Minister Rubbishes Call For Enquiry Into Arrested Cocaine Kingpin

Deputy Minister for the Interior, James Agalga has rubbished the call for an enquiry into the activities of Sohin Security Services, whose managing Director, Solomon Adelaquaye was arrested in the US for drug trafficking.

He claimed that the arrest reflects the effectiveness of the narcotic control board under the Administration of President John Mahama.

To him there is nothing to be investigated into because the investigations leading to the arrest were a collaborative effort between the National Security apparatus of Ghana and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States of America.

'..We must understand that DEA has conceded that they rounded up the suspects as a result of the active collaboration between their department on one hand, and the National security apparatus of Ghana on the other hand, namely; the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB),' he explained.

According to him, Ghanaians must commend the NACOB because 'it is not as if the DEA came into this country and began working at the blind side of the NACOB but was an active collaboration between the two law enforcement agencies'.

Hon. Agalga who double as the Member of Parliament for the Builsa North constituency insisted that 'if Mr. Adelaquaye was able to bribe officials to ensure the safe passage of the drugs, it was part of the tactics that was employed to ensure that they were eventually napped in the United States' and therefore makes it absurd for anyone to call for an investigation if what Ghana did contributed to the arrest of Adelaquaye.

The Deputy Interior Minister, who was speaking on Metro TV, made these remarks in reaction to the call by political-pressure group, the Young Patriots, that National Security Coordinator, Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retired) steps aside for investigations to be conducted into his alleged linkage with Mr. Samuel Adelaquaye.

In the statement, the group also demanded that thorough investigations be carried out "on the national security coordinator, Sohin Secuirty and its CEO to salvage the image of Ghana and especially for Mr. Gbevlo Lartey's own reputation.

However, Hon. James Agalga maintained that the National Security was part of the investigations from the onset and therefore unnecessary to attempt to look into the activities of the agency that helped in bringing to book the alleged drug couriers as though they rather contributed to the crime.