I don't know suspect to be a tourist - Witness tells Court

Accra, Dec. 19, GNA - A Prosecution Witness testifying in the case of two Venezuelans busted with 588 kilograms of cocaine at East Legon in Accra told an Accra Fast Track Court on Tuesday that he was not aware that Italio Gervasio Rosero, one of the accused persons, was a tourist. Answering questions under cross-examination, Detective Constable Ernest Senoo denied that Resoro was a guest in the house when the Police swooped on them. Mr Kwablah Senanu, Defence Counsel, was cross-examining him.

Joel Meija Duarte Moises, aka Joel Mella, a 35-year-old machines operator, and Italo Gervasio Rosero, alias Italio Cabeza Castillo, a 38-year-old businessman, are standing trial at the Court. They have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime; importing narcotic drug without lawful authority and possessing narcotic drug without lawful authority.

Vasquez Gerado Duarte David, aka Bude or Shamo, is at large. Constable Senoo, the Second Prosecution Witness, who was among the team of Policemen, who stormed the East Legon residence on November 24, 2005, admitted that during the arrest of the accused persons Grace Asibi came to the house.

Defence Counsel (DC): At what time did Grace Asibi arrive in the house?

Witness: I cannot tell because immediately I arrested Rosero, I escorted him to my superiors, who were then in the same house. DC: Where did you find Grace Asibi?

Witness: It was when the drugs were being packed. I saw her with Superintendent of Police Edward Tabiri. In fact, I mistook her to be Police personnel.

DC: I put it to you that Grace Asibi came to the house to collect her share of the drugs.

Witness: I don't know.

DC: Grace came there with a polythene bag containing 200,000 dollars to be given to the Police to release the drugs? Witness: I don't know.

DC: You know that three persons were to be tried?

Witness: I am aware.

DC: Rosero was walking with a Nigerian friend on other side of the road when one Corporal Yemo beckoned him to come.

Witness: I did not see Rosero walk with anybody.

DC: I put it to you that it was Corporal Yemo, who lured Rosero into the house.

Witness: I don't know Corporal Yemo. It was Rosero who opened the gate of the house and entered.

DC: When you arrested Rosero, he was stunned and, therefore, could not talk.

Witness: When Rosero entered, I questioned him, he retreated and as such I apprehended him and escorted him to Supt. Tabiri, our leader. DC: Rosero was not an occupant of the house at East Legon and the drugs belong to Vasques, alias Bude and Shamo. Witness: I don't know.

DC: I put it to you that Rosero did not have knowledge of the existence of the drugs in the house.

Witness: I don't know. I was asked to arrest people entering the house.

The case of the Prosecution is that on November 24, 2005, a team of detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service acting upon a tip-off proceeded to house number 348 at Mepeasem, near East Legon in Accra, and met Moises.

He was arrested and he led the Police to a room where three bottles of ammonia used to turn cocaine into crack; a machine used in compressing the cocaine; 13 pieces of gloves and a quantity of plastic wrappers were found.

The Prosecution said brown solution tapes; a filtering bottle used in filtering and sniffing cocaine; an exercise book used in recording the names of people who had purchased and had been supplied with the drugs were recorded and two Nokia phones were found. The Prosecutor said the Police, thereafter, peeped into a room and saw some cartons but Moises refused to surrender the keys to the Police. The Police broke into the room and found cocaine that had been compressed.

The Prosecution said Moises confessed that it was Shamo, who invited him to Ghana and he voluntarily showed the Police where the rest of the 588 kilograms of cocaine was stored. The case was adjourned to January 12, 2007. 19 Dec. 06