Client had no knowledge of cocaine voyage -Defence Counsel

Accra, May 9, GNA - Mr. D. K Ameley Counsel for the owner of MV Benjamin, the vessel in the centre of the missing 77 parcels of cocaine on board the vessel on Wednesday told the Accra Fast Track High Court that the his client did not have any knowledge of the voyage. " The engagement of the crew members on board the vessel was done by one Mr Bae a Korean national who is now at large, adding that the supply of food items including fuel was done by him".

Mr. Ameley counsel the first accused Joseph Kojo Dawson said his client bought the vessel on hire purchase, chartered it to Sherrif Asem Deka a.k.a the limping man, also at large, since Sherrif wanted to use the vessel to tow his vessel, which has broken down on the high seas at Guinea, Conakry.

He explained that Mr Bae sold the vessel to Dashment Company Limited, a fishing company based at Tema on hire purchase and that his client resumed full ownership of the vessel after full payment have been effected.

Mr Ameley was cross-examining Detective Inspector Justice Oppong, the seventh prosecution witness in the On-going cocaine case involving the crew members on board the vessel. Those on trial are Joseph Kojo Dawson, the owner of the vessel and Director of Dashment Fishing Company Limited, Pak Bok Sil, 46 year-old Korean Engineer; Isaac Arhin, 49-year-old sailor; Philip Kobina Bruce Arhin, 47 year-old-mechanic; Cui Xing Li, 44-year-old Chinese sailor, and Luo Yin Xing, a 49-year-old sailor.

Isaac Arhin, Philip Arhin, Cui and Luo are charged for possessing narcotic drugs without authority and engaging in prohibited business. Dawson is being held for using his property for narcotic offence and Pak is facing the charge of engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotics.

They have pleaded not guilty and are in Police custody. The charge sheet states that on February 6, 2006 Dawson, who is also a businessman, indirectly without lawful authority and with the intention of facilitating an enterprise relating to narcotic drugs, allowed one Asem Dake a.k.a. Sheriff, to use his vessel (MV Benjamin/MV Adede) to import 77 parcels each containing 30 kilograms of cocaine into the country without license issued by the Minister of Health. Pak is also said to have repaired the MV Benjamin vessel to facilitate the transportation of the 77 parcels of cocaine from Takoradi to Tema.

Isaac, Philip, Cui and Luo, who were on board the MV Benjamin vessel, on April 27, 2006, allegedly had in their possession one parcel each, containing 30 slabs of cocaine, weighing about one kilogram. According to Mr Ameley, one lawyer Owoo at Beecham Chambers signed the hire purchase chartered agreement between Mr Bae, Sherrif and Dawson, stating that Mr Bae could still control the activities of the vessel.

Mr Ameley stated that the idea of the vessel being chartered to Sherrif came from Mr Bae who told Dawson that a Ghanaian has shown interest in the vessel, so he came to negotiate the hire purchase, chartered agreement, so ownership of the vessel have not been properly effected.

Led in evidence by Mrs Yvonne Attakora Oboubiasa, Senior State Attorney, Detective Inspector Oppong said "Dawson did not submit any hire purchase agreement documents to me, even though I asked him but he never did." But Mr Ameley contended that he submitted the documents to the Police upon request.

Mr Ameley asked; "did your investigation revealed who brought the crew that went on voyage?" Detective Inspector Oppong; " My Lord the third accused person Issac Arhin invited the fourth Philip Bruce Arhin but I don't know how the rest came to join".

Detective Inspector Oppong further stated that he was told that Killer would be the one to tell who engaged the services of the rest. Detective Inspector Oppong, said Dawson had called Sherrif to pay him some money, so on his way he(Dawson) had a called that his vessel had had problem at the Tema harbour so he should come. He said Sherrif sent his driver to give 1200 dollars to Dawson when officials from Narcotics Control Board and the Navy arrested the driver but the police could not arrest Sherrif because when the driver called him he said, 'I(driver) have been arrested' and Sherrif sensing danger went into hiding.

Mr James Agalga counsel for the second accused Pak Bok Sil, contented that witness was not there when his client statement was taken, and therefore cannot tell whether there was an interpreter. Detective Inspector Oppong said "to my knowledge there was an interpreter his driver Moro Issaka, who speaks and understand Korean language."

Mr Agalga: "You do not speak or understand Korean language so how can you tell whether the proper message was being carried". Detective Inspector Oppong said; "My Lord when two people understands a language its shows by their expressions. It is because he lacks confidence in his driver who voluntarily came to speak the Korean language.

Mr Agalga averred that his client is an engineer and that it was Mr Bae who contracted and paid him for the repair of the vessel which has been unproductive for sometime at the Takoradi harbour and that he owned the ship.

Stating that the work was actually done by three Ghanaians and a Korean, adding that he did not abscond because he knew nothing about it unlike his friends who absconded.

The case was adjourned to May 16.

The court has now acquired the services of an interpreter, Yang Wei Qang to help facilitate interpretation for the two Chinese national involved in the case.

The court asked for a Chinese interpreter for the two Chinese nationals involved in the case at the last sitting. Their caution statements were read in court.