NDEGO AGAIN

THE searchlight at two of the ongoing narcotic trials in the country yesterday focussed on a key potential witness, Ben Ndego, the interdicted official of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), on whom a subpoena was served last week.
Ndego had earlier been mentioned in the trial involving Alhaji Issa Abass and Kwabena Amaning, alias Tagor, as the one who authorised the recording of a conversation that took place at the residence of ACP Kofi Boakye, the former Director General of Police Operations.
Then yesterday, in a different trial also involving the attempted exportation of Indian hemp, Ndego was again mentioned as the official who instructed a team of policemen not to effect the arrest of a narcotic suspect, when the arresting team went to the suspect’s house at Dansoman.
That intervention by Ndego, according to the police investigator, allowed the main suspect to abscond and in his place, a freelance journalist, Yaw Osafo Djan, was arrested and sacrificed for the offence by way of getting remanded by the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal on February 28, 2006.
He was, however, granted bail yesterday after the court heard his story and a corroboration by the investigator that on the instructions of Mr Ndego, the police allowed the main suspect to abscond.
In the Abass and Tagor trial, Ndego’s lawyer yesterday informed the court that the NACOB man was willing to testify in the case on condition that the defence would pay for his travelling expenses.
That was contained in a letter written on behalf of Mr Ndego by his solicitors, Dery and Co., to the effect that Mr Ndego was currently studying in the United Kingdom and was willing to testify in the case provided his travelling expenses would be taken care of.
In a letter dated August 23, 2007, Mr Ndego said his attention had been drawn to a Daily Graphic publication that he was to appear and testify in the case in which Abass and Tagor were alleged to have dealt in narcotic drugs.
The letter, which was read to the court by the Registrar of the Fast Track High Court on the instructions of the Presiding Judge, Mr Justice J. Dotse, was copied to the defence lawyers.
Abass had, in his evidence-in-chief, admitted that a meeting, which took place at the residence of ACP Kofi Boakye, was recorded by him based on instructions from Mr Ndego.
Following futile attempts to serve a personal subpoena on Mr Ndego to testify in the trial, the court ordered the subpoena to be posted on his house at Kasoa, on the notice boards of the court and as a publication in the Daily Graphic.
Abass is facing two counts of conspiracy and supply of narcotic drugs, while Tagor faces four counts of conspiracy, engaging in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs, buying of narcotic drugs and supplying narcotic drugs.
They have both pleaded not guilty to all the counts and have been refused bail by the Fast Track High Court.
Reacting to the contents of the letter, counsel for Abass, Mr Mohammed Atta, prayed the court to order NACOB to recall Mr Ndego for purposes of the trial but the trial judge disagreed on the grounds that the court had no jurisdiction to grant counsel's request.
Mr Justice Dotse further stated that Mr Ndego was not a party in the case and for that reason the court could not give such an order.
Mr Atta then prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable the defence to confer with Mr Ndego's solicitors.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to August 29, 2007 and expressed the hope that the defence team would come back ready to facilitate the trial.
Earlier, a defence witness, Kingsley Manteaw, alias Gonu, informed the court that the investigator in the case, Mr Charles Adaba and other police officers whom he only named as Sulley, Nana and the ‘pot-bellied man’ (later identified only as Mohammed) allegedly allowed the importer of the 77 parcels of cocaine, Sheriff Asem Dakeh, alias The Limping Man, to abscond.
Gonu, who claimed he was arrested three days after Abass had informed the court that he (Gonu) and another witness, Nana Yaw, were present when the police allegedly allowed Sheriff to abscond, said he was currently being held for murder, although, he was not identified by witnesses in an identification parade organised by the police.
The witness said he agreed to assist the police to apprehend Sheriff and Killer, a Korean national who is also a cocaine suspect, because the police had assured him (Gonu) that they would free Abass if he was able to assist them.
According to the witness, who testified in Twi through an interpreter, the police also promised to give him and Nana Yaw ¢40 million if they were able to assist them (police) to apprehend any of the suspects.
He said he and Nana Yaw provided the police with vital information, resulting in the arrest of workers on the boat which was used to cart the cocaine, as well as Killer's wife and brother.
Gonu further stated that he and Nana Yaw took the police officers to Ada, where Sheriff was said to have attended a funeral but on reaching there, the police allowed the suspect to abscond.
He informed the court that he visited Abass and informed him of what had happened at Ada, adding that he later went to the police to claim the ¢40 million he had been promised but the police kept giving him excuses.
Gonu alleged that the police eventually took back the mobile phone they had given him (Gonu) to provide them (police) with vital information, adding that he and Nana Yaw were not given the ¢40 million.
The witness, who expressed his disappointment with the action of the police, said he heard through the media that he and Nana Yaw were expected to testify in the case involving Abass and Tagor.
Narrating how he was arrested for allegedly murdering Nii Kwatei Quartey, Gonu said he was with his mother when two colleagues of his called him and informed him that they could help him to retrieve his Golf car which had been impounded by the police on expiration of a Togolese number plate.
He said he took along ¢1 million which had been demanded by the two, who claimed they had links with the police, and went towards the Tema Motorway Roundabout where they said they would meet him (Gonu).
On reaching the Tema Motorway Roundabout, the witness said, the two handed over the car keys to him and he gave them the ¢1 million. He said when he was about to turn on the ignition, eight police officers from the Ashaiman Police Station effected his arrest.
He said the police began to assault him upon his arrest, handcuffed him and took him to the Ashaiman Police Station cells.
The witnes said he was threatened by Mr Adaba not to inform the court that he (Mr Adaba) was among police officers who went to Ada to arrest Sheriff.
During cross-examination by the acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms Gertrude Aikins, witness told the court that the trip he undertook with the police to Ada was not a wild goose chase because they spotted Sheriff.
He insisted that Mr Adaba was at Ada when the prosecution suggested to him that Mr Adaba was not among the police officers who were detailed to go to Ada and effect the arrest of Sheriff.
He also refuted claims by the prosecution that he was arrested on July 22, 2007 and not July 27, 2007 as he stated, adding that his mother could attest to the fact that he was arrested on July 27, 2007.
The witness, who said amid laughter from the audience in the courtroom that he knew Abass was standing trial because of Sheriff, stated that he did not know anything about the conversation which took place in Mr Boakye's house.
Gonu informed the court during cross-examination by counsel for Tagor, Mr Ellis Owusu Fordjour, that he was put on parade among other suspects for the public to identify but was not pointed at by anybody.
He said the identification parade was organised on July 31, 2007 and he was arraigned on August 6, 2007.