Court remands businessmen for narcotics

An Accra circuit court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, on Wednesday remanded Alexandra Kofi Baah, and Shahad Iddrisu, both businessmen, into police custody.

The accused persons, charged with conspiracy to commit crime and prohibited business relating to narcotics, pleaded not guilty,and would re-appear on Friday, April 10.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham Annor, who stood in for the Attorney-General told the court that the state prosecutor and the investigator in the case have travelled to Bolivia to investigate the case.

The counsel for the accused persons disagreed, alleging that they have not embarked on any trip to Bolivia.

Presenting the facts, the prosecution said some time last year, Baah went to visit a friend in Tema where he met Iddrisu, who introduced him to a businessman, a dealer in several products.

He said when Iddrisu got to know that Baah could speak Spanish fluently, he required his assistance to travel with him to Brazil to do business.

He said Iddrisu wanted Baah as an interpreter, where Baah told him that he has a friend in Bolivia and that he would introduce him (Iddrisu) to him, so they could do business.

“Baah told Iddrisu that his friend, who lives in Bolivia does business in organic fertilizer production, in which Iddrisu became delighted, and expressed interest to travel to Bolivia,” he added.

He said the accused person then travelled to Bolivia to meet the businessman and after their business transactions, they returned to Ghana.

On March 4 this year, the Bolivian authorities arrested the Bolivian businessman, his nephew and the nephew’s wife and one Ednenis Rivero ROCO in a premises, where about 5,880 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in 840 sacks of fertilizer was seized.

Investigations so far indicated that the consignment was bound to be shipped to Burkina Faso and was to have been received by the accused persons and others yet to be apprehended.

Source: GNA