Ben Ndego gave me the tape recorder - Abass

Accra, July 19, GNA - Alhaji Issah Abass, who is standing trial with Kwabena Amaning, aka Tagor, for narcotic offences on Thursday confirmed to the Fast Track High Court that Mr Ben Ndego, an official of the Narcotics Control Board, gave him a brown tape recorder to record a meeting with ACP Kofi Boakye.

Abass, 59, Chief Executive Officer of Gazimbex Ghana Limited and Issadies Company, both in Tema, said Mr Nedgo gave the recorder to a driver of NACOB to be brought to him at Cantonments Post Office. He said Mr Ndego told him that NACOB had laid surveillance on ACP Kofi Boakye whom they had gathered had raided MV Benjamin with some Policemen.

Abbas who was opening his defence said he made the recording after Mr Ndego had asked him to assist them with information that would help the Board unravel issues surrounding the missing 76 parcels of cocaine on board MV Benjamin.

Alhaji Abass, and Tagor, 34, alleged self-confessed drug barons, are jointly charged for conspiracy and are being tried for drug-related offences.

Abass is also being held for carrying out prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs and supplying narcotic drugs while Tagor has additionally been charged for carrying out prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs, buying and supplying of narcotic drugs while They have pleaded not guilty and the court has remanded them in prison custody.

Led in evidence by Mr Mohammed Attah, one of his counsel, Abass, who owns three fishing vessels at Tema Harbour, said as soon as he got to ACP Kofi Boakye's residence and was alighting from his car he switched on the recorder.

According to the accused, when he got to ACP Baokye's house, Tagor and Acheampong had already arrived.

The accused said when Mr Ndego enquired from him whether there was any compartment on a ship where something could be hidden after all sections of the vessel had been searched, he replied in the affirmative and showed him a possible area.

The accused admitted knowing Tagor, and Kwabena Acheampong and Detective Corporal Yaw Asante, both prosecution witnesses. When asked how he got to know Detective Yaw Asante, he said he knew him while he was in custody at Tema and Cantonments Police Stations. Abass who mentioned that his two companies dealt in sale of motorbikes, tyres and was sole agent in sale of Russian cars told the court he supplied some of his goods to the Ghana Police Service. When asked how he got to know ACP Kofi Boakye, Abass said a friend called Pius who owned a hotel was being harassed and they went to him (ACP Kofi Boakye) to assist them.

On the same day, while he was leaving ACP Kofi Boakye's Office, he met Tagor and Kwabena Acheampong going to the office. He explained that Acheampong was prevented from entering the office and he (Abbas) told Acheampong to ask Tagor to call him to find what had transpired between the two of them.

Abass explained that because he was in the fishing business and was conversant with activities at the harbour, Mr Ndego asked him to put his ears on the ground on missing cocaine.

Witness said when he enquired how he (Abass) could assist the Board, Mr Ndego told him that it could be through the secret recordings and taught him how to use the recorder.

The accused said before the said meeting with ACP Kofi Boakye, Tagor had told him about his encounter with Mr Kofi Boakye in his office.

"Based on what Tagor told me, I asked him to meet me on the Spintex Road and he did," Abass said.

Abass said when he met Tagor, he saw he was scared so he assured him not to be scarred of ACP Kofi Boakye because NACOB had laid surveillance on him.

Abass said the following day, Tagor called to inform him that ACP Kofi Boakye's bodyguard known as Ahoto had called him to meet him at "On the run", near Legon.

The accused said Tagor informed him that during his meeting with Ahoto, he asked him (Tagor) to unite with his boss whom he said could protect him.

Thereafter Tagor left for Kumasi where he met Alhaji Moro whom ACP Kofi Boakye had asked to bring Tagor to Accra whenever he saw him. He told the court that he kept informing Mr Ndego any time there were some developments on ACP Kofi Boakye.

Continuing with his cross-examination, Tagor denied that he and Abass agreed to look for the 76 missing parcels of cocaine. Tagor told that court that he had neither supplied Abass with any drugs nor had he cheated him (Abass) in any drug business. Tagor admitted that he did not know Mr Ndego, adding he only read about his interdiction.

The accused denied that he had told the court that Mr Ndego was his friend.

He debunked prosecution's assertion that his evidence on the recorded conversation was an afterthought, which also sought to throw dust in the court's eyes.

Tagor denied that during the meeting at ACP Kofi Boakye's house he and Abass engaged in some argument and it was Kwabena Acheampong who calmed them down.

Tagor also denied that he and the participants at the meeting discussed serious issues pertaining to drugs.

He denied that he owned six building located at East legon, Dworwulu, Airport, adding he had one residence at East Legon. Tagor said he did not own Hammer and Dodge pick up vehicles. When the prosecution quizzed him over Crossmaquis' Limited a second business he had registered, Tagor said that company had collapsed. He admitted that his signatures were on the registration form adding that his mother Maame Akua Sika and his wife, Nana Yaa Amoako Atta, were secretary and director respectively of the company. The case of the prosecution is that the accused are self-confessed drug barons who since 2004 had been actively engaged in activities of promoting and establishing various enterprises relating to narcotic drugs. 19 July 07