Court orders BNI to produce Police Boss…for the second time

A Human Rights Court yesterday, ordered the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to produce Head of the Commercial Crimes Unit of the Police CID, DSP Gifty Mawuenyegah Tehoda, who was remanded on charges of abetment of crime.

The court, presided over by Justice Kofi Essel Mensah gave the order following an application for bail filed before the court by Mr. Oliver Dzeble, counsel for the incarcerated police boss.

The court has therefore adjourned hearing to today, January 31, this year.

This is the second time the court had made such orders in respect of the same person and case. The first, being on an application for Habeas Corpus.

According to counsel for the police boss, his client's continuous detention is unlawful, hoping that the human rights court will grant her bail.

DSP Tehoda, who was at the centre of the cocaine-turned-soda powder saga, was denied bail after she was arraigned before an Accra Circuit court on charges of abetment and stealing cocaine.

The suspect is expected back before the Circuit Court on February 6, this year, after she pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against her.

The appearance of the suspect before the lower court followed her re-arrest by the BNI, after the Human Rights Court granted her bail on a Hebeas Corpus application, for being detained in BNI cells for more than the 48 hours as recommended by the 1972 Constitution.

DSP Tehoda was kept in BNI cells since her arrest on December 29, last year on suspicion of being involved in narcotic-turned soda powder case that recently rocked the country in which one Nana Ama Martins was discharged by the trial Circuit Court for lack of evidence.

It has been noted that DSP Tehoda was arrested on allegations that she had ensured relatives of the key suspect in the cocaine-turned-baking soda case, Nana Ama Martin, met her anytime they came to visit at the CID headquarters on about nine occasions.

The accused person was, therefore, suspected to have colluded with relations of Nana Ama Martins in the cocaine swap.

The embattled police officer was also alleged to have helped the suspect in the cocaine scandal, Nana Ama Martin, to hire the services of a lawyer to defend her in the case.

DSP Mawuenyagah was reported to have confirmed that the accused person, Nana Ama Martin was known to her junior sister and for that matter, when the unfortunate incidence happened, her younger sister mentioned the suspect to her, adding that her action was not unusual in the police service.