Accra, July 31, GNA - Alhaji Issah Abass, Managing Director of Gazimbe Limited, a supplies company based in Tema, on Monday denied any knowledge about the missing cocaine from the MV Benjamin when it docked at Tema. Testifying before the Georgina Woode Committee investigating the circumstances leading to the disappearance of parcels of cocaine, which were part of a seized consignment on a vessel MV Benjamin at the Tema Port, Alhaji Abass said he did not see the vessel and neither was he in the harbour when the drugs were seized. He said he only heard the news about the arrest after the operation was completed.

Alhaji Abass said he was first confronted about the issue by the Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Kofi Boakye when he went to Mr Boakye's Office with a personal problem. =93Mr Boakye told me that there was information going round that he Alhaji went to the Tema Port to discharge the drugs before the Police could storm the ship.=94 Alhaji Abass said he told ACP Boakye that he knew nothing about the issue, and that the rumours had been in town for some time now and that he Mr Boakye had also been implicated in the disappearance of the cocaine from the ship.

According to Alhaji Abass Mr Boakye told him that it was Mr Kwabena Amaning alias Tagor, who was spreading the rumour, so they both tried calling Tagor on his phone but he refused to pick it. Alhaji Abass said Mr Boakye later told him that he had learnt that Tagor was the one who took the cocaine from the ship and that he sent it to Manhyia, Kumasi for safe keeping, adding that when he Mr Boakye confronted Tagor he denied knowledge of any cocaine. =93But Mr Boakye threatened that if Tagor did not speak the truth, he would report him to the Ashantehene, because he would not remain quiet for the Asantihene's name to be smeared with cocaine issues.=94 Alhaji Abass said it was based on this information that Mr Boakye later arranged a meeting in his house at a lunchtime, where he brought Tagor, he Alhaji and one Moro from Kumasi to discuss their involvement in the missing cocaine issue. He said it was at that meeting that ACP Boakye told Tagor to desist from maligning people, who were not involved in the cocaine issue.