MV "Cocaine" Crew trial adjourned

Accra, Dec. 13, GNA - Power outage on Wednesday forced the Fast Track High Court to adjourn to January 16, 2007, a case in which a five-member crew on board the MV Benjamin/MV Adede, are accused of transporting 77 parcels of cocaine to Tema.

The Court was to continue to hear the cross-examination of Witnesses. However, the repeated application for bail for Joseph Kojo Dawson, owner of the vessel by his counsel, Mr D. K. Ameley was turned down. According to Mr Ameley his client was earlier arrested and granted bail by a competent court and he compiled with the bail conditions. He said due to the long adjournment his client should be admitted to bail.

The Court presided over Justice Anin Yeboah, a Court of Appeal Judge, who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, asked the Defence Counsel to make a formal application to the Court. The crew are Pak Bok Sil, a 46 year old Korean Engineer; Isaac Arhin, a 49-year-old sailor; Philip Kobina Bruce Arhin a 47 year-old-mechanic; Cui Xing Li, a 44 year old Chinese sailor, and Luo Yin Xing, a 49-year-old sailor.

With them in the dock was Joseph Kojo Dawson, the owner of the Vessel.

Dawson is being held for using his property for narcotic offence while Pak is also being held for engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotics.

Isaac Arhin, Philip Arhin, Cui, and Luo are charged for possessing narcotic drugs without authority and engaging in prohibited business. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case of Prosecution was that some drug barons both Ghanaians and other nationals including one Sheriff and Wak, the Chief Engineer, Captain Yao Sin aka Killer contacted Dawson to rent his vessel to convey some narcotic substances.

Dawson agreed to give his vessel to convey the drugs. Dawson collaborated with Pak and paid the rest of the accused persons. Isaac, Philip and Cui were asked to sail on the high seas and on March 9, 2006, they set off.

The accused persons changed the MV Benjamin to Adede II. The Prosecution indicated that the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) received intelligence reports from their foreign collaborators about their activities.

On April 26, 2006, the vessel arrived in the country and at about 0200 hours two canoes carted the 77 parcels of cocaine and left one for the crew.

Security personnel went into the vessel and found one parcel of cocaine, which contained 30 slabs of narcotics, which tested positive for cocaine.

Prosecution said the parcel was to be used to pay the vessel owner and evidence would be led to prove that the accused persons aided the importation of the cocaine into the country.