Cocaine: Court to decide fate of 3 cops

November 26, 2007 (Page 50)

Story: Mabel Aku Baneseh

THE fate of the three policemen who were alleged to have aided the cocaine fugitive, Sheriff Asem Dakeh, alias The Limping Man, to abscond with 2,280 kilogrammes of cocaine will be determined by the Accra Fast Track High Court on December 21, 2007.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Anin Yeboah, fixed December 21 to deliver its judgement after the prosecution and defence counsel had submitted their written addresses.
Sergeant David Nyarko, Detective Corporal Dwamena Yabson and General Lance Corporal Peter Bondorin, who have since closed their defence, were alleged to have received an unspecified amount in US dollars from Dakeh and allowed him to flee.
They have each been charged with two counts of engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs and corruption by a public officer and have pleaded not guilty to both counts.
On November 15, 2007, the court gave counsel for Yabson a week to file his written address to enable the court to fix a date for judgement. Counsel for Nyarko and Bondorin had filed addresses on behalf of his clients.
The court warned that if counsel did not file the written address on Yabson’s behalf by November 22, 2007, it would move to fix a date for judgement.
At the court’s sitting in Accra on Thursday, it emerged that both the defence team and the prosecution had filed their written addresses.
The prosecution called 10 witnesses, who gave evidence against the accused persons, but the accused persons, on their part, testified and claimed innocence in the charges levelled against them.