No France cocaine suspect linked to Mahama, Vice President’s security details – NACOC

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) says background checks on suspects arrested in connection with the Dunkirk cocaine seizure have found no evidence linking any of them to the security details of President John Dramani Mahama or Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.

Deputy Director-General of NACOC, Alexander Twum-Barimah, made the clarification on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, September 26, following claims that one of the suspects, Musah Attah, alias “Kromo”, had worked with presidential security.

“When we arrest people, we do checks, and there was nothing that showed that any of them worked with the security details of the President or Vice President,” he said.

Mr Twum-Barimah said NACOC’s information on Musah Attah identified him as a farmer and not a member of the presidential security detail.

“He is not a staff. He said he's a farmer. That is the information that we have. There is nothing—we have not gotten anything to prove that he is with the presidency,” he said.

NACOC had previously made a similar clarification, saying its preliminary background checks had not established any of the suspects as a presidential escort.

Mr Twum-Barimah was also asked about photographs circulating on social media which purportedly show Musah Attah in the company of President Mahama and Vice President Opoku-Agyemang.

He said his experience as a trained presidential security officer gave him an understanding of how presidential protection arrangements operate.

“You will never be made to be a presidential security with the President and also be with the Vice at the same time. It doesn't work that way. You are with one of them,” he said.

He said the security details of the President and Vice President operate in separate sections or groups and challenged the public to establish whether any member of either security detail had been arrested.

“Do your own check whether any of the security persons with the President or even with the Vice—they are in different sections or groups—whether any of them have been picked,” he said.

The controversy followed claims by Old Tafo Member of Parliament Vincent Ekow Assafuah that Musah Attah was linked to the security details of both the President and Vice President.

The MP shared photographs which he said showed Attah in close proximity to the two officials and questioned how a person allegedly connected to presidential security could be linked to a major international cocaine case.

NACOC has rejected that characterisation, saying its checks on the suspects in custody have not established such a connection.

There have also been separate reports and claims about Attah's previous work in security, but these do not establish that he was serving as a presidential security officer at the time of his arrest.

Musah Attah is one of four Ghanaians facing charges over the alleged exportation of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine from Ghana to France.

French customs authorities seized the suspected cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, after finding it concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana. Part of the shipment was reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

The four accused are Desmond Koranteng Curiel, alias “Biggs”; Musah Attah, alias “Kromo”; Kweku Okyere; and Jessica Hartog.

They were arraigned before the Accra High Court on September 16 and remanded to reappear on October 13.

They face charges relating to conspiracy to export narcotic drugs without a licence and the exportation of narcotic drugs. They have pleaded not guilty.

A fifth suspect, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, alias “Bolle Jos”, is said to be at large.

Mr Twum-Barimah has also urged the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to avoid politicising the cocaine seizure, arguing that Ghana has recorded several narcotics interceptions over the years.

His comments come amid growing scrutiny of Ghana’s systems for detecting and preventing the movement of illicit drugs through the country’s ports.

NACOC has said investigations into the Dunkirk shipment are continuing, including efforts to establish how the consignment left Ghana and to identify others who may have been involved.

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