The court handling Ghana’s alleged GH¢261 million cocaine shipment case has scheduled November 5, 2026, to hear an application by Helena Akua Denkyi. She wants the court to remove her name from the charge sheet.
Denkyi is the sixth accused in the case involving a suspected shipment of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine. The case has drawn attention to cargo screening at the Tema Port and the handling of suspicious containers.
According to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Denkyi’s lawyers filed the application on September 30, 2026. They said they had served the Attorney-General’s Department with a hearing notice. However, the prosecution had not filed an affidavit opposing the application.
Court Needs Time to Examine the Application
During the latest hearing, Denkyi’s lawyer explained that the application had faced earlier scheduling difficulties. The court was initially expected to hear it on October 8. After the court did not sit, the hearing was moved to October 14.
However, the presiding judge said the court had only been informed of the application during the latest proceedings. The judge therefore needed time to examine its contents before considering it.
The court has now fixed November 5, 2026, for the application to be heard. The decision will determine whether Denkyi remains on the charge sheet.
Prosecution Preparing Documents for Trial
The prosecution told the court that it was preparing the disclosures needed for the trial to proceed. It asked for more time to complete the process.
Defence lawyers welcomed the update. They argued that the preparation of the disclosures suggested investigators had completed their work. They also renewed their request for bail for the accused persons.
The judge directed the defence to file formal bail applications. The prosecution could not respond properly to requests that lawyers had not formally presented to the court.
The defence also asked the court to grant a shorter adjournment of two weeks instead of a month. However, the court scheduled November 5 for the next hearing on Denkyi’s application.
Six Accused in the Alleged Cocaine Shipment Case
The six accused persons are Francis Narh Amanor, Frank Adu-Boahen, Togbe Agbeti, Andrews Tetteh Amponsah, Daniel Laryea and Helena Akua Denkyi.
Prosecutors allege that four containers left the Tema Port carrying about 3.9 tonnes of suspected narcotic substances. French authorities later intercepted the shipment at the port of Dunkirk.
The prosecution alleges that Amanor and Adu-Boahen conspired to export the suspected drugs. The other four accused face allegations of abetting the attempted exportation.
The four are accused of failing to flag abnormal container scan images for further examination. These allegations remain subject to the court process.
The November 5 hearing will be an important step in the proceedings. The court will consider Denkyi’s request to have her name removed from the charge sheet. Meanwhile, the prosecution is expected to complete the outstanding disclosures needed to move the trial forward.
