COURT JAILS 2, FOR 35 YEARS IN COCAINE SAGA.

Two members of the drug syndicate who were arrested by the Narcotics Control Board of Ghana and its various agencies late last year on Ghanaian waters for trafficking 414 slabs of cocaine into the country have been sentenced by an Accra High Court to 35 years imprisonment with hard labour.

The two, namely, Miller Ronald O’Neil, 55, a Guyanese and Captain of the Guyanese ship and Seth Grant 43, a Ghanaian and father of three, were convicted on their own plea and sentenced to 20 and 15 years respectively on each of the three counts leveled against them to run concurrently.

The two were part of the of the five persons arrested on MV ATTIYAH, a Guyanese ship.

The 2nd accused person Ronald O’Neil who doubles as the Captain of the ship, MV “ATIYAH, George-Town, told the court that he was aware of the whole syndicate, adding that he was lured into the entire move due to the financial debts and the love for money.

He also narrated to the court, which was presided over by Justice C.J. Hoenyenugah, an Appeal court judge, sitting as an additional High Court judge that  he had been into the drug business before which led to his first incarceration in Holland eighteen years ago when he was a seaman.

The court before pronouncing its final verdict against the two accused who had already pleaded guilty, ordered that a field test be conducted on the 414 slaps of exhibits suspected to be cocaine by Martin Adarkwa Yiadom, Head of Drug, Cosmetic and Forensic Department of the Ghana Standard Authority, which turned out to be positive for narcotic drug.

The trial judge, Justice C.J. Hoenyenugah in his ruling noted that the conviction was necessary considering the gravity of the offense and the reputation of the country therefore leveling three counts against the two accused persons.

The counts were (i) Engaging in criminal conspiracy by trading in narcotic drug business under section 3 (3) & 56 of PNDC Law 236/90; (ii) Importation of Narcotic drug without lawful authority under section 1 (a) of PNDC Law 236/90 and (iii) Possessing Narcotic drugs without lawful authority under section 2 (1) of PNDC Law 236 /90.

Meanwhile, the remaining three accused persons, Perceval Curt, Samuel Mornty and Saint Praimchad, all Guyanese, who were also allegedly involved in the crime and who pleaded not guilty are expected to appear in court on January 10, to stand trial on the alleged offenses leveled against them by the narcotics control Board Investigators.

The trial judge after his judgment ordered for the destruction of 413 slabs of the 414 tendered in as exhibit by officials from the Narcotic Control Board. The one remaining slap left as exhibit for the trial of the remaining three accused persons.

It would be recalled that, on Monday November 19th, 2013, the five were arrested in the Western region aboard a Guyanese ship, “ATIYAH, George-Town” which was carrying 21 bags of substances suspected to be cocaine with a street value of 60 million dollars.

The five first appeared in court on December 23rd where the two pleaded guilty for the counts leveled against them.

The successful interception was ably executed by officials of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) and its various security agencies following a tip-off from Ghana’s international security partners when the ship was sailing from Guyana.

Source: NACCOB Communication unit.