$29.9 m "COKE' IN FLAMES

Thursday, November 18, 2010 (Lead Story)

FOUR-HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN kilogrammes of cocaine with a street value of $29.9 million was yesterday set ablaze on the orders of the Accra Fast-Track High Court.
The destruction, which took place behind the Independence Square, close to the sea, was witnessed by the media and officials from the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), the Attorney-General’s Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), security agencies and the court, including the registrar of the Fast-Track High Court.
Huge travelling bags containing the 380 slabs of the stuff seized at Ataabadze Junction in June, 2008, were covered with lorry tyres before a security official poured a considerable quantity of fuel on them and set them ablaze about 2 p.m. to destroy them.
The drugs were completely reduced to ashes within 35 minutes.
Scores of armed policemen were present to ensure law and order during the destruction of the drugs, which were taken from the courtroom and put in a police van after they had been tendered in evidence as exhibits by the investigator in charge of the case.
A large number of youth who abandoned their swimming and passers-by witnessed the destruction.
Giving orders for the destruction of the drugs, the presiding judge, Mr Justice C. J. Hoenyenuga, intermittently described the drugs as “evil things”.
He also directed that the keys to a Toyota 4Runner with registration number GR 1204 Y and a Toyota Corolla saloon car with registration number GW 31 Z, which were in the possession of the alleged owners of the drugs, should be handed over to the registrar of the court until the final determination of the case.
The court ordered the destruction of the narcotic drugs after officials of the Ghana Standard Board (GSB) had conducted a test and confirmed they tested positive for cocaine.
Meanwhile, one of the four accused persons who was standing trial for conspiracy and possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority has pleaded guilty to the offence.
Samuel Agoe Mills Robertson, a 49-year-old auto mechanic who was the driver of the vehicle which was carrying the drugs, was accordingly sentenced to 15 years in jail with hard labour in June, 2010.
The three others, who are currently standing trial, are Owiredu Agyemfra, alias Chuku Owura, a 32-year-old herbalist; Derrick Kwarteng, a 51-year-old contractor and Charles Lartey, 35.
Charles, who was alleged to have appeared at the scene after the arrest of the other accused persons, is on a GH¢50,000 bail with a surety while Kwarteng and Agyemfra are on remand.
At the court’s sitting in Accra yesterday, the investigator in charge of the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Bernard Baba Ananga, was led by a Chief State Attorney, Ms Valerie O. Amate, to tender in evidence the cartons of cocaine.
The courtroom was filled with the strong scent of the drug after the cartons were opened to prove to the court they had not been tampered with.
The scent was so strong that an official of the GSB, who had arrived in court to witness the destruction of the drugs, attempted to walk out of the courtroom. He was, however, stopped by the Chief State Attorney.
His near walkout prompted the trial judge to adjourn proceedings in the case to December 6, 2010 to enable the destruction to take place.
Robertson and the three others who were arrested in connection with the haul were initially put before an Accra circuit court.
The facts of the case are that on June 28, 2008, Kwarteng contracted Robertson to cart cocaine from Asankragua in the Western Region to Accra for a fee of $40,000 and he agreed.
The prosecution said Robertson, therefore, recruited Agyemfra and Mike Eben, as escorts.
On that same day, Robertson used his Toyota saloon car with registration number GW 31 Z and conveyed Agyemfra and Eben to Asankragua where they met Kwarteng at a hotel.
Kwarteng also handed over a four-wheel drive with registration number GR 1204 Y, loaded with 19 travelling bags with each of them containing 20 slabs, totalling 380 slabs of cocaine, to Robertson and his escorts.
Robertson drove the vehicle carrying the consignment with Agyemfra and Eben on board as security to Takoradi, where they stayed overnight.
According to the prosecution, on the day of the arrest, the Cape Coast Highway police patrol team from the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit intercepted the vehicle, which had on board it Robertson, Kwarteng and Agyemfra.
However, Agyemfra and Eben escaped into the bush but the police managed to arrest Agyemfra.
When a search was conducted on the vehicle, 19 travelling bags, each containing 20 slabs of whitish powdery substance suspected to be cocaine, were found.
The prosecution said during police interrogation, Robertson offered the Police $6,000 in exchange of his freedom.
He, therefore, called Lartey who was in Accra to bring the amount but as soon as Lartey arrived, the police arrested him too.