahmed Abubakar, Protocol Officer; and Theophilius Kissi, a Civil Servant who have all been charged for allegedly abetting Nayele Ametefe.

Frank Davies, counsel for Armah was not happy with the prosecution’s persistent plea for more time to investigate saying “they should give us timelines on when the investigations will be completed.”

“There is some sort of indecent pressure on the accused. The person at the centre of the storm has been convicted.”

Mohammed Attah representing Abubakar told the court that the lack of progress in the case is affecting his client as a public official.

Vincent Aikins counsel for Kissi asked the court to order the prosecution to ‘speed up’ investigation saying “it is a burden when you are on trial.”

He said in the substantive case itself (Nayele’s London trial) judgement has been given and did not understand what the prosecution was still investigating.

The judge then told defence counsel that he could not order the prosecution to give the court specific date on which investigations will be completed saying “I cannot order them when they say they are still investigating the matter.”

There was also heated debate between the prosecution and the defence on the next adjourned date but the court stepped in and fixed January 21, for the next sitting.

Ruby Girls

The court subsequently adjourned the case involving Sadala Nuhu and Nana Akua Amponsah both businesswomen who the prosecution says had travelled with Nayele Ametefeh but managed to escape from London back to Accra the same day and are facing a charge of conspiracy in the second case.

Dawood Case

In the third case, Alhaji Dawood Mohammed who reportedly played crucial roles for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign for the 2012 general elections is also being charged with abetment was also adjourned on the same grounds that the prosecution advanced in the VVIP officers case.

The originator of ‘Zongo Youth For Mahama’ which canvassed votes for the President during the 2012 election in the Zongo areas allegedly made telephone call to the boss of the VVIP section of KIA, Abiel Ashitey Armah to facilitate the processing and entry of Ruby and her girls, Sadala and Nana Akua into the BA flight through the VVIP.