Three discharged in cocaine in yoghurt container case

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Friday discharged three persons arrested in connection with 15 kilograms of cocaine found in a shipment of yoghurt at Tema.

They are Michael Ayache, Managing Director of Market Direct Company Limited; Isaac Quansah and Mohammed Salami, both shipping agents. Their discharge followed a submission made by Ms Gertrude Aikins, a Chief State Attorney, to withdraw the charges against them. Ms Aikins, who is also the Acting Director for Public Prosecution (DPP), told the Court that based on the assessment of the investigations conducted so far, "we have decided not to press charges against the accused persons".


She, therefore, withdrew the charges against them. Ayaache, Quansah and Salami were held for illegally importing narcotic substances.


The court did not take their pleas.


Meanwhile the same Court on Wednesday remanded in custody a 33-year-old Panamanian alleged to have dropped the bag containing the 15 kilograms of drugs suspected to be cocaine in a shipment of yoghurt. Ricado Gooding, whose plea was not taken, is facing a charge of importing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.


At the last sitting Ms Aikins, said her outfit would "need to check on a few things outside the country to enable us determine the fate of the three accused persons.

"We will receive the required information from INTERPOL tomorrow and we are asking that the case be adjourned to Friday to enable us to decide on the person to be charged," she said.


Mr Sam Okudjetu lead counsel for the accused persons pressed for their release after Gooding was arrested.


In the case of Gooding, Ms Aikins said he was arrested with one Mustapha of Nima, now at large.


She said Gooding had overstayed his 30-day tourist visa but, "we are now going to investigate the case against him". "We had reports that he was the one who allegedl y opened the seal of the container. We have to investigate how he managed to do that." Ms Aikins, therefore, prayed for an adjournment. The case therefore was adjourned to February 8.


On December 12, 2006, the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service had information that some drugs had been concealed in a container loaded with other goods.

The container with registration number MSKY 6646380 was imported by the Market Direct Company Limited, an Accra company. It arrived from Peru and was awaiting clearance at Maersk Sealand, Tema.


When the container was opened on December 12 2006 in the presence of Police, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officers and the clearing agents, a bag containing 15 slabs of narcotic drugs suspected to be cocaine was found on the imported yoghurt drinks. The Prosecution said Ayache was arrested but he denied any knowledge and ownership of the drugs.


According to Ayache, he imported the yoghurt through an agent known as Claudio Mollo in Argentina on the Internet.


The Prosecution said Quansah and Salami were also arrested to assist in investigations.