General News of Friday, 18 May 2012

Source: Daily Guide

Asem-Darke Re-arrested

Christian Sheriff Asem Dake alias Limping Man, who has been accused of importing 77 cocaine parcels using the MV Benjamin vessel, was yesterday discharged by an Accra Circuit Court only to be whisked by the police without resistance when he came out of the courtroom.

The court presided over the Francis Obiri discharged the accused person and another accomplice called Alfred Nii Sowah after Owusu Ameyaw, a state attorney, told the court that the state wanted to enter a nolle prosequi to have them discharged.

He said they had concluded investigations and would send the accused persons to a high court to face fresh charges.

The court consequently discharged Limping Man after which he was re-arrested when he came out of the courtroom.

The accused person again complained that he was not being fed well, adding that he h ad been taking only ‘Koko’-corn porridge- for breakfast which was woefully inadequate to satisfy his hunger.

Raymond Vordaogo, counsel for the accused at the last hearing, told the court that his client, who was already not felling well, was given breakfast as late as 11am for about four months, thereby worsening his situation.

The investigator denied the statement, saying it was not true and said he would look into it but the trail judge, Audrey Kocuvie-Tay ordered them to ensure that Dake was fed well.

Mrs. Yvonne Obuobisa, the principal state attorney in the case, informed the court that they had concluded investigations and would soon start the hearing and prayed the court for an adjourned date to enable them to do so.

Asem Dake’s counsel, George Heward-Mills, had throughout the trial applied for bail for him on grounds that the accused person had nowhere to go and would be available for the trial but the judge had stated that since it was an unbailable offence, she could not grant him bail.