MV BENJAMIN

Darkey didn’t pay me personally

-witness tells court

By Mohammed Awal

A prosecution witness in the case involving a businessman, Christian Asem Darkey alias “Limping Man” held for the importation of missing Seventy-seven parcels of cocaine onboard the MV Benjamin Vessel in 2006 has revealed to an Accra Fast Track Court (FTC) that he did not receive any payment from the accused person.

Mr. John Kobina Dawson, Deputy Director and Advisor with Dashment Company Limited last Tuesday, July 10 this year, told the court presided over by Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh that he did not personally deal with the accused person in the purchase or charter of the famous MV Benjamin vessel.

The witness was giving evidence before the court in a case in which Asem Darkey is facing charges of conspiracy, importing narcotic drug, possessing narcotic drug, undertaken prohibited business and corrupting a public officer.

Mr. Dawson narrated to the court how his company gave the vessel to Asem Darkey on charter by tendering in chartered agreement between the company and Darkey, which was supposed to last for 60 days and worth $150,000 which both parties signed.

He also tendered in a sales agreement between the company and Darkey worth $250,000 in connection with the sale of the vessel to Darkey.

He said after using the vessel for 60 days, Darkey wanted to buy the vessel so his company came into an agreement with both parties being signatories to the agreement.

Mr. Dawson said he met Darkey through their lawyer one Lawyer Lumor on February 6, 2006, adding that the vessel was handed over to the accused person the very day that the sales document was signed.

In cross-examination from defense counsel, Mr. George Heward-Mills, witness emphasized that he was the Executive Director, when he entered into the agreement with the accused person and not his son, Joseph Kojo Dawson, who is one of the convicted persons in the M.V Benjamin case.

Mr Heward-Mills challenged the witness that his son had told the court that Darkey did not pay directly to Dashment Company because there was hire-purchase agreement between the company and one Mr. Bear, who is the original owner of the vessel.



Mr. Heward-Mills therefore requested the court to order the witness to produce the document which shows that he was the Executive Director of the company at the time.

The case was therefore adjourned to July 16.

 Asem Darkey has pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him and he is currently in prison custody.

It is the case of the state that on April 26, 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.
According to the state, around midnight of 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.
The prosecutor further pointed out that investigations had 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 Darkey featured prominently as the importer and owner of the 77 parcels’, the prosecution told the court.
The Chief State Attorney therefore noted that ‘Limping Man’ chartered a vessel at the cost of $150,000 to transport another vessel carrying the narcotic drugs from Guinea, and which were then offloaded into the MV Benjamin on the high seas.
The prosecutor further indicated that the accused person reportedly carted away the 77 parcels from the vessel on its arrival at Kpone near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, adding that when security personnel went to his hometown to arrest him, after having a hint of his presence at a funeral ground, Asem Darkey swerved them, escaped and went into hiding.
Asem Darkey was also alleged to have bribed the security men, who were detailed to go and cause his arrest, meanwhile, the security men had already been convicted of their crime.
Subsequently, on Thursday, February 2, 2012, Asem Darkey was arrested at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital upon a tip-off. According to the state, the police picked him up and handed him over to the BNI to commence investigations into the case.
Hearing continues on July 18, this year.