PROSECUTION TO CLOSE CASE IN MV BENJAMIN TRIAL

THE prosecution will close its case, involving the owner of the MV Benjamin and the five crew members who are being tried for their roles in the importation of 77 slabs of cocaine, on July 12, 2007.
A Senior State Attorney, Mrs Yvonne Atakorah Obuobisa, dropped the hint after Inspector Charles Adabah, the investigator of the case, concluded his evidence as the 13th prosecution witness.
When the trial judge, Mr Justice Annin Yeboah, a Court of Appeal judge with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, asked whether the prosecution would close its case at the next sitting, Mrs Obuobisa replied that it might call one more witness to close the case on that day.
Consequently, the case was adjourned.
The owner of the vessel, Joseph Kojo Dawson; Pak Bok Sil, a Korean; Isaac Arhin and Philip Bruce Arhin, both Ghanaians, and Cui Xian Li and Luo Yin Xing, both Chinese, who are alleged to have played various roles in the importation of the substance are being tried.
They 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.
Continuing with his evidence under cross-examination by Mr Solomon Korli, counsel for the two Chinese, Inspector Adabah said Xian Li had already given his statement to the police and when he (the investigator) asked for a further statement, the accused person said he was relying on the earlier one given to the police.
He said Xian Li was still on board the vessel when it was alleged to have broken down and it was Xian Li who invited Yin Xing to join him on the vessel, after Isaac Arhin had allegedly briefed Xian Li on the purpose of the voyage that brought in the cocaine.
Inspector Adabah agreed with counsel that the captain of the vessel was in charge of its activities but disagreed that the captain alone kept information to himself.
He said Yin Xing knew what was concealed in the hatch of the vessel, and that was why he prevented security personnel from entering it in order to search for the cocaine, and disagreed with counsel that the hatch had been under the exclusive control of the captain.