THE COLOMBIANS ARE COMING ... For the head of cocaine thief

In the meeting at the house of the Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kofi Boakye, one of the suspected drug barons, Alhaji Abass Issah, was heard on the tape that was played publicly before the Georgina Woode Committee, indicating that the Columbian owners of the missing cocaine in the MV Benjamin vessel were coming for the heads of those who stole the stuff. He indicated that the main aim of the Columbians’ coming was to deal with the “thief”, whom they know.

He was heard audibly suggesting to ACP Kofi Boakye, Alhaji Imoro, Kwabena Acheampong and Kwabena Amaning (a.k.a. Tegor) that when the Columbians arrive, they should hold a meeting with them.

He said he had heard that the Columbians were currently holding out in La Cote d’ Ivoire.

Tegor then chipped in that they should come together and find out in whose custody the drugs were, adding that he had lost heavily on the vessel.

ACP Boakye assured them that he could be of help and that if the Columbians wanted to be naughty, he would “sort them out.”

According to Kofi Boakye, he had received information that Tegor had met the owners of the drugs in the vessel and since he did not have money readily at hand to buy the goods, he was given half of it and was asked to bring the money before they would give him the other half, but Tegor went to report the people to the police; so they were subsequently arrested.

He continued that he later received another information that he, Alhaji Abass, and one other person (his name was not clear on the tape) had gone into the vessel to steal the drugs.

He said another rumour was that he and Alhaji Abass were responsible for the stolen drugs.

He said he received a phone call that the ‘stuff’ belonged to some Columbians, and incidentally, there were two Columbians on the vessel; so they knew who stole the drugs.

ACP Boakye noted that a Nigerian who brought the deal into the country had already been going round lamenting, while one Yaw Billa had gone somewhere to announce that they had received the goods.

Though Tegor’s voice was not audible on the tape, there were remarks that sounded like he was saying he and a Nigerian were dealing with the stuff, and when it got missing in the same week, he met the Nigerian and his wife in Alhaji Abass’ house.

He said later, when he heard the rumours that the Alhaji had gone behind him to raid the ship, he was peeved that they could pick a fast one on him.

When Kwabena Acheampong was asked to state his part, he indicated that Tegor had already presented his side to him, adding that since Tegor had met the Nigerian in Alhaji Abass’ house, they had cause to believe they knew the whereabouts of the drug.

He said the people who raided the vessel gave a password before they were allowed to take away the stuff.

So at this juncture, ACP Boakye enquired, “Who knew the password?”

Then Alhaji Abass interrupted that the Nigerian, called Paul, who had been his long-time friend, saying it was actually through him (Alhaji Abass) that Tegor came to know Paul.

He recalled that Paul and Tegor went into a deal on a business, which later generated into a dispute; but whish he finally settled.

Kofi Boakye said, “Alhaji called me to ask about a certain case I never understood the motive behind. About five days ago, he called me that his friends had informed him that some business had come; so if I know where the stuff is, I should tell him so that he can also enjoy”.

Alhaji Abass disclosed that on a Sunday, Paul phoned him to say some police officers from the Central Police Station had raided a hotel in Abelemkpe and made some arrests and seized some stuff.

He said he telephoned one of the officers, Oppong, that the stuff belonged to him; so they released it.

But when he brought back the things, Paul gave him only $500.

He said one day, he was in Kaneshie when a man named Paa called him to say he wanted to see him; so he met Paa and one Adda, who claimed the cocaine on MV Benjamin was theirs.

“They said the things were 30 and they were ready to split the stuff with those who seized it; so I asked them whether the goods were theirs. They said yes, so I said; Oh! Paa, so you had this business and you didn’t…” his voice trailed off on the tape.

“I said I heard about the arrest; so I told Paa that in fact if it were the police who had seized the stuff, we would have spoken to them, but with the Narcotic people from the Ministries, it is difficult to talk to them,” he intimated.

He said he told Adda to enquire from his business partners, who were Lebanese, to find out where the rest of the stuff was hidden in the boat, since he insisted there were some still hidden in the boat.

“So Adda assured to get back to me, but he never did.”

He emphasized that he called Tegor to inform him about the information he had received from Adda, and Tegor promised to find out who the owners of the goods were.

But he said Tegor later called that one Joe Bondzie was going round speculating that he (Alhaji Abass) and ACP Boakye had gone to steal the items.