Five remanded in connection with narcotic drugs

Accra, Jan. 9, GNA - Five out of seven persons, who were busted on Wednesday in connection with the seizure of a large cache of drugs suspected to be cocaine in Tema, were on Friday remanded into prison custody by an Accra Circuit Court. Kevin Gorman, 59, an American citizen, appeared on a provisional charge of possessing 675 kilograms of narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

Alan Hodson, 45, David Logan, 43, and Frank Lavelrick 43, all British nationals, and 45-year-old Sven Herb, a German, appeared on provisional charges of abetting to the crime.


The Court presided over by Mr Anthony Oppong did not take their pleas and adjourned the matter to January 23.


Refusing them bail, the Court said it took into consideration the severity of the offence and its suspicion that the accused persons might hamper Police investigations.


It further stated that accused might not make themselves available to stand trial if offered bail.


Two Ghanaians, David Ahulu, 52, Managing Director, and Alfred Barnes, 70, a Director, both of Tuna-To-Go Limited, who were arrested along with the five, were not in court.

Prosecuting, Mr Anthony Gyambiby, Chief State Attorney, said he could not offer any reason for their absence.


Mr Gyambiby had earlier prayed the Court to remand the suspects into custody to enable the Police to carry out further investigations into the matter.


He told the Court that the suspects were arrested a few days ago and were not to be kept after 48 hours, hence the need to seek the Courts mandate to remand them in lawful custody.


He, therefore, prayed the Court to heed to their request to enable them to carry out further investigations.


Mr Kobla Senanu, Counsel for Hodson prayed the court to admit his client to bail as he only paid a visit to the other suspects but was arrested by the Police.

Mr Senanu said his client was married to a Ghanaian and they were both residing at Community 11, Tema, adding "it was unfortunate that he was rounded up by the Police during his visit to his friends.


"My client is self-employed and is a man of substance, who would never abscond when granted bail. He would assist the Police in their investigations."


Mr Addo Attuah, who represented the others, submitted that his clients had been referred to as suspects by the Prosecution hence the need to grant them bail.


He said he doubted the weight, value and the true nature of the substance and asserted that it had not gone through any forensic test yet, adding: "The substance could be gari, salt or any other thing." On January 7, the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) busted Gorman with 675 kilos of narcotic drugs suspected to be cocaine at his Tema Community 11 residence.


The cocaine the largest consignment that NACOB has ever accosted since its establishment in Ghana and also believed to be the biggest in Africa is estimated to have a street value of 140 million dollars.

The cocaine, packed in 22 cartons with a total of 594 tablets, were concealed in a hole in the house and covered with a huge dressing mirror screwed to the wall as a camouflage to conceal the hole.


Meanwhile field test by NACOB has confirmed the drug to be cocaine.


Col. Isaac K. Akuoku, Executive Secretary of NACOB, who led a team of media personnel to the house of the suspect, said his team of investigators had been trailing the culprits since the past two years. "However, investigation was intensified within the last six months until the final confirmation made this morning, but was not disclosed to suspects, who were put under house arrest until the mirror was unscrewed in the presence of media personnel and the Police in the afternoon." He said investigators suspect that the total consignment was flown into the country and dropped on the high seas from where tuna trawlers conveyed them ashore.


Col. Akuoku expressed appreciation with the work done by the combined team of investigators from the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Police Service and officers from NACOB.


"NACOB would not relent in its effort to free this country of narcotic drugs as well as break the network of drug barons, who try to use Ghana as a warehouse and a transit point for the shipment of narcotic drugs," he said.

Col Akuoku said the drugs if they had not been seized would have been shipped in containers containing liquid shea nut butter oil, which were ready for shipment.


He said Tuna-To-Go Limited, the company that Gorman was currently working with as a General Manager, shipped a similar cargo of shea nut butter oil in a 20-footer container in June 2003.