ESCAPE ATTEMPT FOILED

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, 28 September 2006
A man, who posed as a national security operative and attempted getting access to Kwabena Amaning, popularly called Tagor, standing trial for his involvement in the missing 77 parcels of cocaine from the MV Benjamin vessel, has been arrested by the police.

Police believe he went there to discuss with Tagor an escape plan.

Jeff Ankrah, 26, allegedly told personnel at the Osu Police station where Tagor is being held that he was instructed by Mr. Francis Poku, the National Security Minister, to contact and interrogate the suspected drug baron. But when police personnel on duty at the station asked for his identify card, he could not produce it.

He said his mission at the station was confidential, and bordered on national security and had to be executed with dispatch.

Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, Assistant Superintendent of Police James Annor of the Osu District Police, said Ankrah was at the station on Monday "at a time when the police and Electoral Commission Officers were busily working on the ballots for the district assembly elections slated for the following day".

ASP Annor said Ankrah told the policeman at the charge office that he was there to see Tagor "on a very important national security issue on the instructions of Mr. Poku.
"The policeman believed him because Ankrah was very bold and confident in his approach and could produce telephone numbers of the offices of National Security off hand", he said.

However, just as Ankrah was about to see Tagor, the policeman informed the station officer who demanded to see the suspect’s identity card which he could not produce consequently, he was arrested.

DSP Annor said during interrogations, Ankrah said he worked with his sister at a restaurant at Adabraka, Accra, where Tagor used to eat.

The suspect, according to the police officer claimed he was at the police station to seek financial assistance from Tagor and denied that he was there to facilitate his (Tagor’s) escape the next adjourned date.

ASP Annor also disclosed that a woman had lodged a complaint against Ankrah for duping her of ¢ 18 million under the pretext of securing her a visa to travel abroad.

The woman also accused Ankrah of stealing her ¢25 million and mobile phone.

Ankrah, according to ASP Annor, posed as a special assistant of Captain Nkrabeah Effah Dartey (rtd) former Deputy Minister of the Interior, to convince the lady to part with the money.

ASP Annor indicated that Ankrah will soon be put before court and charged with posing as a public officer.