Cocaine Man Goes Wild

…I will slap him with my handcuffs”

One of the five alleged drug barons facing trial over the disappearance of 2,310 kilograms of cocaine on the high seas, Alhaji Issah Abass, last Thursday threatened to slap a reporter from The Independent at the Justice (Mrs.) Georgina Woode Committee with his handcuffs over a front-page story The Independent carried that day.

The suspected drug baron’s anger was over a story with the headline: “Cocaine Man’s Staff Run Away, with computers, documents in panic cover up”.

In that story, it was reported that the staff at Alhaji Issah Abass’ company. Gazimpex (GH) Limited, carted office equipments and documents from the offices at Community 11, Tema, in an attempt to destroy possible incriminating evidence.

Alhaji abass, who obviously was displeased with reports, was anxiously trying to find and vent his spleen on the reporter from The Independent. He was so desperate in finding the reporter that he mentioned another newspaper when he went making enquiries from a Radio Gold reporter before that day’s sitting began.

Speaking in Twi, Alhaji Abass demanded, “Where is the … reporter? How can they say my workers have ransacked my office? I will slap him with my handcuffs when I see him,” he told his fellow handcuffed colleagues with other reporters, including the one he was looking for, looking on.

Meanwhile lawyers representing the five suspected drug barons and ACP Kofi Boakye have accused the media of pronouncing their clients guilty even before the courts do so. The lawyer for Alhaji Abass, Mr Osarfo Buabeng, told the Justice (Mrs) Georgina Wood Committee that, he is highly disappointed with the media over their reportage on the alleged drug barons.

According to him, the publications in the media seem to suggest that, his client is guilty of the alleged crime even though he has not been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction.