DSP Tehoda: My children were called ‘coke’ girl, ‘tagor’

DSP Gifty Tehoda has stated that her wrongful interdiction and subsequent dismissal from the Ghana Police Service in the ‘cocaine turned baking soda’ saga has left a scar on her children.

According to her, the incident has “really defamed” her in the eyes of the public. Nonetheless, she added personally she was not worried about her defamation but was more concerned of the treatment meted out to her children.

“The girl who was in the JHS [Junior High School] for instance was called ‘Coke Girl’…that is how her friends called her. And the boy at the university was called ‘Tagor’,” DSP Tehoda said Friday on Starr Today.

“Those were nicknames given to my children,” she told Benard Nasara Saibu, host of Starr Today.

The Human Rights court presided over by Gifty Adjei Addo Friday ordered the Police Service and the IGP to reinstate DSP Gifty Tehoda back into the Police Service.

The service has also been ordered to pay her GHC23,000.00 and other benefits as well as restore promotions due her.

DSP Tehoda sued the Police Service in a civil application seeking damages for malicious prosecution, unlawful detention, and unlawful dismissal.

The court ruled Friday that it finds that the applicant’s detention upon her arrest in 2011 was unlawful and a violation of her fundamental human rights. An amount of GHC5,000.00 was ordered as compensation for the applicant.

The court also found that the investigative enquiry instituted against the applicant was in breach of the rules of natural justice. The court said it was clear on the phase of the evidence before it that the applicant was not given an opportunity for a fair hearing before the investigative committee. On that score, the court ordered damages of GHC10,000.00. The court, however, dismissed the applicant’s relief on malicious prosecution.

Background

The case involving DSP Tehoda began in September 2011 when one Nana Ama Martins was arrested for possessing large parcels suspected to be cocaine which later turned into bicarbonate or baking soda.

Tehoda was linked to the disappearance of the cocaine and she was interdicted and subsequently dismissed from the Police Service.

An Accra circuit court however acquitted and discharged her of any criminality. Tehoda then sued the Ghana Police Service for wrongful dismissal and she is praying the human rights court to compel the Service to reinstate and compensate her for her loss this last six years.

Both parties in the suit had completed their sides of the case before the previous judges Kofi Essel Mensah was dismissed as a result of his involvement in the Anas Judicial Scandal.