Six accused persons in Tema cocaine case declined bail

Accra, June 8, GNA - An Accra Fast Track High Court on Monday dismissed a bail application by six persons, who were picked up in connection with the 61 parcels of cocaine seized at Tema Port, from a 40-footer container.

The court noted that the facts presented before it supported the charges, adding that even if the charge of conspiracy was weak, it was not only evidence that would proof the charge of conspiracy. The case was adjourned to June 18, for hearing following the sentiments expressed by the defence team.

Augustina Abu, importer, Yaw Attah Nkansah, clearing agent, Alfred Amedzi, Managing Director of Sedco Agency, Kennedy Osei and Simon Bede, directors of Sedco Agency, and Francis Addo, a driver, are being held for importing narcotic drugs, suspected to be cocaine into the country and engaging in criminal conspiracy. They have pleaded not guilty to the narcotic related charges levelled against them.

Defence counsels have urged the court to commence hearing, since it had declined their bail applications. The lawyers registered their displeasure over continued incarceration of the accused persons, saying they would suffer unduly at the end of the trial if they were found not guilty. Mr Asiamah Sampong, a Senior State Attorney announced to the court that there are new developments to the case, which calls for time to interview some port officials. The six were earlier put before Mrs Justice Irismay Brown, a Court of Appeal Judge, which admitted them to bail. However, they have now appeared before Mr Justice C.J Honyenugah, also a Court of Appeal Judge, who has remanded them into Police custody after their charges and facts were read out to them. The facts of the case are that on May 15, this year M/V Maersk Nolanville docked at Tema Port with containers from Ecuador, Panama and Spain.

The Prosecution said among the containers was one with number MSAU0118160 manifested to contain 1,880 cartons of chewing gum, imported by Ms Abu of Augustina Abu Enterprise. The prosecutor said personnel of the Joint Port Control Unit (JPCU) made up officers with Narcotics Control Board; Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS); Bureau of National Investigations (BNI); Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the Police tagged the said container which meant that the container could only be opened by JPCU officers. On May 19, at about 1530 hours, the container was scanned and the image disclosed that the container had some other objects in addition to its official cargo. During a through examination, two bags containing a total of 61 slabs of whitish substances suspected to be cocaine were found among the cartons of the chewing gum. A test of the substance indicated that it was cocaine. 08