Judge expresses concern about delay in Goodies' case

Accra, Nov. 12, GNA - A Circuit Court judge, Mr Mahamadu Iddrisu on Wednesday expressed concern about the number of adjournments in the case of Isaac Abeiku Aidoo, (aka Goodies), a popular music producer, who is being held for drug related offences. The judge's complaint emanated from the absence of Aidoo in court when the case was called. He said since September 29, this year when the fourth prosecution witness testified there had not been any serious work done since that day.

"The case has so been adjourned seven times because of some funny excuses," he noted. A prison officer who brought some remand prisoners to the same court said he could not explain why Aidoo was not brought before the court. He told the court that his superior officer would be in the best position to explain Aidoo's absence. The prosecutor, Mr Paul Asibi Abarigah, a State Attorney, prayed the court to take note of the developments.

He prayed the court to order the prison officer who escorted Aidoo to court to produce him on a definite date. The court obliged and adjourned the matter to November 19, this month. Aidoo, charged with attempted exportation of 80 pellets of drugs suspected to be cocaine and possessing narcotic drug without lawful authority, has pleaded not guilty. The case, as presented earlier by prosecution, was that on April 23 Aidoo arrived at the Kotoka International Airport at about 2245 hours to board a Ghana International Airlines flight to London. The prosecution said while going through departure formalities, operatives of the Narcotics Control Board suspected Aidoo to be of carrying drugs in his stomach. Aidoo was therefore escorted to the 37 Military Hospital for an x-ray examination, which revealed that he had some foreign materials in his stomach. He was arrested and put under surveillance and he expelled 80 pellets of whitish substances suspected to be cocaine. During police interrogation, Aidoo said one Abdul Haid, a musician residing at East Legon, Accra, gave the drugs to him to be delivered to one Willie for a fee of 3,000 dollars. The prosecution said he, however, failed to lead the police to arrest the said Abdul. Meanwhile, the exhibit has since been sent to the Ghana Standards Board for examination.