cop testifies in coke case

KOJO's DIARY: Accra BeatANOTHER police detective yesterday testified in the case in which two Venezuelans are facing trial for allegedly importing 588 kilogrammes of cocaine into the country.
Detective Corporal Richard Appiah Danquah of the Documentation and Visa Fraud Office of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service, gave insight to how the accused persons were arrested on November 24, 2005 in a house at East Legon, Accra.
Joel Meija Duarte Moises, alias Joel Melia, a machine operator, is standing trial with Italo Gervasio Rosero Castillo, alias Cabeza Castina, a businessman and a third accomplice, David Duarte Vasquez, who is on the run.
The accused persons do not speak English and their trial is being facilitated through a Spanish interpreter.
They have pleaded not guilty to four counts of conspiracy, illegal importation of narcotic drugs and possessing narcotic drugs without authority.
They were arrested in a house at East Legon, Accra, on November 24, 2005, while allegedly preparing the substance.
According to Corporal Danquah, he was on duty at the CID Headquarters on November 24, 2005 when his station officer, Inspector George Antwi Tano, summoned him to join a team for an emergency operation in which some cocaine was to be retrieved.
He said that he joined other colleagues at the forecourt of the CID Headquarters and the team leader, Supt Edward Tabiri, then DSP, briefed them on the impending operation to arrest some drug dealers at East Legon without giving any detail.
Corporal Danquah said they boarded three police vehicles and headed towards East Legon. Upon reaching the place Supt Tabiri identified a yellow, one-storey house as where the operation was to take place.
According to him, Supt Tabiri, who led the team, instructed that they should park their vehicles at vantage points and not in front of the gate to the house.
He said some of them were asked to scale the wall and enter the house while others went inside.
"I was among those who were asked to surround the house", he said, and added that as he stood outside the house he saw Castillo enter it.
"I met him talking to a colleague, Constable Ernest Senoo, but I realised there was a communication barrier because Castillo could not speak English or any of the local languages", he said.
During cross-examination by Mr Kwabla Senanu, counsel for the accused persons, witness said he could not remember what time the police team arrived at the East Legon house to embark on the operation but explained that after it they arrived at the office late in the afternoon.
The witness disagreed with counsel that from where he stood during the operation he could not have seen Castillo enter the house and said "I was positioned at the main entrance so I vividly saw him".