Shipping agent before tribunal for dealing in narcotic drugs
Shipping agent before tribunal for dealing
in narcotic drugs
Accra (Greater Accra Region) 19 April 2000
Sammy De Graft Buabeng, a shipping agent, who attempted to export narcotic drugs in 1996, was on Tuesday re-arraigned before the Greater-Accra Regional Tribunal.
Buabeng pleaded not guilty to the charge and was committed to his former bail in the sum of 100 million cedis with two sureties to be justified. He is to reappear on 15 May.
The accused, an agent of Empire Shipping, a Takoradi-based shipping agency, was alleged to have conspired with one Moses Kwarteng of Boafo Export and Import Company Limited, now at large, to smuggle out of the country about 6,336 kilograms of "cannabis sativa", a narcotic drug, without licence.
Mr Anthony Gyambiby, Principal State Attorney, told the tribunal, chaired by Mr Justice Isaac Duose, that on April 13, 1996, John Boah Blay, a customs officer stationed at Takoradi, examined a number of drums supposedly containing oil residue parked at the harbour.
He said, acting upon a tip-off three days later, customs officers learnt that the consignment, which belonged to Buabeng and was to be exported to Greece, rather contained Indian hemp. The prosecution said another customs officer, Mr Nat Forson, was on May 29, 1996, detailed to re-examine the consignment.
The re-examination revealed that 118 out of the 175 drums stuffed in the container rather contained parcels suspected to be Indian hemp.
Buabeng was therefore arrested and he mentioned Kwarteng as the owner of the container. All efforts by security agencies to track Kwarteng own have so far proved futile.
GRi…/