{"id":51170,"date":"2014-09-26T06:53:21","date_gmt":"2014-09-26T06:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=51170"},"modified":"2014-09-29T07:01:59","modified_gmt":"2014-09-29T07:01:59","slug":"anas-cocoa-smugglers-jailed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/09\/anas-cocoa-smugglers-jailed\/","title":{"rendered":"Anas Cocoa Smugglers jailed"},"content":{"rendered":"
Friends and relatives joined eight accused persons to weep at the Accra Fast Track High court, after a judge handed down a total sentence of 16 years with hard labor. The trial judge, Justice Bright Mensah, found the accused persons guilty for aiding and abetting in the smuggling of cocoa out of the country. It was a scene of wailing and loud cries when the convicts were being escorted out of court to begin their prison terms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Each convict caught on hidden camera by investigative reporter Anas Aremeyaw Anas; is to serve a two year jail term on charges of abetment and receiving bribes. The charges run concurrently.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
In sentencing them, the trial judge stated that; the intention to commit a crime constituted abetment under Section 20 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act 29\/1960, and thus convicted all those seen collecting or counting money in the video.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Some of the relatives of the convicted persons started cursing Anas when they got out of the court premises; “God will curse that Anas boy for bringing his cameras to create all this problems, our God is not asleep,” they charged.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The case was handled on behalf of the State by Principal State Attorney, Evelyn Ama Keelson. She was assisted by Nana Adoma Osei, an Assistant State Attorney.<\/p>\n How It Happened<\/strong><\/p>\n The facts of the case were extracted from an investigative documentary film titled, \u201cIn the Interest of the State\u201d published in April 2010 by Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The film detailed how corrupt activities on the part of some officers of Customs Excise Preventive Services (CEPS), the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Immigration Service resulted in the smuggling of cocoa beans from Ghana into Cote d\u2019Ivoire. A situation that robbed Ghana of needed revenue which ended up in the pocket of these corrupt officials.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Anas\u2019s private investigations company, Tiger Eye PI, was approached by the Ghana Cocoa Board on how best to arrest the spate of cocoa smuggling especially along Ghana\u2019s western frontiers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Hidden Camera in Action<\/strong><\/p>\n After a series of reconnaissance efforts that confirmed the corrupt acts of some officers of the security agencies, Anas and his team set up base in Dadieso, Kwesi Nrumah, Kukumso, Aberewakrom among other places.<\/p>\n The team filmed the activities and dealings of these officers over several months. Amongst others infractions, the team captured on video (hidden camera) how some officers were aiding the smuggling of Ghana\u2019s cocoa into neighboring Cote d\u2019Ivoire. An act that was negatively affecting revenue due to the state.<\/p>\n At a point in the investigation, one Mr. Daniel Ibrahim Bepoh, Elubo district manager of Armajaro Ghana Limited a produce buying company caused the arrest of Anas when he tried to bribe him.<\/p>\n That however did not hault the investigations especially as officers of Police, Immigration and CEPS showed their readiness at every approach to take monies and allow the team to transport bags of cocoa from Ghana into Cote d\u2019Ivoire.<\/p>\n The team was able to bust the clique that also involved some smuggling kingpins involving taxi drivers, ordinary members of the public who knew the underhand deals and who to contact for successful operations.<\/p>\n April 2010: the Story Breaks<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The story broke as a documentary film entitled \u201cIn the Interest of State\u201d but also in print publications carried by the New Crusading GUIDE newspaper. When the story broke, 14 officers were picked up and arraigned before a circuit court in Accra. Out of the 14, three were acquitted on a submission of no case.<\/p>\n