Nana Addo's lawyers poised for legal battle over drug allegations

Lawyers of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, standard bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have affirmed that they are considering a legal action against the Daily Post newspaper and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who have accused him (Nana Addo) of smoking ‘wee’ or using other narcotic drugs.

Nana Asante Bediatuo, one of the legal luminaries from Ampem Chambers, in an interview with this paper via telephone, noted that “perhaps, a redress at the court will bring an end to the falsehood perpetrated against the NPP flagbearer.”

Nana Bediatuo described a publication on the front page of the Daily Post, which appeared in the Thursday, 21 July, 2011 edition - having been first published in the Ghana Palaver in the heat of the 2008 electioneering campaigns - as “a fabricated story.” Yesterday’s Daily Post alleged that Nana Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the NPP at that time, was a ‘wee’ smoker.

“The story was first published in the Ghana Palaver in 2008 during the elections. This led to the establishment of an investigation team to verify its authenticity in the United States, but nothing was found out regarding the alleged arrest of Nana Akufo-Addo at JFK Airport possessing wee,” he stated.

He continued, “The legal team of Nana Addo - that’s Ampem Chambers - then put out a statement to debunk the story and how it had been fabricated.” Nana Bediatuo recalled that a few months after releasing their statement, the pro-NDC newspapers came out with another story accusing Nana Akufo-Addo of using drugs and when they were challenged to arrest him since the NDC had assumed power, the issue died down.

“I want to make this point clear, Nana Addo has never been arrested at the John F Kennedy International Airport for possessing wee and it has never been established in any US document or report that Nana Addo was arrested at JFK. Nana Addo has never smoked wee or dealt in any drug; and it’s amazing how these nation wreckers are doing everything to destroy his reputation. This will not work; we shall deal with them appropriately,” he emphasized.

“In the United States, nobody is above the law, the moment you commit a crime you will be dealt with appropriately. So it is clear that these people are perpetrating falsehood in an attempt to shift the attention of the NPP flagbearer from his ‘listening campaign,’” Nana Bediatuo stated.

The legal gem recalled that even Dominique Strauss Khan, the former Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who was arrested in the United States of America for allegedly raping a hotel staff could not escape prosecution and so why Nana Addo should be freed if indeed what the NDC functionaries are saying is true?

He recalled that it was initially speculated that Nana Akufo-Addo was a cocaine addict, then a drug dealer, “today they are saying he is a wee smoker; I don’t think these people should be taken serious. Ghanaians should ignore their empty statements and believe in Nana Addo, who is getting ready to improve their living conditions after 2012.”

The Daily Post quoted the Africa Watch Magazine in its July edition as stating that a high profile Ghanaian politician was arrested at the JFK Airport for possessing Indian hemp (also known as ‘wee’).

It alleged that it had long been established that Nana Akufo-Addo was the politician busted at the JFK Airport as published in the Africa Watch. The paper however, could not establish its source.