Four Saga officials picked for questioning

Tema (Greater Accra), 28th May '99 -

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) on Thursday picked up four officials of Saga Ghana Limited, a shipping company, for questioning over seven kilograms of cocaine discovered in a container at the Tema port last Tuesday.

A source close to the Tema Port named the four officials as Mr Emmanuel Thompson-Addo, deputy general manager for finance and administration, Mr Ken Arthur, shipping manager, Mr Cornelius Sannies, Nedlloyd shipping manager, and Mr J.T.B. Addison, import and claims manager.

The source said the four officials were picked up at about mid-day today and sent to Accra.

Their arrest was the result of an order by Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Minister for National Security, for the arrest of the management of Saga Limited for investigations into the importation of the drugs and some vehicles into the country.

Customs and Security agents, acting on a tip-off on Tuesday, intercepted a 20-footer container shipped from Surinam to Carl Hans import and export company at Accra North. The drugs were found buried in some bags of rice in the container.

Nobody has come forward to claim the container, which contained 390 bags of rice, since it was discharged at the Tema Port on March 28, this year.

Saga serves as agents for "CMBT Asia", the ship which brought the container of rice. According to the ship's manifest, the shipper of the container was F.O.

Lachman of Sugro Export, N.W. Charlesburgweg, number 117, Paramaribe, Surinam.

Another source at the Customs headquarters in Accra told the GNA that Saga has been under investigations over some stolen cars brought into the country from Canada and the USA since the company serves as agents for the ships which brought the cars.

At present about 12 expensive American and German cars seized by Customs are at the customs headquarters.

Mr Emmanuel Thompson-Addo, Saga's deputy general manager, told the GNA earlier in the day that SAGA as a company is innocent, but he did not rule out the involvement of individual employees.

GRi?/