Judgement in 588-kilogramme East Legon cocaine case on November 13

Accra, Oct. 25, GNA - An Accra Fast Track High Court has deferred judgement in respect of the case of the two Venezuelans allegedly connected to the 588 kilogrammes of cocaine seized from a house at Mepeasem, East Legon in Accra to November 13. Adjourning the matter, the court said its judgement was not ready. The two are Italio Gervasio Rosero a.k.a. Italio Cabeza Castillo, 38, a businessman and Moises Joel Meija Duarte Moises, a 35-year-old machine operator. They were tried for conspiracy to commit crime, importing 588 kilograms of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority. They pleaded not guilty and were remanded into police custody by the Court since November 24, 2005. The third Venezuelan, Vasquez Gerado Duarte David, a.k.a. Bude or Shamo is at large.

During the trial, prosecution called nine witnesses to make its case while defence called none before the court, presided over by Mr. Justice E.Y. Ayibi. Mr Kwablah Senanu represented the accused and Ms Gertrude Aikins, the Acting Director of Public Prosecution represented the state. The case of the prosecution is that on November 24, 2005, a team of detectives from the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), acting upon a tip-off that there was cocaine in House Number 348 at Mepeasem at East Legon in Accra went to the house where they met Moises. Joel was arrested and he led the Police to his upper room where three bottles of ammonium used to turn cocaine into crack, a machine used in compressing the cocaine, 13 pieces of gloves and a quantity of plastic wrappers were found. The prosecution said brown cellulose tapes, a filtering bottle used in filtering and sniffing cocaine, an exercise book used in recording the names of people who had purchased the stuff and those that had been supplied with the drugs and two cell phones were also found. 25 Oct. 07