Alleged drug barons granted bail

Accra, Feb. 3, GNA - An Accra Regional Tribunal on Tuesday unanimously granted 300-million cedis bail with two sureties to be justified to each of the six members of the cocaine smuggling syndicate, that busted on January 7 at Tema with a large cache of the drugs. Kevin Gorman, 59, an American; Mohammed Ibrahim Kamil; and Alan Hodson 45, David Logan 43, and Frank Lavelrick 43, all British and 45-year-old Sven Herb, a German, were accused of conspiring and possessing narcotic drug without authority.

Gorman was additionally charged for using his property, (his house} for narcotic offence.


They have all pleaded not guilty.


The Tribunal presided over by Mr Justice P.K. Aggrey further ordered the accused persons, who were not present in court today, to deposit all their travelling documents at the Court's Registry. They are also to report every Tuesday to the Registrar of the Tribunal and the Investigator in-charge of the case until its final determination.


The Tribunal said it would give reasons for granting the bail application on February 10.


Mr Addo Attuah, Mr Owusu Fordjour and Mr Koblah Senanu are representing the accused persons.

When sitting resumed on Tuesday, Mr Anthony Gyambiby, Chief State Attorney, who is prosecuting the case, told the tribunal that accused were not present, adding; "the accused persons are on their way to the court".


Counsels agreed to convey the Tribunal's ruling on the bail application to their clients.


Earlier, Mr Gyambiby told the tribunal that Gorman was a Director, Shareholder and Operations Manager of Tuna-To-Go, a shipping company based in Tema.


He said on January 7, the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and the Drug Enforcement Unit (DREU) of the Police Service raided the residence of Gorman and discovered bales and parcels of whitish substances suspected to be cocaine concealed in a specially constructed hole or compartment in a wall in the corridor upstairs behind a large dressing mirror.


The Chief State Attorney said Logan, Lavelrick and Hodgson, who were living in the house with Gorman at the time of the raid, were confronted with the substance.

He said Gorman told the Police that the bales and parcels were brought there for safe keeping by one Yakuba for a fee of 50,000 dollars. The rest of the suspects including Herb, who arrived later, denied knowledge of the substances.


Mr Gyambiby said investigations revealed that on December 31, 2003, Kamil delivered the bales or boxes of suspected drugs to Gorman's house. Herb, who was in the house of Gorman when Kamil brought in stuff, assisted them to offload them upstairs.


According to Mr Gyambiby, examination by the Ghana Standard Board has revealed that the whitish substances were cocaine.