Cop makes third appearance in coke case

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday July 5, 2007
LANCE Corporal Ekow Russel, one of the nine policemen interdicted by the Police Administration in April for allegedly dealing in cocaine, was for the third time arraigned before an Accra Fast Track High Court on Tuesday.

In the dock with him was Maxwell Antwi, a car dealer, who the police believed the narcotic drugs were supplied to by the policeman.

On June 27 and June 29, the court presided over by Justice S.Y.Anim of the Court of Appeal could not proceed with the case because on both occasions, counsel for the accused were not present in court.

But on Tuesday when defence counsel was in court, the case got underway with Antwi pleading not guilty to possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

Russel also pleaded not guilty to three counts of possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, supply of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and dealing in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs.

Russell and seven other policemen together with Antwi first appeared before an Accra Circuit Court in May but were discharged by the court on June 21, following a "nolle prosequi" (unwilling to pursue) application filed by the Attorney-General's Department.

They were however re-arrested immediately on the orders of the AG and arraigned before the Fast Track court.

However it was only Russel and Antwi who were arraigned for trial at the Fast Track court.

Those yet to be charged include George Akoi, Isaac Annang, Dominic Amedzah and Anthony Agyei, all Lance Corporals.

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

The police are also striving to arrest Detective Inspector Justice Nana Oppong who is alleged to be involved in the case.

He is on interdiction but absconded when news broke that his colleagues had been re-arrested.

Mrs. Evelyn Keelson, a State Attorney presenting the facts, said on March 27, Antwi was arrested by the police with a whitish powdered substance which was later tested and found to be cocaine.

During interrogation, he alleged that was part of the 900 grammes of cocaine given to him by Russel to sell for the policeman and claimed he had already sold some quantities and given the proceeds to Russel.

Russel, when picked, allegedly confirmed that he had given the cocaine to Atwi to sell for him after he seized the narcotic drugs from some Nigerian drug dealers.

Prosecution said investigations revealed that on January 16, Russel together with a team of policemen and accompanied by some Nigerian informants arrested Sebastian Uba, also a Nigerian with eight slabs of cocaine.

Russel, according to the prosecution, asked his colleagues to position themselves outside Uba's house while the accused entered with the informants.

"While his colleagues sent the suspect to the police station, Russel and the informants drove in one car towards Achimota with the cocaine and when they got to a point Russel distributed the drugs among the informants."

Russel allegedly gave give slabs of the cocaine to the informants, brought one to the office and kept two thus creating the impression that he had seized only one slab from Uba.

Mrs. Keelson further told the court that Uba escaped from police custody on January 31 when Russel was instructed to bring the fugitive to the Regional C.I.D. office for investigations.

The prosecution will from July 9 call six witnesses to testify.