RE: Cocaine saga: Gov’t dares UK

RE: Cocaine saga: Gov’t dares UK to speak on diplomatic passport claims- A Rejoinder by CENAB UK

“Ignorant Omane Boamah does not understand how government works” CENAB UK

The Minister of Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah has stated on Accra-based Radio Gold that the UK government through the British High Commission should stand up and be counted and state whether Ms Nayele Ametefeh travelled to Britain on a diplomatic passport. The NDC Government is therefore challenging UK authorities to disclose whether the busted cocaine dealer at the Heathrow airport had a diplomatic passport in her possession.

This follows a statement from the British High Commission denying an earlier statement from the NDC government that they collaborated with the UK official before they could arrest Ms Ametefeh

The damning statement which included “any potential drug trafficker to the UK from Ghana is arrested here in Ghana and not permitted to board a flight in order to traffic drugs,” has naturally dented the government’s credibility.

It is very clear that the ignorant minister of state does not understand how the UK and for that matter any serious government machinery works. Unlike the NDC government that ubiquitously weaves propaganda into every matter, the UK system of government believes in the cardinal principles of Rule of Law and Separation of Power.

The principle of Rule of Law means that every person is presumed innocent unless otherwise proclaimed by the court of law. The UK government would therefore not comment on any individual’s case or presume guilt unless a court of law has pronounced the person so. For this reason, neither the government nor any of its agencies would comment on any pending matter, in circumstance that could prejudice the case. How Ms Nayele travelled to Heathrow Airport is material evidence in this matter, including what she was carrying with her such as her travel documents. How on earth would Dr Omane Boamah want the UK government to give a public comment on such a crucial evidential matter?

Dr Omane Boamah should also understand that the UK government operates on a strict separation of powers and that the judiciary is completely independent of the executive, unlike the NDC executive that controls and pokes its noses into judicial matters. The procedure for arrest prosecution and conviction follows well routed systems and structures that respect the principle of Separation of Powers. Upon the suspicion of Ms Ametefeh by the UK Border Agency, she would be handed her over to the Metropolitan Police who would interrogate, caution and arrest her. Then they would hand the evidence they have gathered to the Crown Prosecutions Service (CPA) to study and decide whether to charge her for court. Upon that decision, the CPA would commence prosecution in a Magistrates Court for committals, before the final decision is made as to which court is appropriate to try her depending on the seriousness of the charge.

Throughout this process no one is allowed by law or action to comment on the matter let alone tell Dr Omane Boamah and his government “whether the lady was arrested with a diplomatic passport in hand”. When Dr. Omane Boamah says “I cannot understand…” he is only exposing his ignorance. When he says “…if they didn’t speak, it [would have been] a different ball game altogether, they have spoken, they should stand up and be counted…,” he is screaming out his lack of knowledge about governance.

The questions that Ghanaians need answers to are rather within the grasps of Dr Omane Boamah’s Ministry of Communication and Foreign Affairs. They should first answer pertinent questions as to why the security systems failed at Kotoka Airport. They should also answer who allowed her to use the VVIP services since that has not been denied by the government. They also need to explain why the lady has been on the radar of NACOB since 2009 and yet she was not picked up at Kotoka. The dissolution of the NACOB Board by the President presupposes a serious damnation on the government and a clear testimony of institutional failures. Dr Omane Boamah’s lack of understand should be around these questions and not why the UK government has not publicly commented on the case. In UK government, the systems are working but in Dr Omane Boamah’s work there is clear breakdown of systems.

We in CENAB UK who are following the matter closely will feedback all the details during and after the trial and appeal to Dr Omane Boamah to keep quiet and be presumed his lack of understanding of how responsible governments work than to open his mouth and remove all doubt about it.

SOURCE: CENAB UK (An affiliate of CENAB USA & GHANA)

(EMAIL: cenabuk@gmail.com)