Policemen in cocaine trial asked to open defence

Accra, May 9, GNA - Three policemen alleged to have aided Sheriff Asem Dake, a prime suspect, to cart 76 parcels of drugs on board the MV Benjamin vessel to an unknown destination were on Wednesday asked to open their defence.

This was after prosecution had closed its case after calling 10 witnesses before the Fast Track High Court.

The court noted that a prima facie case had been made against the accused persons and hence called on them to open their defence on May 23.

The three are General Sergeant David Nyarko, Detective Lance Corporal Dwamena Yabson and General Lance Corporal Peter Bondorin. Nyarko, Yabson and Bondorin are being held on charges of prohibited business and corruption by public officer. They have pleaded not guilty.

A fourth policeman, Detective Sergeant Samuel Amoah, is on the run. He jumped bail after an Accra Regional Tribunal granted him and his accomplices bail.

The three policemen are alleged to have allowed Asem Dake, alias Sheriff, to cart 76 parcels of cocaine from the MV Benjamin into two canoes at Kpone, near Tema.

The case of the prosecution is that on April 26, this year, MV Benjamin arrived on the high seas of Tema.

The vessel was carrying 77 parcels of cocaine imported by one Sheriff Asem Dake. Soon after the vessel arrived, the parcels of cocaine were offloaded unto two canoes, which sailed to Kpone Beach, near Tema. Some fishermen, who spotted the canoes became suspicious and called the owner of the canoes.

The owner of the canoes and others informed Sergeant Amoah who was stationed at Tema Newtown. He in turn mobilized the other accused persons and they proceeded to Kpone Beach. At the beach, the accused persons looked on until Asem Dake offloaded the drugs into a four-wheel vehicle. The accused persons then followed the vehicle to Tema where Dake gave them some money for which they failed to arrest him.