Court fines five dock workers for attempted stowaway

A Takoradi Circuit Court on Monday fined six dock workers Ghc120 each for attempting to stowaway.

In default of the fine, they would serve 9 months imprisonment each.


The accused persons were Fredrick Boadi, 17, Daniel Mensah, 20, Frank Arthur, 18, Jordan Selassie, 20, Enoch Osei Manu, 18 and Richmond Aidoo, 18.


They all pleaded guilty.


Prosecuting, Police Inspector Seth Ahelegbe told the court presided over by Mr. Justice Charles Bamfo Nimako that, the complainant in the case was the Ghana Immigration Service.


He said on April 13, this year, the accused persons were booked to work on "M/V Sierra Medoc”, a foreign cargo vessel which docked at the Tema Port.

Inspector Ahelegbe said that while working, the accused persons had a tip off that the vessel would be sailing to Spain and so they hid in the vessel in order to be transported to Spain.


He said that luck eluded the accused persons because the vessel sailed to Abidjan Port instead of Spain and they were spotted on board on April 16.


The prosecution said the accused were arrested on board and repatriated to Ghana on April 22.


Inspector Ahelegbe said that the accused persons disembarked at Takoradi Port and were put before court. She added that one of the stowaways who was a Nigerian national was repatriated to his country.