A Circuit Court in Tema has sentenced two police officers to a total of 13 years in prison for unlawful possession and conspiracy to traffic narcotics.
Presided over by Her Lordship Aleanor Kakra Barnes Botchway, the court convicted Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nasiru Amadu and Corporal Emmanuel Mintah after nearly four years of trial proceedings.
According to the prosecution, led by ASP Ernest Kuofie, the case began in 2023 after an officer at the Afienya District Police Command reported suspicious behaviour involving the two accused officers.
At the time, Amadu, 48, served as the second-in-command at the Sakumono District Police Headquarters, while Mintah, 43, worked under him as a service driver.
On November 19, 2023, officers conducting snap checks received intelligence that a Nissan Navara with registration number GP 727 was transporting narcotics from Ho to Accra. At about 7:15 p.m., the accused officers arrived at the checkpoint and were intercepted. A search of their vehicle uncovered eight sacks containing 541 compressed parcels of suspected narcotic substances.
Further investigations revealed that Mintah had a relative, popularly known as “Oluman,” a resident of Ashaiman Tulaku and a known narcotics dealer. On the day of the incident, Mintah was hired by Oluman to transport Indian hemp from Peki Tsibu in the Volta Region to Tulaku. Mintah subsequently contacted Amadu, who also communicated with Oluman to finalise the arrangement.
After reaching an agreement, the two officers drove the police vehicle, GP 727, from Sakumono to a forest area near Peki Tsibu, where they received the drugs from a waiting Benz bus. They were later arrested while transporting the substances. It was established during the trial that this was the second time the officers had engaged in such illegal activity.
The seized exhibits were sent to the Forensic Crime Laboratory, where tests confirmed they were narcotic drugs.
The court found the officers guilty of unlawful possession and trafficking, contrary to Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, and Section 37(2)(b) of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).
ASP Amadu and Corporal Mintah were sentenced to 10 years and 5 years imprisonment respectively, both terms to run concurrently. They were also fined 10,000 penalty units (GH₵120,000). Failure to pay the fine will attract an additional three-year jail term each.
