A Nigerian businessman, Uchechukwu Chima, who was arrested in connection with $2.1 million drugs, has pleaded not guilty.
The 56-year-old is standing trial for possession of 192kg of cocaine and 0.42kg of heroin worth $2.1 million, seized from his Oyarifa hideout in Accra.
On Thursday, April 17, prosecution lead by Watkins Adama, a Senior State Attorney, withdrew the previous charge sheet with a new one that contained four new counts.
In the latest Charge sheet, he pleaded not guilty to three counts of Possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and a count of Use of property for narcotic offences contrary to sections 48(1), (a) and (b) of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).
Mr Adamah prayed the Court to remand the accused into the custody of NACOC while the case was adjourned to May 2.
Before the adjournment, Counsel for the accused, Paul Asibi Abariga, while setting the records straight said allegations contained in brief facts are far from the reality.
He indicated to the Court that he would be filing an official bail application on behalf of his client by the next adjourned date.
New charges
On Counts 1, 2 and 3, he was charged for “Possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority contrary to section 37(1) of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019)” while on Count 4, he is said to have “Use of property for narcotic offences contrary to sections 48(1), (a) and (b) of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).”
Brief facts
Per the brief facts presented to the Court by the Senior State Attorney, Watkins Adamah, were that sometime in 2023, the Narcotics Control Commission, (NACOC), launched an investigation into the activities of a narcotic trafficking enterprise which operated within Ghana and exported narcotic drugs to other parts of Africa and Europe.
He said, on February 21, 2024, one Pascal Okafor Ezugwu, (a convict), was arrested and prosecuted when he attempted to export cocaine from Ghana.
He explained further that, on March 13, 2024, one Kenneth Uchenna, convict, was also arrested and prosecuted when he attempted to export heroin from Ghana.
The Prosecution said, the source of the narcotic drugs retrieved from both convicts were linked to the accused person, who has since been sought after by NACOC.
The brief facts stated that, the accused person was identified sometime in 2025, and was put under surveillance and was on several occasions seen access and use property with digital address GM-203-7490, at Oyarifa.
The Senior State Attorney said he was found to reside at another property at Oyarifa with both properties approximately one kilometer apart.
Drug trafficking
Mr Adamah said, on March 18, 2025, the accused person was arrested at his private residence at Oyarifa and a search yielded negative for the presence of narcotic substances.
However, various huge sums of money in several currencies were retrieved and these monies are believed to be proceeds of his narcotic drug trafficking activities.
He said, when the accused person was led to the other identified property, he provided a key and gave access to NACOC officers to conduct a search.
“A search conducted revealed materials and other implements found to be used to package and repackage narcotic drugs. 192 slabs, 57 pellets and a polybag containing compressed substances retrieved from the property of the accused person field tested positive for cocaine and heroin, narcotic drugs,” he told the Court.
Positive test
Mr Adamah said, the Ghana Standards Authority, (GSA), per a report dated 4 April 2025, confirmed that the 192 slabs tested positive for cocaine, a narcotic drug with percentage purity of between 48.79 and 70.42.
“The 57 pellets were also confirmed by the GSA to be positive for cocaine, a narcotic drug with percentage purity of 49.63.
“The polybag retrieved was confirmed by the GSA to be positive for heroin and morphine, narcotic drugs with percentage purity of 18.65 and 17.57 respectively.
“The accused person who is believed to be part of a larger criminal enterprise engaged in trafficking narcotic drugs, was found to have amassed several properties and luxury vehicles which are still being investigated. Efforts have also been intensified to identify other partners and accomplices of the accused person for their arrest,” the Senior State Attorney told the Court.
