March 20, 2012 (Page 3 Lead)
A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gifty Mawuenyegah Tehoda, allegedly involved in the swapping of 1,020 grammes of cocaine into sodium bicarbonate is alleged to have failed to report to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for charges to be preferred against her.
A State Attorney, Mr Owusu Ameyaw, made the accusations at the Circuit Court’s sitting in Accra today but Mrs Tehoda denied the allegations.
Mrs Tehoda, whose lawyer was absent when the case was called informed the court that she has been reporting to the BNI as per the bail conditions.
According to her, she reported to the BNI once but met the absence of the investigator.
The trial judge, Ms. Audrey Korcuvie-Tay , however stated that the bail conditions were not before the court for the court to know the terms she was expected to meet.
Mrs Tehoda was for the third time, granted bail by the Fast Track High Court after the Circuit Court had declined to grant her bail.
She had earlier been granted bail on two different occasions by the Human Rights Court but the prosecution managed to secure her remand at the lower court.
Her lawyers did not relent in their efforts and finally secured her bail at the Fast Track High Court on February 14, 2012.
The court granted her bail in the sum of GHc100,000 bail with two sureties, one to be justified and directed her to report to the Police on Mondays.
She is facing a new charge of abetment of crime to wit undertaking an activity relating to narcotic drugs contrary to Section 56 c and 3 (2) of PNDCL 236 Narcotic Drugs (Control, enforcement and sanctions) Act 1990.
The particulars of offence said “between July 21, 2011 and December 13, 2011 in the Greater Accra Circuit and within the jurisdiction of this court did abet one Nana Ama Martins to swap a cocaine exhibit weighing 1,020 grammes into sodium bicarbonate.”
The facts of the case were that following Vice President‘s directive on December 4, 2011 the BNI launched investigation into the missing cocaine which was tendered in evidence in Circuit Court One on September 27, 2011 and was admitted with objection in evidence for the court in the case of Nana Ama Martins.
On the following day September 28, 2011 the defence team objected to the exhibit claiming it was not cocaine.
According to the prosecution, it would lead evidence to prove that an uncle of Nana Ama Martins called Yankah and a sister of Nana Ama, Serwah Gyaabah told a witness in the case that they (uncle and Serwaah) managed to turn the cocaine into soda with the help of DSP Tehoda after the judge and his court clerk had refused to take GH¢4,000 and GH¢1,000 respectively as bribe.
According to the prosecution, there was another witness to confirm the role played by DSP Tehoda and the others to turn the cocaine into sodium bicarbonate.
The prosecution further stated that DSP Tehoda assisted Nana Ama Martins’ family to get a buyer to sell her house in order to raise GH¢10,000 to pay legal fees and other expenses. DSP Tehoda was also said to have invited Nana Ama’s lawyer to her office three times to pay off his legal fees.
The prosecution alleged that DSP Tehoda informed the lawyer she and with the connivance of others had managed to swap the cocaine and that at the trial he should request for a re-testing which was done.
It said evidence would be led to show that DSP Tehoda jubilated in her office after the narcotic drug found on Nana Ama had tested positive for soda.
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