The Nigerian suspect in the case involving the 67 parcels of cocaine which were intercepted at Prampram in May 2006, has absconded.

A bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The 42-year-old Nigerian, Kenneth Urgah, was arrested because he was the driver of the Mercedes Benz bus, with registration number GW 1243 X, in which 28 cartons of fresh fish and 67 large cartons of cocaine were found.

The drugs were intercepted by the Buffalo Unit of the Police Service in Tema, in conjunction with the Prampram Police.

During investigations, Urgah was taken to his house at Madina, where samples of the material used to wrap the drug and other items, together with another Benz bus of the same colour as the one used to cart the drug, were found.

He was then arraigned and remanded in custody to enable the police to conduct further investigations into the case, but while he was at the James Fort Prison, he was reported to have fallen sick and taken to the Police Hospital for treatment.

According to police sources, Urgah's condition was said to have deteriorated and, as a result, his counsel filed a motion for bail at the High Court, upon which the court, presided over by Justice Anthony Abada, granted him bail on June 25, 2007 in the sum of GH¢30,OOO with one surety to be justified.

Urgah was to reappear in court on July 11, 2007 but he failed to do so.

Frank Wood, a well known bail contractor at the courts, who stood surety for the suspect, has been ordered by the court to produce the accused but he has failed to do so.

An estreatment of bond has, therefore, been obtained to be served on the surety to appear before the court.

It is recalled that following the haul of the cocaine at the Prampram Beach and the disappearance of 77 parcels of cocaine, the government came out with a directive that no bail should be granted drug suspects.

On June 26, 2007 a copy of the motion for the approval of bail was served on the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for compliance, after which the bail was executed.

Source: Daily Graphic