Processes of confiscating properties belonging to David Kwadwo Anim, the owner of Le Baron Hotel at East Legon in Accra, and his accomplice, Kofi Antwi Nkansah, a businessman, have begun.
Anim and Nkansah, who are currently serving 30-month and 37-month jail terms, respectively, at the C I Moshannon Valley Correctional Institution at Philisburg, United States of America (USA), were leaders of a drug trafficking organisation responsible for co-ordinating the transportation of large quantities of cocaine and heroin to locations around the world, in addition to laundering drug proceeds.
Property
The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) has been authorised, under provisions of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) Act, 2010 (Act 804), to seize any property that is reasonably suspected to be liable to confiscation.
Properties belonging to Anim to be confiscated by NACOB are the Le Baron Hotel situated at East Legon, First Galanz Logistics Company Limited, Gal-Anzty Limited, House number 10 Sasu Close, East Legon, and House number 3-4 Akuetteh Street, off Boundary Road, East Legon.
Confiscation of assets
Nkansah’s properties are First Azure Company Limited, Mid Point Company Limited, House number B/061 New Weija-Kasoa Road, House number New/B/062, Dunkonah, Weija, off the Accra-Winneba road, and House number 1& 2, Taifa, Dome Accra.
Anim was first arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2014 in connection with drug trafficking and money laundering in South America, Europe and the United States and the following day, April 27, 2014, Nkansah was also arrested for the same offence.
The two were extradited from the United Kingdom on November 5, 2015 to the United States to stand trial and on June 2, 2015 they both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, knowing that it would be imported into the United States.
Sentence
The two Ghanaians were then put before the Southern District Court of New York, presided over by Judge Thomas P. Griesa, on October 23, 2015 and convicted on their own guilty plea and sentenced accordingly.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Executive Secretary of NACOB, Nii Lante Blankson, said the motion for the confiscation of the assets belonging to Anim was scheduled to be moved on July 4, 2016, while that of Nkansah had been fixed for hearing on July 21, 2016.
Background
In April 2014, the Daily Graphic carried a story about the arrest of Anim and Nkansah at the Heathrow Airport in London by the Metropolitan Police for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering.
Anim was described by the security agencies as the leader within the drug trafficking organisation responsible for co-ordinating the transportation of large quantities of cocaine and heroin around the world and had serious ties with major drug gangs in Europe, South America and the United States.
The two suspects were said to have delivered 500 kilogrammes of heroin to undercover drug enforcement officials on January 22, 2014 without any incident.
By: Daily Graphic
