MV Benjamin cocaine case resumes
Gilbert Boyefio
04/11/2006
Five persons arraigned before the Accra Regional Tribunal for their involvement in the MV Benjamin cocaine case have been charged with various crimes ranging from conspiracy and abetment to the use of property for narcotic offences.
The five persons are Joseph Kojo Dawson, a Director of Dashment Company Limited and owner of MV Benjamin, which carted the parcels of cocaine to Ghana; Sherrif Asem Darkei; Freeman Sosi, a watchman; Evans Charwetey Tsekobi, a mechanic; and Alhaji Moro Mohammed, a Kumasi-based car dealer who allegedly imported the cocaine into the country and is currently in Police custody.
The Chief State Attorney, Gertrude Aikins, prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable further investigations, whilst counsel for the accused pleaded to the court to grant them bail, which was denied by the court.
On April 26 this year, 77 parcels of cocaine disappeared from the MV Benjamin fishing vessel. It was alleged that Sherrif, who is at large, chartered the MV Benjamin from Ghana to cart the 78 parcels of cocaine, totalling 2,340 kilogrammes, from the high seas.
The MV Benjamin offloaded the cocaine from another vessel and headed towards Ghana. It was also alleged that Sherrif organised some fishermen to offload the 77 parcels from the MV Benjamin when it entered the Tema breakwaters to Kpone at dawn after the vessel had berthed at about 11:30 pm on April 25, 2006. From Kpone, the drugs were then taken to an unknown destination.
The case was adjourned to November 17, 2006.
Meanwhile, the East Legon cocaine case, which was before a Fast Track High Court in Accra, had to be adjourned to November 15, 2006, because the State Prosecutor, Gertrude Aikins, could not come to court.
The court was told that Ms Aikins had a case at the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal and therefore the case should be stood down, but when it became evident that she could not make it to the court the case was adjourned.
The two Venezuelans, Italo Cabeza Castillo, 38, and Joel Mella, 35, who were arrested at East Legon in Accra for allegedly possessing narcotic drugs valued at $38 million, are in police custody.
After intensive Police surveillance, a search at the residence of the accused at East Legon, 588 pieces of wrapped tablets suspected to be cocaine were found concealed in paper boxes in two rooms. The boxes had a gross weight of 580 kilogrammes.
04/11/2006
Five persons arraigned before the Accra Regional Tribunal for their involvement in the MV Benjamin cocaine case have been charged with various crimes ranging from conspiracy and abetment to the use of property for narcotic offences.
The five persons are Joseph Kojo Dawson, a Director of Dashment Company Limited and owner of MV Benjamin, which carted the parcels of cocaine to Ghana; Sherrif Asem Darkei; Freeman Sosi, a watchman; Evans Charwetey Tsekobi, a mechanic; and Alhaji Moro Mohammed, a Kumasi-based car dealer who allegedly imported the cocaine into the country and is currently in Police custody.
The Chief State Attorney, Gertrude Aikins, prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable further investigations, whilst counsel for the accused pleaded to the court to grant them bail, which was denied by the court.
On April 26 this year, 77 parcels of cocaine disappeared from the MV Benjamin fishing vessel. It was alleged that Sherrif, who is at large, chartered the MV Benjamin from Ghana to cart the 78 parcels of cocaine, totalling 2,340 kilogrammes, from the high seas.
The MV Benjamin offloaded the cocaine from another vessel and headed towards Ghana. It was also alleged that Sherrif organised some fishermen to offload the 77 parcels from the MV Benjamin when it entered the Tema breakwaters to Kpone at dawn after the vessel had berthed at about 11:30 pm on April 25, 2006. From Kpone, the drugs were then taken to an unknown destination.
The case was adjourned to November 17, 2006.
Meanwhile, the East Legon cocaine case, which was before a Fast Track High Court in Accra, had to be adjourned to November 15, 2006, because the State Prosecutor, Gertrude Aikins, could not come to court.
The court was told that Ms Aikins had a case at the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal and therefore the case should be stood down, but when it became evident that she could not make it to the court the case was adjourned.
The two Venezuelans, Italo Cabeza Castillo, 38, and Joel Mella, 35, who were arrested at East Legon in Accra for allegedly possessing narcotic drugs valued at $38 million, are in police custody.
After intensive Police surveillance, a search at the residence of the accused at East Legon, 588 pieces of wrapped tablets suspected to be cocaine were found concealed in paper boxes in two rooms. The boxes had a gross weight of 580 kilogrammes.
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