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Police, car dealer in court over drugs
Accra July 4, GNA - A Police lance corporal who was asked to
arrest a Nigerian drug suspect but ended up taking part of
the intercepted drugs and sharing among his informants on
Tuesday appeared before an Accra Fast Track High Court.
Ekow Russell and his accomplice Maxwell Antwi, a car dealer,
are being held for possessing narcotic drugs.
Russell was additionally charged with supplying and dealing
in narcotic drugs.
They pleaded not guilty before the court, presided over by
Mr Justice S.Y. Anim, a Court of Appeal judge.
The court remanded them into police custody to reappear on
July 9.
Prosecuting, Mrs Evelyn Keelson, an Attorney of the Office
of the Attorney General said Antwi trades in cars at
Nyamekye, a suburb in Accra while Russell was attached to
the Accra Regional Police headquarters.
On March 27 this year, Police personnel from the Criminal
Investigation Department headquarters arrested Antwi on
suspicion that he had in possession some narcotic drugs.
When Antwi was searched some whitish substances were found
on him, and he told the Police they were part of the drugs
given to him by Russell to sell.
According to Antwi, he had sold some quantities and handed
over the proceeds to Russell.
When Russell was also picked, he confirmed it, adding that
he obtained the drugs after arresting some Nigerian drug
dealers.
Prosecution said investigations revealed that on January 16,
this year, an informant hinted Russell about some Nigerians
dealing in drugs.
The informant together with some Nigerians accompanied
Russell and his colleagues from the Monitors Unit of the
Regional Police headquarters to Sebastain Uba's house to
arrest him.
Prosecution said on the way Russell directed his colleagues
to wait while he and the Nigerians moved into the house of
Uba for the arrest.
Investigations revealed that Russell arrested Uba and his
brother, Matthew and intercepted eight slabs of the drugs
suspected to be cocaine.
Russell handed over the suspects to his colleagues to be
sent to the Police station but kept the eight slabs of
cocaine in his vehicle. Russell and the other Nigerians who
were in the same car drove towards Achimota.
On reaching a section of the road Russell gave five slabs to
the Nigerians.
When Russell reached the Regional Police Headquarters, he
handed over a slab of cocaine to his superiors creating the
impression that, it was the only one seized from Uba.
On January 31, this year, Uba escaped from custody when
Russell was instructed to take him (Uba) to the Regional
Criminal Investigations Department for further
investigations.
GNA
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