8 Policemen charged for dealing in cocaine

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday May 16,2007
Eight out of the nine policemen interdicted by the Police Administration last month for allegedly dealing in cocaine were arraigned before an Accra circuit court yesterday.

They include Ekow Russel, George Akoi, Isaac Anang, Dominic Amezah and Anthony Agyei, all lance corporals.

The rest are Constable Collins Ohemang, Inspector Oppong Kyei and Sergeant Francis Arthur, all of the Accra Regional Police Command.

On April 29, the Police Administration interdicted nine policemen, including Detective Inspector Justice Nana Oppong, pending investigations into their alleged involvement in another cocaine scandal.

In the dock with them is Maxwell Antwi, a car dealer who the prosecution believes was supplied with the narcotic drugs by the policemen.

Antwi has been charged with possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, while Russel was charged with supplying narcotic drugs.

Akoi, Anang, Amezah, Agyei, Ohemeng, Kyei and Arthur are charged with abetment of crime in prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs.

All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty.

Kyei and Arthur have been granted ¢300 million bail with one surety each to be justified but the rest are in police custody.

Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Kofi Abraham told the court, presided over by Justice Frank Manu that on March 27, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested Antwi in Accra with cocaine and during interrogation, he mentioned Russel as his source of supply.

When Russel was picked, he admitted in his caution statement that he intercepted the cocaine from a Nigerian called Sebastian Uba in Tema on January 15 together with Annang, Amezah Adjei and Ohemeng.

Investigations later revealed that the accused seized eight slabs of cocaine from the Nigerian but declared only one slab at the Regional CID when they were making preferring charges against Uba. It was later found out that Mr. Abraham said on January 31, Uba mysteriously escaped while under escort by Russel from the La Police Station to the headquarters.

Investigations further revealed that the seven slabs of cocaine were given to Antwi to sell.

The prosecutor said that 6,000 dollars from the proceeds was given to Kyei, the Station Master to share among the accused persons.

Hearing was adjourned to May 29.

At the same court, two other policemen from the Rapid Response Unit appeared on charges of stealing cocaine valued at 54,000 dollars.

They were Lance Corporals Samuel Bismark Osae and Frank Acquah, whose plea was not taken.

The court remanded them into police custody until June 1.

The prosecution told the court that Osae and Acquah intercepted four slabs of cocaine on April 15 at Fadama in Accra but stole three slabs.

He said the two reported that they had chanced on some suspected drug dealers at North Kaneshie who fled and left behind one slabs of cocaine.

But the CID had contrary information on April 25 that the two entered the house of one Michael Tettey Tetteh at Fadama, arrested him and two women and seized four slabs of cocaine from the house.

Osae and Acquah were picked up on May 3 and in their statements they said they had one parcel at Fadama and not at North Kaneshie