An Adjabeng magistrate court in Accra has remanded the eight Nigerian pirates who allegedly hijacked M.T. Mariam marine oil tanker in Nigeria into police custody.
The accused persons are Molih Williams, Molih Klinsman, Peggy Aki, Ebiyaibo Amos, David Jacobs, Apetimiyi Onyinie, Pinano Saniyo and Picolo John.
The accused persons were arrested by the Eastern Naval Command of the Ghana Navy in Tema when they entered the territorial waters of Ghana.
Charges
The eight are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit crime and piracy.
It is the case of the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Iddrisu Fuseni that the accused persons, who are all unemployed, on January 17, 2015 at Tema, a suburb of Accra, by force of arms seized the said commercial marine vessel (tanker) flying the flag of Nigeria under the charge of one captain Chris Ohuoha.
The court, presided over by Ms. Efua Sackey, did not take the pleas of the accused persons.
Chief Inspector Fuseni prayed the court to remand the accused persons into police custody to assist in further investigations into the case.
Piracy Tag
Uche Nwosu, counsel for the accused persons, stated that the prosecution must complete their investigations into the case for the trial to commence.
He said the court also ought to 'disregard' the piracy portion of the facts as presented by the prosecution that described the accused persons as pirates.
Remand
Ms. Sackey ruled in favour of the prosecution and remanded the accused persons into police custody to assist in the investigations.
They are to reappear on February 11, 2015.
Facts
According to Chief Inspector Fuseni, the complainant in the case is the chief executive officer of MAXWEIR Limited – a company operating M.T. Miraim whilst the accused persons are all from Nigeria.
He said on January 17, 2015, the vessel, loaded with 1,500 metric tonnes of Low Petroleum Fuel Oil (LPFO) worth $1.5 million, was travelling from Lagos in Nigeria to Lome, Togo, when the accused persons, with three AK 47s, one pump action gun and a K2 rifle, attacked the nine people on board the vessel (now witnesses) and with force stole the cargo onto another vessel and sped off.
Chief Inspector Fuseni said stealing the oil took five hours, adding that all this while, the crew members were taken hostage and subjected to various degrees of inhumane treatment including assault with the butts of the weapons, restricting their movements and preventing them from communicating to themselves likewise the director who is a witness in the case.
Prosecution said after stealing the cargo, two of the pirates joined the vessel with oil and sped off and instructed the rest to keep watching the crew till they return to pick them.
Chief Inspector Fuseni further told the court that it was while they were waiting that the Ghana Navy personnel came to their rescue after a distress call had been made by a witness and the accused persons were arrested.
He said the weapons were seized and retained for evidential purposes.
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By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
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