His lawyers complain about Chronicle story

The Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kofi Boakye, yesterday intimated that the lady who has been arrested in USA on drug-related offences, Joy, was once his wife, but he had divorced her 10 years ago.

He told The Chronicle that he is currently married to a different woman, with whom he has three children; hence Joy could not be said to be his wife.

Registering his protest against the paper’s story in yesterday’s edition under the headline ‘K. Boakye’s ‘Wife’s’ Arrest Resurfaces’, Mr. Boakye indicated he had no dealings whatsoever with his ex-wife.

His lawyers, Messrs Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Joel Aboagye Debrah and Vincent Aikins, had cause to express concern on media reportage, asking journalists to be wary, since they would not hesitate to file a legal suit against any media house that seeks to malign their client.

They cautioned that any such media reportage had the tendency of prejudicing the Committee’s proceedings, especially when they make certain connotations into the on-going investigations.

Meanwhile, the lawyers of the five suspected cocaine dealers who were arrested in connection with the missing 77 parcels of cocaine on the MV Benjamin vessel, yesterday registered their protest before the Georgina Woode Committee by resolving not to participate in the hearing anymore.

According to the nine or so lawyers representing the suspects, their decision stemmed from the fact that the same case was pending before an equally competent court.

Counsel for Kwabena Acheampong (one of the suspects), lawyers Mohammed Sahnoon, Kwame Akuffo and Kojo Graham, first made this announcement.

“We would like to pray to the Committee that our client would like to be excused from any further hearing,” Mr. Sahnoon humbly said.

Mr. Sahnoon wanted to go further to explain to the Committee the reasons behind their decision, but the Chairperson, Justice Georgina Woode, cut in by indicating that she did not owe them an explanation or apology.

Lawyer Nana Asante Bediatuo, representing one of the suspects, Kwabena Amaning (aka Tagor) intimated that they had been instructed that, given the arrest and subsequent charge of their client, he would not continue to participate.

He said the last time they met, a tape was played and the Committee asked whether they could identify the voices; but they indicated that they could not hear the voices clearly.

He said it was subsequently reported in the media that everybody had identified their voices, which was totally incorrect.

Lawyer Osafo Boabeng, representing Alhaji Abass Issah (another one of the suspects), said in view of the fact that the matter was before a court of competent jurisdiction, they do not think they could take part in the active deliberation of the Committee.

“We are not going to cooperate with the Committee, My Lord; we are no more appearing before the Committee,” he reiterated He maintained that though neither the court nor the Committee had pronounced their clients guilty, the media had began trying them.

“I think the media men are here and I must tell them right to their face; I am highly disappointed; it looks as if we are being tried by the media,” he said.

However, the lawyers representing ACP Kofi Boakye, the Director General of Operations, Lawyers Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Joel Abogye Debrah and Vincent Aikins noted that they were always prepared to cooperate with the Committee.

They asked the Committee to provide them with a certified copy of the transcription of the secret tape that was recorded when ACP Boakye met in his house with the suspected drug barons.

“Indeed we are particularly concerned about this process because we have seen other individual efforts trying to transcribe some tape that is out there in the open; we believe the Committee’s transcription is more important and that is why we have submitted ourselves to this process,” lawyer Debrah noted.

Meanwhile, the Counsel for the woman at the centre of accusations of bribery and corruption against some top police officers, Ms. Grace Asibi, lawyer James Abiaduka has reiterated that part of the money was used to pay some officials of the Ghana Immigration Service to alter the travelling records of the suspected Venezuelan cocaine fugitive, Gerardo Vasquez, and his friend, Joel Mejia Duarte Moses (aka Joel Melia).

He said this was done so that no one would know when the two arrived in the country or departed.

The GIS however could not produce the travel documents of Joel Melia when the Committee asked them.

The sitting has been adjourned to Wednesday August 16, 2006.

The Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kofi Boakye, yesterday intimated that the lady who has been arrested in USA on drug-related offences, Joy, was once his wife, but he had divorced her 10 years ago.

He told The Chronicle that he is currently married to a different woman, with whom he has three children; hence Joy could not be said to be his wife.

Registering his protest against the paper’s story in yesterday’s edition under the headline ‘K. Boakye’s ‘Wife’s’ Arrest Resurfaces’, Mr. Boakye indicated he had no dealings whatsoever with his ex-wife.

His lawyers, Messrs Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Joel Aboagye Debrah and Vincent Aikins, had cause to express concern on media reportage, asking journalists to be wary, since they would not hesitate to file a legal suit against any media house that seeks to malign their client.

They cautioned that any such media reportage had the tendency of prejudicing the Committee’s proceedings, especially when they make certain connotations into the on-going investigations.

Meanwhile, the lawyers of the five suspected cocaine dealers who were arrested in connection with the missing 77 parcels of cocaine on the MV Benjamin vessel, yesterday registered their protest before the Georgina Woode Committee by resolving not to participate in the hearing anymore.

According to the nine or so lawyers representing the suspects, their decision stemmed from the fact that the same case was pending before an equally competent court.

Counsel for Kwabena Acheampong (one of the suspects), lawyers Mohammed Sahnoon, Kwame Akuffo and Kojo Graham, first made this announcement.

“We would like to pray to the Committee that our client would like to be excused from any further hearing,” Mr. Sahnoon humbly said.

Mr. Sahnoon wanted to go further to explain to the Committee the reasons behind their decision, but the Chairperson, Justice Georgina Woode, cut in by indicating that she did not owe them an explanation or apology.

Lawyer Nana Asante Bediatuo, representing one of the suspects, Kwabena Amaning (aka Tagor) intimated that they had been instructed that, given the arrest and subsequent charge of their client, he would not continue to participate.

He said the last time they met, a tape was played and the Committee asked whether they could identify the voices; but they indicated that they could not hear the voices clearly.

He said it was subsequently reported in the media that everybody had identified their voices, which was totally incorrect.

Lawyer Osafo Boabeng, representing Alhaji Abass Issah (another one of the suspects), said in view of the fact that the matter was before a court of competent jurisdiction, they do not think they could take part in the active deliberation of the Committee.

“We are not going to cooperate with the Committee, My Lord; we are no more appearing before the Committee,” he reiterated He maintained that though neither the court nor the Committee had pronounced their clients guilty, the media had began trying them.

“I think the media men are here and I must tell them right to their face; I am highly disappointed; it looks as if we are being tried by the media,” he said.

However, the lawyers representing ACP Kofi Boakye, the Director General of Operations, Lawyers Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Joel Abogye Debrah and Vincent Aikins noted that they were always prepared to cooperate with the Committee.

They asked the Committee to provide them with a certified copy of the transcription of the secret tape that was recorded when ACP Boakye met in his house with the suspected drug barons.

“Indeed we are particularly concerned about this process because we have seen other individual efforts trying to transcribe some tape that is out there in the open; we believe the Committee’s transcription is more important and that is why we have submitted ourselves to this process,” lawyer Debrah noted.

Meanwhile, the Counsel for the woman at the centre of accusations of bribery and corruption against some top police officers, Ms. Grace Asibi, lawyer James Abiaduka has reiterated that part of the money was used to pay some officials of the Ghana Immigration Service to alter the travelling records of the suspected Venezuelan cocaine fugitive, Gerardo Vasquez, and his friend, Joel Mejia Duarte Moses (aka Joel Melia).

He said this was done so that no one would know when the two arrived in the country or departed.

The GIS however could not produce the travel documents of Joel Melia when the Committee asked them.

The sitting has been adjourned to Wednesday August 16, 2006.