Ten Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) officers who were arrested a few weeks ago for allegedly assisting a drug suspect, Edward Macauley, to export narcotic drugs to America and other European countries, yesterday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused included Fatima Abdulai who, during her arrest and interrogation, revealed the activities of her colleagues in aiding suspected drug barons to export and import narcotic drugs over the years.
The rest are Dennis Adutwum Gyimah, Yakubu Issaka, Timothy Aboloimpo, Peter Asong, Mutawakilu Yahaya Iddi, Jerry John Kwesi Abbiw, Eric Darko Akuffo and Nana Zamsah Evrah and Abubakari Nallah, popularly called Abu Sondoko, owner and bankroller of Tudu Mighty Jets Football Club.
They were put in a court presided over by Eric Kyei Baffuor where they were charged with abetment of importation of narcotic drug contrary to Narcotic Drugs Control Sanctions.
All pleaded not guilty to the offence and were remanded in police custody to reappear on September 9, 2011.
Counsel for the accused persons, Carl Adongo, James Abeaduka, Dr. Kweku Nsiah and Kwame Akuffo, applied for bail for their clients but the judge declined their requests, saying that since the matter was still under investigation, it would be prudent to have them remanded.
Supt. Boye Abicham, the prosecutor, told the court the suspects are NACOB operatives at the organisation�s headquarters in Accra.
He said some of the officers had worked or were still working at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) between 2009 and 2011 where they were supposed to be checking and arresting passengers carrying narcotic drugs.
In July 2011, a narcotic drug suspect, Edward Macauley, who has been in the United States of America (USA) for sometime now, was arrested at Dansoman.
During investigations, text messages reportedly received from one of the suspects, Fatima, was found on the cell phone of the suspect.
The text revealed that the said Fatima, working with the procurement Unit of NACOB and some of her colleagues, had been aiding suspects and other drug dealers to import and export narcotic drugs through KIA.
The police officer stated that the NACOB lady was arrested, and upon interrogation, admitted to the offence and mentioned the other suspects who had compromised their positions and allowed drug couriers safe passage after receiving various sums of money from the drug dealers.
Relatives of the accused persons who arrived at the court as early as 8 am filled the courtroom even before the suspects were brought to court, accompanied by police officers.
The well-composed accused persons, after being informed they were to be remanded, walked quickly out of the courtroom to their air-conditioned bus to avoid the numerous cameras around.
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