Court remands four over Tema port cocaine

Accra, Oct. 26, GNA - Four persons were on Tuesday put before an Accra Fast Track High Court in connection with the 125 slabs of cocaine recently seized at Tema harbour. They are Benjamin Armstrong, Anthony Wilson, Kyerewaa Twum-Barimah and Edward Kojo Arhin.

The court presided over Mr Mustapha Habib Logo reserved the plea of the four who are charged with conspiracy and importation of narcotic drugs.

It turned down bail applications by defence counsel, Mr Joe Aboagye-Debrah, and remanded the accused persons into police custody to reappear on November 9.

Mr George Kwadwo Ofori, Principal State Attorney, told the court that the police had not completed their investigations hence the seeking of an adjournment by prosecution.

Mr Ofori contended that if the accused persons were granted bail they might interfere with police investigations into the importation of the cocaine with a street value estimated at GH¢10 million. Mr Aboagye-Debrah pleaded for bail for Kyerewaa, who is seven months pregnant, saying she had been granted police enquiry bail. He recounted the circumstances in which the accused persons found themselves, saying this was every importer's nightmare when it came to importation of goods.

Mr Aboagye-Debrah noted that the accused persons had no control over their goods until they arrived. He asked: "Why haven't the police arrested any official from Maersk and Consolidated Shipping Lines?" According to counsel, the accused persons were victims of circumstances noting that it was the first time they were importing goods. On October 18, officials of the Narcotics Control Board and the Ghana Police Service busted a cocaine consignment weighing 125 kilograms suspected to be part of several items delivered at the Port. Security personnel during investigations arrested two clearing agents and a truck driver for questioning. This led to the arrest of the accused persons. The goods to be cleared from the vessel were allegedly meant for a company which name was given as Pharma Plus Africa, dealers in derivatives for petroleum products. 2