MV Benjamin trial: Prosecution to submit addresses

An Accra Fast Track High Court on Thursday agreed to a request by the prosecution in the Tagor drug case to submit its addresses on or before November 19.

When the case was called, the court, presided over by Mr Justice Jones Victor Dotse, a Court of Appeal Judge, said although the date requested by the prosecution was late it had accepted it in order to hold them to their words.

Kwabena Amaning aka Tagor, 34, and Alhaji Issah Abass, 54, are jointly charged for conspiracy and are being tried for drug-related offences.

Abass is also being held for carrying out prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs and supplying narcotic drugs, while Tagor has additionally been charged for carrying out prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs, buying and supplying of narcotic drugs.

They have pleaded not guilty and the court has remanded them in prison custody.

Mr Justice Dotse said he received the address filed by Mr Mohammed Attah, counsel for Alhaji Issah Abass, 10 minutes earlier.

Mr Attah told the court that he was unable to get all the proceedings of the sittings and had to rely on his own notes hence the delay in filing the address.

The court said at its next sitting on November 28, it would allow the defence and prosecution to expatiate on issues raised in the various addresses.

The prosecution called 10 witnesses to make their case while the defence team called four.

The case of the prosecution is that the accused are self-confessed drug barons who, since 2004, had been actively engaged in activities of promoting and establishing various enterprises relating to narcotic drug offence.

The matter was adjourned to November 28.