MV Benjamin Cocaine Baron In Court

Asem Dake, alias Limping Man, the fugitive behind the importation of the 77 cocaine parcels in the infamous MV Benjamin Vessel, who outwitted the police in their attempt to bring him to justice six years ago, was yesterday put before an Accra Circuit Court.

The accused person, also known as Sheriff, was put before a court presided over by Audrey Kocuvie-Tay and charged with conspiracy to commit crime, possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority and importing narcotic drugs without licence.

His plea was not taken and he has been remanded in police custody to re-appear on February 22, 2012. 

The prosecuting officer, DSP A.A. Annor, who presented the facts of the case, told the court that on 26th April, 2006, intelligence gathered indicated that a shipping vessel called MV Benjamin was on the high seas carrying about 77 parcels of cocaine and heading towards the West African Coast, specifically Ghana.

Around midnight the same day, the said vessel docked at Tema /Kpone and discharged the 77 parcels which were offloaded into a waiting vehicle and taken away.

According to him, investigations led to the arrest of a number of persons who were put before various courts, tried and convicted to various prison terms.

During the course of the trials of the suspects, the name of Asem Dake featured prominently as the importer and owner of the 77 parcels.

Investigations also revealed that Limping Man chartered a vessel at the cost of $150,000 and used it to bring another vessel carrying the narcotic drugs from Guinea which were then offloaded into MV Benjamin on the high seas.

The prosecutor said the accused person reportedly carted the 77 parcels from the vessel on its arrival at Kpone.

He said on Thursday, February 2, 2012, Asem Dake was arrested at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital upon a tip-off and consequently arraigned.

DSP Annor prayed the court to give the prosecution enough time to trace his records for the necessary action to begin.  

The suspect had no counsel.
DAILY GUIDE, in its yesterday issue, broke the story about the arrest of Sheriff at the X-Ray Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital last week.

The police picked him up and handed him over to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) who commenced investigations into the big catch whose, elusion for such a long time, boggled minds.

By Fidelia Achama