Omane Boamah discounts NACOB's claims over cocaine bust

Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has discounted claims by the country's anti-narcotics agency, NACOB, that it collaborated with the British authorities leading to the arrest of a Ghanaian lady at Heathrow with cocaine.

Following the arrest of a Ghanaian/Austrian, Nayele Ametefeh, the Narcotics Control Board in statement signed by its Deputy Executive Secretary, Richard Nii Lante Blankson, said, “it is worthy to note that Ms. Nayele Ametefe travelled on an Austrian passport number P4187659 and not on Ghanaian Diplomatic passport as being speculated. She also had in her possession an ordinary Ghanaian passport number G0364497 issued on 3 rd  August, 2012.”

The statement claimed that Nayele “was arrested on the 10 th  of November, 2014 through the collaborative effort of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and its British partners.”

But Dr. Omane-Boamah said until proven otherwise, he would not accept or believe the claims of NACOB.

The Communications Minister's views align perfectly with those expressed by media professor, Audrey Gadzekpo, of the School of Communications Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon.

She said the claims of the anti-narcotics agency are untenable.

“How is it that that incredible amount of cocaine could have passed through Ghana's security [checks at Kotoka] - which is full of BNI agents - to Heathrow, London, then it is the Heathrow police that pick it up”?

Prof. Gadzekpo said “It's very difficult to imagine the London police saying that there is a crime that is being committed and they know about it in London but they will wait till the person comes to Ghana  - because the person is enroute to Ghana – so that the Ghanaian authorities apprehend the person. It doesn't make sense to me; I think if you see somebody with a hand luggage full of cocaine in Ghana…you apprehend the person.”