Court judgement on cops in MV Benjamin case on December 21

An Accra Fast Track High Court will on December 21 deliver its verdict in respect of the case of three policemen alleged to have aided Sheriff Asem Dake, the prime suspect in the disappearance of 76 parcels of cocaine on board the MV Benjamin.

Detective Lance Corporal Dwamena Yabson, General Sergeant David Nyarko and General Lance Corporal Peter Bondorin have been charged with prohibited business and corruption by public officer.

Nyarko, Yabson and Bondorin have pleaded not guilty.

A fourth policeman, Detective Sergeant Samuel Amoah, is on the run. He jumped bail granted him and his accomplices by an Accra Regional Tribunal.

The court, presided over by Mr Justice Anin-Yeboah, a court of Appeal Judge, fixed the date after counsel for defence and prosecution had filed their written addresses.

The prosecution called nine witnesses to make their case while the one of the defendants called one witness.

The case of the prosecution is that on April 26, last year, MV Benjamin arrived on the high seas of Tema.

The vessel was carrying 77 parcels of cocaine imported by one Sheriff Asem Dake. Soon after the vessel arrived, the parcels of cocaine were offloaded unto two canoes, which sailed to Kpone Beach, near Tema.

Some fishermen who spotted the canoes became suspicious and called the owner of the canoes.

The owner of the canoes and others informed Sergeant Amoah who was stationed at Tema New Town. He in turn mobilized the other accused persons and they proceeded to Kpone Beach.

At the beach, the accused persons looked on until Asem Dake offloaded the drugs into a four-wheel vehicle.

The accused persons then followed the vehicle to Tema where Dake gave them some money and they failed to arrest him.