Cocaine Suspects Explanations Rejected

An Accra High Court on Friday rejected explanations by five persons who were arrested in connection with 414 slabs of whitish substances suspected to be cocaine imported from British Guyuna to Ghana. The substance valued at 50 million dollars was found on board vessel Atiyah Ex-Alisam. The court presided over by Mr Justice C.J Hoenyenuga, a Justice of the Court of Appeal who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, said he was not convinced with the accused persons explanation. �I am not satisfied with the explanation offered by accused persons that they did not know they were carrying cocaine in their ship. Explanation cannot amount to a plea of not guilty. They are guilty of the offences,�� he said. It therefore adjourned the case to January 7, 2014 subject to obtaining the report based on the analytical examination conducted by the Ghana Standard Authority on the whitish substances valued at over 50 million dollars. Deferring their sentences, the court further remanded them into custody. Earlier the accused persons told the court that they were contracted by two people, one a Nigerian to deliver the wrapped blocks to someone in Ghana. Although they claimed they did not know the contents, the blocks which were in bags were offloaded from a boat into their vessel. According to them it was the captain who communicated with someone phone on concerning the stuff. They are Percival Junior Court, a Guyanese engineer, Miller Ronald O�Neil, the captain, Seth Grant, Samuel Monty and Singh Primchand, all seamen. The five accused persons, facing charges of engaging in criminal conspiracy, importation of narcotics without lawful authority and possession of narcotic drugs, have pleaded guilty with explanation. They contended that they could not afford the services of lawyers. The accused persons have been remanded into custody by Mr Justice C.J Hoenoeyega, a Court of Appeal Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, to reappear on December 13. Prosecuting, Mr Asiamah Sampong, a Principal State Attorney, told the court that investigations were on going as the 414 slabs of cocaine had been forwarded to the Ghana Standards Authority for analytical examination. Mr Sampong said in third week of November, the Narcotics Control Board received information concerning the suspicious movement of a vessel by name Atiyah Ex-Alisam, with registration number 000471, which was heading towards Ghana loaded with illicit drugs. According to the said information, the vessel was from British Guyana -George Town. Prosecution said security agencies including the Ghana Navy, the Police and National Security were alerted. According to Mr Sampong on November 19, the security agencies, in collaboration with Western Naval Base in Takoradi, intercepted the vessel in Ghana�s waters. A search on the vessel revealed 21 fertilizer sacks smeared with engine oil containing 414 slabs of compressed substances. A field test conducted indicated that the substances were cocaine. Prosecution said O�Neil, the captain, said the drugs were to be delivered in Ghana but they could not mention the name of the recipient adding that he had the contact of the recipient. According to O�Neil, the drugs were to be delivered on the high seas for a fee of 50,000 dollars while the rest of the crew were to take various sums of monies.