General News of Thursday, 5 October 2006

Source: GNA

Alhaji Moro, three others before Tribunal

Accra, Oct. 5, GNA - Four persons including Alhaji Moro Mohammed, a Kumasi-based car dealer, who allegedly imported cocaine into the country, were put before the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal in Accra on Wednesday.

Alhaji Moro, who was absent, is in Police custody in Kumasi. The others were Joseph Kojo Dawson, a Director of Dashment Company Limited and owners of MV Benjamin, which carted 78 parcels of cocaine to Ghana; Freeman Sosi, a watchman, and Evans Charwetey Tsekobi, a mechanic. They are facing a charge of conspiracy.

They were alleged to have agreed with other people now at large to import cocaine, a prohibited narcotic drug, into the country. The Court did not take their pleas and remanded them into prison custody to reappear on November 2.

Ms Gertrude Aikins, Chief State Attorney, prayed the Court to remand the accused persons to enable investigations to continue. She said the suspects were involved in the importation of cocaine into country recently.

At a press conference last Friday, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of the Interior, announced that the Director General of Police (Operations) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kofi Boakye, was to be arrested and charged alongside 17 others for their involvement in the MV Benjamin Cocaine saga. The four, Kwabena Amaning, aka Tagor; Alhaji Issah Abass; Kwabena Acheampong and Alhaji Moro, met in ACP Kofi Boakye's house to find out who was spreading rumours that ACP Boakye had raided the MV Benjamin with his men and stolen cocaine. The meeting was unknowingly recorded The 13 others to be charged alongside Kofi Boakye and the four with whom he met in his house include Asem Darkei Sheriff, Captain Kwak, the Captain of the MV Adede 2/Benjamin Vessel, Chief Engineer of the Adede 2/Benjamin, Kwak Seong aka Killer, a Korean and Isaac Arhin, the second officer of the Adede 2/Benjamin vessel.

Others are Philip Bruce Arhin, the mechanic of Adede 2/Benjamin, James Kingsley-Incoom, the Cook of the vessel, Cui Xing Li, Engineer, Luo Jin Xing, sailor, Joseph Kojo Dawson, a director of Dashment Company Ltd, Owners of the vessel.