Three Policemen in court over missing cocaine

Accra, Sept. 12, GNA - Three Policemen, who ignored information by some fishermen that parcels of cocaine were being offloaded from MV Benjamin vessel were on Tuesday put before a Circuit Court in Accra charged with abetment of crime.

Detective Sergeant Yaw Samuel Amoah, General Sergeant Daniel Nyarko and Detective Lance Corporal Dwamena Yabson were said to have abetted with one Sheriff, alias "Limping man", to offload quantities of cocaine in April 2006 at Kpone, near Tema.

The court did not take the pleas of the accused persons and remanded them in Police custody until September 25. Remanding them, Mr Justice Frank Manu, Circuit Court Judge, noted that they had just been brought before the court. According to the Court it had to considered Defence Counsel's prayer to admit the accused persons to bail, as the principal culprit (Sheriff) had not been arraigned.

Mr Musah Ahmed, who represented Amoah and Nyarko, said he was surprised that his clients' pleas were not taken.

Mr Ahmed said the accused had been kept by the Police for two weeks and questioned the basis on which the Police could keep them in custody. "The Police had built a case docket and kept them for two weeks; the Police cannot be used as a court. They should have brought them before a court of law within 48 hours," he said

Referring to the charge levelled against his clients, Mr Ahmed said he wondered why the Police did put Sheriff, whom they allegedly abetted with, before the Court.

"If my clients were said to have taken money, the Police should have charged them with extortion and not abetment of crime." Mr Yaw Awuku Asabre, who represented Yabson, said that security agencies were confused and seemed to be roping people into this missing cocaine saga.

"If they claim they collected monies, how much did they collect?" he questioned.

He alleged that Yabson was suffering from an enlarged heart and as such should be admitted to bail to enable him to receive medical attention.

Some fishermen allegedly informed the three Policemen that some persons were off-loading cocaine from MV Benjamin at Kpone but instead of arresting them, they rather collected money.