Narcotics substances substituted

Accra, Jan 30, GNA - The Ministry of the Interior has set up a panel to investigate circumstances surrounding the breach of the security at the Police narcotics storeroom where some substances that were kept in custody were found to have been replaced with other substances.

The panel, chaired by Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira, will also investigate the extent of such replacement. Other members of the panel are Mr S A Afari, Mr Mark Ewuntomah, DCOP Kwasi Nkansah (Rtd) and Mr J.J. Yidana of the Ministry of the Interior.

A statement signed by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, on Wednesday said an officer in charge of narcotics exhibits had been arrested and was being investigated.

The action followed the discovery by the police that some narcotics substances in the custody of the police had been compromised and substituted with others.

According to the statement, the situation was discovered during a routine audit, following recent changes in the leadership of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The panel would also investigate other matters incidental to the above and recommend steps to prevent any reoccurrence, the statement said. It said the Ghana Standards Board would continue to test all narcotics substances currently in the custody of the CID.