EOCO, Exopa legal tussle adjourned to July 18

A Fast Track High Court (FTHC) in Accra, which was to hear a motion filed by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), seeking permission to dispose of assets of Sima Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer of Exopa Modelling Agency, was on Tuesday adjourned to July 18.

Sima was jailed for 15 years on drug-related offences in March this year.

This was after a High Court had found him guilty on two counts of possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority and attempting to export narcotic drugs concealed in four tubers of yam.

When the case was called on Tuesday at the FTHC (Financial Division), a representative of the EOCO told the court that the substantive prosecutor in the matter was out of the court’s jurisdiction.

According to the EOCO representative, the Office had not received the records of proceedings from the court which convicted Sima.

The Financial Court said it had also not been provided with the records of proceedings hence adjourned the matter.

Naa Adoley Ashong represented Sima.

EOCO’s action formed part of plans by the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) to confiscate and sell assets of convicted drug dealers to the public.

With the Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804) recently passed as its backbone, NACOB’s action is intended to prevent individuals linked to convicted drug dealers from supporting those convicts while they serve their sentences.

Twenty-four properties belonging to Sima, including buildings, a number of vehicles, bank accounts, both local and foreign, cash in foreign and local currencies, digital cameras, laptops, as well as pistols and shotguns are to be confiscated.

The properties include the EXOPA Modelling School, situated behind the Trade Fair Centre at La; house number 1233 at Community 10, Tema; shareholding and assets in the EXOPA Modelling School; a Range Rover, a Land Rover, a BMW and Opel vehicles; credit cards, as well as German, Belgian and Togolese passports.

Source: GNA