Coke suspect speaks

KOJO's DIARY: Accra Beat

“I AM not into the narcotic business but a plant-hiring business,” Kwabena Amaning, alias Tagor, has said.
This was contained in his police caution statement which was tendered in court yesterday by a police investigator, Inspector Justice Oppong of the Accra Regional Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, who testified as a prosecution witness.
According to Tagor, he was a business man and got to know the other accomplices in the missing cocaine case through acquaintances.
He said when news about the missing cocaine came out, ACP Kofi Boakye convened a meeting in his house, during which he asked them to put their ears on the ground after questioning them.
According to Tagor, he did not hear from ACP Boakye again until he was summoned to appear before the Justice Georgina Wood Committee which investigated the matter.
Tagor is facing four counts of conspiracy, engaging in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs, buying of narcotic drugs and supplying narcotic drugs, while Abbas faces two counts of conspiracy and supply of narcotic drugs.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the counts and have been refused bail by the court.
Kwabena Acheampong, Tagor, Alhaji Abbas, Victor Kisseh, alias Yaw Billah, and Alhaji Moro Mohammed were earlier arraigned at the circuit court for allegedly dealing in narcotic drugs.
The prosecution, on Wednesday, November 22, 2006, entered a nolle prosequi at the circuit court, resulting in the discharge of the accused persons.
However, fresh charges were preferred against Tagor and Abbas, leading to their appearance at the Fast Track High Court.
Inspector Oppong said he took statements from Alhaji Abbas and Tagor on the same day.
Alhaji Abbas also said ACP Boakye told him that Tagor sent the missing cocaine to the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi and was selling it from there.
He also said that in his caution statement to the police, which was tendered in court yesterday by Inspector Oppong, who said he took statements from the accused persons in the presence of their counsel and independent witnesses on August 3, 2006.
Alhaji Abbas said in May last year, ACP Boakye called him to his office and said it was being rumoured that the missing cocaine was being sold in town and asked whether he (Abbas) knew Tagor was involved.
He said while in ACP Boakye’s office, the police officer called Tagor but he did not respond to the call and that prompted him to also try the number but Tagor never responded.
According to Alhaji Abbas, ACP Boakye then informed him that Tagor had sent the drugs to Manhyia but he was going to investigate that information, since he did not want the name of the Asantehene to be tarnished.
He said later on he (Alhaji Abbas), together with the other accomplices who were initially arrested in connection with the case, met at ACP Boakye’s house where they denied knowledge of the missing cocaine.
Alhaji Abbas said he knew all the accomplices except Ababio but he did not have any business with them.
According to him, his current business was registered and he had nothing to do with narcotics, since he was the sole agent in Ghana for Russian vehicles.
Inspector Oppong said because the accused persons were mentioned as having engaged in narcotics, he went to their various homes to conduct searches which yielded nothing.
“There was much less to do but due to the public outcry that the police was interfering with the Georgina Wood Committee, coupled with the accused persons’ inability to co-operate with the police, I was asked to hold on with the investigations until the committee’s report was out,” Inspector Oppong stated.
He said later on the case was taken over by the CID Headquarters for investigations.
During cross-examination by Mr Ellis Owusu-Fordjour, counsel for Tagor, the witness declined to tell the court the one who had authorised him to stop his investigations.
He, however, agreed with counsel that lawyers for the accused persons co-operated with the police.
When asked to provide evidence to show that counsel for the accused persons asked the accused not to co-operate with the police, Inspector Oppong said it was a fact that the accused persons were asked not to attend the hearings of the committee.
Counsel for Alhaji Abbas, Mr Mohammed Attah, during cross-examination, asked the witness whether he talked to ACP Boakye when his name came up. Witness replied in the affirmative and said a statement was taken from ACP Boakye.
Witness said to the best of his knowledge the names of the two accused persons were not included in an exhibit before the court.
Asked further whether he followed up to Manhyia after it was rumoured that the missing cocaine had been taken there, witness replied that that led to the arrest of Alhaji Moro.