|
Abbas claims he runs genuine business
Accra, July 25, Ghanadot/GNA - Abass, aged 54, Chief
Executive Officer of Gazimbex Ghana Limited and Issadies
Company, both in Tema, who was answering questions under
cross-examination, denied that he used his business as a
frontline for the drug business.
Alhaji Issah Abass who is being
held with Kwabena Amaning, aka Tagor, for narcotic offences
on Wednesday said on Wednesday that he conducted genuine
business and rejected suggestions that he was a cocaine
dealer.
Abass said: "If I dealt in drugs
I would not have gone ahead to supply the Police with
items."
Alhaji Abass and Tagor, 34, described by the prosecution as
self-confessed drug barons, are jointly charged for
conspiracy and are being tried for drug-related offences.
He is also being held for carrying out prohibited business
relating to narcotic drugs and supplying narcotic drugs
while Tagor has additionally been charged for carrying out
prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs, buying and
supplying of narcotic drugs.
They have pleaded not guilty and the court has remanded them
in prison custody.
Abass maintained that it was Mr Ben Ndego, interdicted
Deputy Chief Executive of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB),
who asked him to record the meeting in ACP Kofi Boakye's
house.
The accused said they were to make ACP Kofi Boakye to talk
and he "really did talk".
Abass, who told the court that he had been a driver's mate
and stowaway, denied that Mr Ndego had told the Georgina
Wood Committee that he did not know the source of the tape.
He said: "My Lord it is not true that Colonel (Isaac) Akuoku,
Mr Ndego's boss did not know the source of the tape."
Abass debunked the prosecution's assertion that he was Mr
Ndego's agent who allegedly sold narcotic drugs.
When the prosecution asked when he did the recordings, Abass
told the court that he did that before appearing before the
Georgina Wood Commission.
The accused said he was not aware that Mr. Ndego and Colonel
Akuoku had been interdicted at the time he appeared before
the Committee.
According to the accused, he could also not have told
Detective Inspector Justice Nana Oppong, the initial
investigator, that he (Abass) was the one who recorded the
tape.
"I could not have done that because Inspector Oppong was ACP
Kofi Boakye's subordinate."
Abass maintained that it was ACP Kofi Boakye who invited him
to his house for the meeting.
He said his interaction with Tagor was part of "our plan".
"Mr Lord I have known Tagor since 2003 that he (Tagor)
arrived in the country. We meet at parties, funerals,
washing bays and night clubs," Abass said.
On his property, Abass admitted owning three fishing
vessels, including MV Sisina and MV Elli at Tema Harbour.
According to the accused, since the vessels were not
discharging fish or fishing in Ghana, he did not pay tax to
government.
"If you export fish in Ghana then you have to pay 15 per
cent tax to the Bank of Ghana but I did not pay tax on the
vessel because they were not operating in Ghana."
When asked how he managed to acquire the vessels, Abass said
he received them from his partners from Greece.
The prosecution, however, showed a bill of sale in
connection with one the vessels but Abass said it was not
true that he bought it for four million dollars, saying the
amount on the bill was part of the agreement he had entered
with his Greece partners.
Abass denied he owned Isada Roofing Tiles Company Limited, a
firm located in Tema and Kalypso House at Community 11, Tema.
The accused refuted the prosecution's assertion that after
the meeting at ACP Kofi Boakye's house, he and Tagor agreed
to look for the missing cocaine on board the MV Benjamin.
Abass explained that it was ACP Kofi Boakye who instructed
them to fish out for the information about the missing
cocaine.
The accused denied that he made "a real" confession on
business he had conducted in the underworld, that is, the
drug trade.
Abass said it was not true that what he had told the court
was a desperate attempt by him to withdraw his confessions.
The case of the prosecution is that the accused are
self-confessed drug barons who since 2004 had been actively
engaged in activities of promoting and establishing various
enterprises relating to narcotic drugs.
The case was adjourned to July 31 for further
cross-examination of Abass.
GNA
|
