Police, car dealer in court over drugs

Accra July 4, GNA - A Police lance corporal who was asked to arrest a Nigerian drug suspect but ended up taking part of the intercepted drugs and sharing among his informants on Tuesday appeared before an Accra Fast Track High Court.

Ekow Russell and his accomplice Maxwell Antwi, a car dealer, are being held for possessing narcotic drugs. Russell was additionally charged with supplying and dealing in narcotic drugs.

They pleaded not guilty before the court, presided over by Mr Justice S.Y. Anim, a Court of Appeal judge. The court remanded them into police custody to reappear on July 9. Prosecuting, Mrs Evelyn Keelson, an Attorney of the Office of the Attorney General said Antwi trades in cars at Nyamekye, a suburb in Accra while Russell was attached to the Accra Regional Police headquarters.

On March 27 this year, Police personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters arrested Antwi on suspicion that he had in possession some narcotic drugs.

When Antwi was searched some whitish substances were found on him, and he told the Police they were part of the drugs given to him by Russell to sell.

According to Antwi, he had sold some quantities and handed over the proceeds to Russell.

When Russell was also picked, he confirmed it, adding that he obtained the drugs after arresting some Nigerian drug dealers. Prosecution said investigations revealed that on January 16, this year, an informant hinted Russell about some Nigerians dealing in drugs. The informant together with some Nigerians accompanied Russell and his colleagues from the Monitors Unit of the Regional Police headquarters to Sebastain Uba's house to arrest him.

Prosecution said on the way Russell directed his colleagues to wait while he and the Nigerians moved into the house of Uba for the arrest. Investigations revealed that Russell arrested Uba and his brother, Matthew and intercepted eight slabs of the drugs suspected to be cocaine.

Russell handed over the suspects to his colleagues to be sent to the Police station but kept the eight slabs of cocaine in his vehicle. Russell and the other Nigerians who were in the same car drove towards Achimota.

On reaching a section of the road Russell gave five slabs to the Nigerians.

When Russell reached the Regional Police Headquarters, he handed over a slab of cocaine to his superiors creating the impression that, it was the only one seized from Uba. On January 31, this year, Uba escaped from custody when Russell was instructed to take him (Uba) to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department for further investigations.