We've been branded cocaine family – Tehoda

Bel Tehoda, the husband of the beleaguered Police CID boss, DSP Gifty Mawuenyega Tehoda, who is battling the Police Service in court for unlawful dismissal has said the protracted case has left the family “distraught”.

According to him, the impact of the case has greatly affected the social orientation of their children and their extended family.

The former Deputy Commander of the Commercial Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was, in December 2011, arrested for her alleged role in the disappearance of some cocaine exhibits in the custody of the Police.

She was suspected to have had shady dealings with Nana Ama Martins, the main suspect at the centre of the cocaine-turned-sodium bicarbonate saga.

One other officer, Deputy Superintended of Police (DSP) Kofi Tudzra, the Commander in-charge of the Narcotic Unit of the Police Service, was also indicted in the matter. Only Tehoda was, however, taken to court.

She was subsequently dismissed from the Police Service before a Court cleared her of any wrongdoing in the matter. She has been fighting for her reinstatement ever since but to no avail.

Tehoda therefore sued the Police Service for unlawful dismissal. She has always maintained in past interviews with the media that she was sacrificed as a scapegoat in the case.

Speaking to 'Starr News' after a court session today (Thursday), Mr Tehoda said his family has had to endure public ridicule because of the case.

“When the children are in school, they always ask when the case will be over, when the case is going to end and when mummy is going back to work,” he intimated.

“It hurts the family a lot, in fact a lot of our family members are not happy with it. They feel hurt because they feel their names have been disgraced and all that; when you go out and your name is mentioned, then people think you are connected to the cocaine woman. It's a difficult situation," Tehoda lamented.