An Accra High Court has remanded four people into custody over their alleged involvement in the exportation of a large quantity of suspected cocaine from Ghana to France.
The accused are Desmond Koranteng Curiel, also known as Paul Kweku Yeboah or “Biggs”; Musah Atta, alias “Kromo”; Kweku Okyere; and Jessica Hartog.
A fifth suspect, Jos Leudekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos”, is reportedly at large.
The four accused have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and the alleged exportation of narcotic drugs. They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared before the court.
The case follows the interception of a shipment in France in September 2026. According to the prosecution, French authorities intercepted a container originating from Ghana at the port of Dunkirk, where substances suspected to be cocaine were allegedly discovered.
The prosecution told the court that the suspected consignment involved about four tonnes of the substance, with an estimated street value of approximately US$260 million.
Following the interception, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) began investigations into the shipment and subsequently identified the four accused persons as allegedly connected to the case.
Curiel, 34, was described in court as a business broker, while Atta, 47, was described as a farmer. Okyere, 32, is a businessman, while Hartog, 34, is a beautician.
According to the prosecution, Curiel and Hartog were arrested on September 12, 2026, while Okyere was also arrested during the investigations. Atta was subsequently arrested on September 14.
The prosecution said the accused persons gave statements during investigations in which they denied knowledge of or involvement in the alleged shipment.
Curiel reportedly described himself as a businessman involved in several enterprises and denied involvement in the alleged exportation of narcotic drugs.
Atta reportedly told investigators that although he was a friend of Curiel, he did not conduct business with him.
Okyere also reportedly described himself as a longtime friend of Curiel and said he was involved in construction work connected to Curiel.
Hartog, who was identified as Curiel’s fiancée, reportedly told investigators that she was unaware of the nature and details of his business activities.
The accused persons’ lawyers applied for bail, but the court rejected the applications and ordered the four to remain in custody while investigations continue.
They are expected to return to court on October 13, 2026.
The prosecution said investigations are still ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged shipment and identify any other persons who may have been connected to the case.
The accused persons have not been convicted of the offences and remain entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty by a court.
The case is expected to attract further attention as Ghanaian authorities continue their investigations in cooperation with international authorities over the alleged shipment.
Source: Thepressradio.com
