Court remands Exopa CEO

Ibrahim Sima has been sent to the Nsawam Medium Prison The CEO of Exopa Modeling Agency, Ibrahim Sima, who is standing trial for allegedly dealing in drugs, was on Tuesday remanded in prison custody. He will reappear in court on September 23, 2009. Ibrahim Sima was arrested on September 7 at the Kotoka International Airport for allegedly possessing five kilograms of cocaine concealed in four tubers of yam which he attempted to smuggle to Germany. He was charged on two counts - attempting to export narcotic drugs and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs –, but he has denied all the charges. Joy News’ Sammy Darko who was in court reports that Mr Sima told officials of the Narcotics Control Board, who interrogated him after his arrest, that the yams were given to him by one Salifu who resides in Nima, a suburb of Accra, to be given to a friend for a fee of 3000 Euros. A remnant of glue was found in his (Sima’s) house,which they suspected was used to join the yams when investigators conducted a search there. They also found a bread knife, believed to have been used to cut the yams. Mr Sima admitted to investigators that the glue and the knife were used for the purposes as presented to the court. The defendant’s counsel, Kwame Akuffo, however objected to the evidence presented by the state attorney, arguing that the information was elicited from his client without the presence of his counsel and prayed to the court to dismiss them. But his argument was overruled. The court also agreed with the prosecutor that Mr Ibrahim Sima should be remanded in prison custody to avoid interfering in investigations, contrary to the demand by his counsel that he should be kept in police custody. The counsel also asked the court to handover a confiscated Range Rover belonging to the suspect because how Mr Sima bought the vehicle has no link with the ongoing trial, but the judge did not admit his plea. Story by Isaac Essel Myjoyonline.com/Ghana