TEMA CRIME OFFICER TESTIFIES IN COKE TRIAL

THE Tema Regional Crime Officer of the Ghana Police Service has appeared before the Accra Fast Track High Court to explain that they have arrested Kingsley Manteaw alias Gonu in connection with the murder of Nii Kwatei Quartey.
Chief Superintendent Joshua Tetteh Dogbeda, however, denied that the police have in their custody a man called Konu as being claimed by Alhaji Issa Abass, one of two persons standing trial for allegedly dealing in narcotic drugs.
The Crime Officer’s appearance was on the orders of the judge that the Tema Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, the Regional Crime Officer or their representative should come and explain the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of Konu.
Chief Supt Dogbeda said Gonu was arrested in Accra with other suspects and brought to Tema in connection of the murder of Nii Quartey.
That was after counsel for Alhaji Issa Abass had informed the court that his client’s witnesses were scared of testifying because one of them had been arrested.
Following that explanation, the court said that it did not know whether Alhaji Abbas did not pronounce Gonu well or not and if he appeared to be the same identity then he was in lawful custody.
Alhaji Abass in his evidence-in-chief on July 24, 2007 , told the court that Konu was a potential witness in the case but he was arrested after he had informed the court in his (Abass’s) statement that Konu and another potential witness, Nana Yaw, were present when the police allowed Sheriff Asem Dakeh, the importer of the 77 parcels of cocaine to abscond.
Abass had said in his evidence-in-chief that he had detailed two young men to assist police officers to identify Sheriff alias the Limping Man, at a funeral at Ada but instead of arresting the drug importer, the policemen deliberately allowed him to abscond.
He said at the funeral ground, Sheriff, who knew the young men, started moving towards his car when he saw them, adding that as Sheriff left the funeral ground in his four-wheel drive, the two men who had helped to identify him demanded an explanation for the lackadaisical posture of the policemen, upon which they were told that they (the policemen) were driving a vehicle with a smaller engine which could not chase Sheriff’s 4X4 vehicle.
He said subsequent to that, the police arrested Sheriff’s wife, as well as the wife and brother of another drug suspect called Killer, but they let both of them off the hook.
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 pleaded not guilty to all the counts and have been refused bail by the Fast Track High Court.
Initially, Kwabena Acheampong, Tagor, Abass, Victor Kisseh, alias Yaw Billah, and Alhaji Moro Mohammed were arraigned at the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly dealing in narcotic drugs.
Some of them were said to have engaged in a conversation relating to the missing cocaine on board the MV Benjamin at the residence of ACP Kofi Boakye, the subject of which led to the setting up of the Justice Georgina Wood Committee.
However, on Wednesday, November 22, 2006, the prosecution entered a nolle prosequi (not willing to prosecute), resulting in the discharge of the accused persons. But fresh charges were preferred against Tagor and Abass, leading to their appearance at the Fast Track High Court.