July 8, 2008 (Page 31)
THE Accra Fast Track High Court will today, July 8, 2008, decide the guilt or otherwise of five persons, including the owner of the MV Benjamin vessel which was allegedly used to cart 77 parcels of cocaine.
The MV Benjamin was allegedly used to cart 77 parcels of cocaine for the alleged cocaine fugitive, Sheriff Asem Dakeh, alias The Limping Man, who hired the vessel in February 2006.
The cocaine later disappeared after the vessel was impounded in March 2006.
Kojo Dawson, the owner of the vessel, Isaac Arhin and Philip Bruce Arhin, both Ghanaians, as well as Cui Xian Li and Luo Yin Xing, both Chinese, have been standing trial for the past two years for allegedly playing various roles in the importation of the cocaine.
However, on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, a sixth accused person, Pak Bok Sil, a Korean national, was acquitted and discharged by the court, which ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a case against him.
The accused persons have been charged with various counts of using property for narcotic offences, engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotics and possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority.
Each of them has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has been remanded in prison custody.
A total of 13 prosecution witnesses testified against the accused persons.
However, in their defence the accused persons denied any wrongdoing.
The trial of the accused persons began in November 2006 and ended in March 2008.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Anin Yeboah, ordered both the prosecution and the defence to file their addresses, after which it fixed today for judgement.
On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, the court ordered Dawson and the four others to open their defence and answer charges levelled against them.
Giving its ruling in a submission of ‘no case’ by counsel for the accused persons, the court held that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against the accused persons.
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