If cocaine girl has a diplomatic passport, we'll pursue who issued it - Omane Boamah

Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has maintained that Ghanaian/Austrian busted with 12.5kg of cocaine in the UK does not hold a diplomatic passport.

“At this stage, what is clear is that, per the records, she does not have a diplomatic passport but if it turns out that she has (one)…government would put it out and the people who ensured that this happened will be pursued and dealt with, appropriately, according to law,” he said.

He was reacting to newspaper publications culled from an Austrian newspaper saying Nayele Ametefeh possessed a diplomatic passport when she was arrested at Heathrow airport earlier this month.

Austrian newspaper, Kronen Zeitung (Crowns newspaper), in its November 20, 2014 edition carried the story of the arrest of Nayele with the headline, “DRUG DEALER WITH DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT.”

The paper said in German, “A person landing with 12.5 kilos of cocaine in her suitcase in one of the well guarded airports in the world must either be absolutely stupid or must have the most rock solid belief that she is securely guarded by some superior powers.

 
“In this case the statements from the authorities differ when it comes to the Austrian lady who was caught in London. She is Ghanaian born and the lady pulled out her Ghanaian diplomatic passport to help her gain smooth entry with her stash.

 
“There were 10 packets in the case, which is the equivalent of 5 million Euros, in her carry-on suitcase causing a lot of commotion at Heathrow airport.

 
“The mysterious dealer pulled out her diplomatic passport but it didn`t help her much. Then she pulled out her red white coloured EU passport which was issued in Linz in 2010. But the Austrian identity didn`t help her get past the aviation security either. After which a third document appeared which made the security even more anxious.”

Some local media organizations have carried the story.

But Dr. Omane Boamah insists there is no evidence backing the report.

The mere fact that an Austrian newspaper has published the claims, he told Joy FM's Super Morning, is not prima facie evidence that the drug courier indeed holds a Ghanaian diplomatic passport.

He said, the fact that the newspaper did not give any evidence in its report raises questions and "Let's face it, in the same way that we have terrible newspapers in several other countries, we have terrible newspapers in Austria as well."

According to him, “The evidence available does not suggest that she has a diplomatic passport…and I have assured you that if there is any shred of evidence that she has a diplomatic passport, we will follow that line."

The traveler history records of the lady, he noted, indicates that she has used only two passports – ordinary Ghanaian passport and an Austrian passport.

The British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin, in a tweet early this week said the lady had no diplomatic passport when she was arrested.