Court Discharges Tsekobi

After nine months in custody, Evans Charwetey Tsekobi, a mechanic, and brother of the fugitive cocaine baron, Sheriff Asem Dakeh, alias “The Limping Man”, was yesterday discharged by the Accra Fast Track High Court.

The man, who testified for the prosecution on Monday in the case involving the owner of MV Benjamin and its five crew members in connection with the missing 77 parcels of cocaine, was arrested in September, last year, after his brother had absconded and was facing charges relating to laundering proceeds from a narcotic drug offence.

Tsekobi, whose plea was not taken, was discharged at the instance of the prosecution, which entered a nolle prosequi (not willing to prosecute).

His runaway brother is alleged to have chartered the MV Benjamin, the vessel at the centre of the missing 77 parcels of cocaine, from Dashment Shipping Services to import the substance to Ghana but before the security agencies could get wind of its berth, all but one parcel of the substance had been stolen.

According to the particulars of offence, Charwetey, on September 27, last year, handled a Toyota Land Cruiser belonging to Sheriff.

That car was said to have been used by Sheriff when he went to the Kpone Beach to cart the cocaine, but in the process of bolting, he left the vehicle behind.

However, Charwetey went for it, parked it in his house and covered it with a tarpaulin, with the intent to conceal it.

The pariculars said Charwetey knew that his brother was wanted for crimes related to cocaine and had reasonable knowledge that the vehicle was directly obtained as a result of the commission of a narcotic drug offence.

The prosecution told the court that apart from the fact that Tsekobi parked his brother's car in his (Tsekobi's) house, there was no incriminating evidence against him or connect him to the crime.

Beaming with smile, Tsekobi told journalists that “Please, go and tell the world that I am innocent and know nothing about the offence”.

It was during his evidence for the prosecution that he realised his brother had registered his name as the Managing Director of a company he did not know about.

Story by Stephen Sah