Asem Dake Re-Arrested
Christian Sheriff Asem Dake alias Limping Man, who has been accused of importing 77 cocaine parcels using the MV Benjamin vessel, was yesterday discharged by an Accra Circuit Court only to be whisked by the police without resistance when he came out of the courtroom.
The court presided over by Francis Obiri discharged the accused person and another accomplice called Alfred Nii Sowah after Owusu Ameyaw, a state attorney, told the court that the state wanted to enter a nolle prosequi to have them discharged.
He said they had concluded investigations and would send the accused persons to a high court to face fresh charges.
The court consequently discharged Limping Man after which he was re-arrested when he came out of the courtroom.
The accused person again complained that he was not being fed well, adding that he had been taking only 'Kooko'- corn porridge- for breakfast which was woefully inadequate to satisfy his hunger.
Raymond Vordaogo, counsel for the accused at the last hearing, told the court that his client, who was already not feeling well, was given breakfast as late as 11am for about four months, thereby worsening his situation.
The investigator denied the statement, saying it was not true and said he would look into it but the trial judge, Audrey Kocuvie-Tay ordered them to ensure that Dake was fed well.
Mrs. Yvonne Obuobisa, the principal state attorney in the case, informed the court that they had concluded investigations and would soon start the hearing and prayed the court for an adjourned date to enable them to do so.
Asem Dake's counsel, George Heward-Mills, had throughout the trial applied for bail for him on grounds that the accused person had nowhere to go and would be available for trial but the judge had stated that since it was an unbailable offence, she could not grant him bail.
Limping Man denied any wrongdoing when charged with conspiracy to commit crime, possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority and importing narcotic drugs without licence.
The prosecuting officer, DSP A.A. Annor, who presented the facts of the case, told the court that on 26 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.
He said 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.
The prosecutor stated that 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.
Furthermore, he noted that investigations also revealed that Limping Man chattered the 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.
In addition, he 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.
By Fidelia Achama