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Chief Inspector Charles Adaba, the investigator in the 76 missing parcels of cocaine saga which was imported using MV Benjamin vessel, on Thursday told an Accra Track High Court that five out of the 30 missing slabs of cocaine from MV Benjamin were investigated.
The witness told the court at the trial of Christian Dake Asem, the man at the centre of the cocaine importation, that he was aware that the police conducted investigations into how the cocaine got missing but said he was not privy to the outcome.
He told the court presided over by Justice Habib Logoh during cross-examination by George Heward-Mills, counsel for the accused person, that during the trial of Joseph Kojo Dawson, the judge made an order for the cocaine to be destroyed.
Mr. Adaba said that he was handed 25 slabs to continue with investigations by his predecessor then, Detective Inspector Justice Oppong.
He also said the each slab weighed a kilogramme, adding that it was taken to the Ghana Standards Authority, formerly the Ghana Standards Board.
Mr. Heward-Mills suggested that the witness was not part of those who retrieved the cocaine so he could not say for sure that the rest of the 76 parcels were cocaine, to which Adaba responded that the parcels were taken away in the presence of witnesses who testified that the parcels contained cocaine.
When asked about proof that the parcels were actually cocaine, Adaba said they conducted investigations before they arrived at the conclusion.
The case has been adjourned to November 6, 2012.
During his evidence in chief, led by Principal State attorney Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the witness said that he was given the case docket on the missing parcels by his superiors in 2006 after another officer initially began investigations.
He said his investigations revealed that only one parcel was found in the MV Benjamin Vessel.
Adaba further noted that the ship went for the parcels from a vessel on the high seas in Guinea and brought them to Tema/Kpone where the parcels were offloaded by some fishermen.
According to him, his investigations proved that the owner was the accused person who was popularly known as the Limping Man, with a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number GT 21 W, adding that he took a picture of the said vehicle.
The investigator said it was later discovered that the vehicle was registered in the name of the accused person’s brother called Evans Charwetey, adding that it was later transferred into the name of Unique Trust Financial Services.
He noted that there were three transfers and the final one was made by the accused person into the ownership of Unique Trust for a loan of GH¢25,000.
He stated that the loan was taken on May 4, 2006.
The witness stated that Asem was the boss of Atiko Fishing Company and tendered a copy of the certificate incorporation and certificate to start business, as well as certificate to commence business to the court in evidence.
Under cross-examination by George Heward-Mills, counsel for Limping Man, the witness said the missing cocaine was taken to an unknown destination.
He also admitted that he did not see the missing cocaine except the remaining one.
John Kwabena Dawson, father of Joseph Kojo Dawson, the owner of the MV Benjamin vessel, which was used in importing the 77 missing parcels of cocaine from Guinea, openly testified at the trial at the last hearing.
He told the court that Sheriff chartered the vessel for 60 days at the cost of $150,000 and tendered documents on the charter agreement to the court in evidence.
A former personal driver of Asem Dake also testified against his boss.
The witness is believed to have been the driver of the accused person at the time he chartered the vessel from its owner in Tema to Guinea where he offloaded the cocaine from a waiting vessel on the high seas into the MV Benjamin Vessel.
A male convict currently serving time at Nsawam also testified against Asem Dake.
Some fishermen hired by the accused person to help him offload the parcels at Tema/Kpone also testified against him.
Sheriff is facing five charges for the alleged importation of the 77 parcels which have since landed eight persons in jail.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime, importation of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, possession of narcotic drugs without licence, dealing in prohibited business and corruption of public officer. |
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| Source: Daily Guide |
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