State asks court for more time

The State on Wednesday prayed an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri for more time to conclude investigation involving Alhaji Dawood Mohammed, a businessman.

The court obliged the request and adjourned the case to February 24.

The businessman, held for abetment of crime, is on a GH¢ 100,000 bail with two sureties. He is also to report to the Bureau of National Investigation once every week from 1300 hours to 1600 hours.

Mrs Inonopi Ann Mamatta, a Senior State Attorney, told the court that prosecution really needed time in its investigations but the counsel for the accused person thought otherwise, saying “they are wasting time.”

Mr Addo-Attuah, the defence Counsel for the accused person, pleaded with the court to dismiss the case since state was dragging the matter.

Mr Richard Gyambiby, Assistant State Attorney, told the court at a previous sitting that the accused person and one Nayele Ametefeh, alias Ruby Appiah, alias Ruby Adu Gyamfi, were bosom friends.

He said the accused person was also a friend with almost all the employees at the VIP Lounge of the Kotoka International Airport.

He said there was an indication that through his interactions with Nayele, the accused person got to know that Nayele intended to travel with drugs to the United Kingdom.

“In the furtherance of her objective, the accused person offered his influence at the VIP Lounge to help Nayele use the VIP Lounge ostensibly to evade detection of security officers,” he said.

He said on or before November 9, 2014 the accused person, relying on his influence at the VIP lounge, got one Abiel Ashitey Armah and two others, who have already been charged before the court, to assist Nayele to use the facility.

Mr Gyambiby said on November 10, Nayele was arrested in the United Kingdom, after cocaine was found in her baggage.

He said upon hearing the arrest of Nayele, the accused fled to Nigeria, but he was placed on a wanted list by the BNI. He, however, returned from Nigeria.

The State Attorney said on his return, he was arrested and a search conducted on him revealed three Ghanaian passports and two Nigerian passports.

Nayele, who was the primary suspect, has been jailed eight years, eight months by the Isleworth Crown Court in London.