I expelled 80 pellets of cocaine • Goodies confesses

Friday, November 21, 2008 (Page 3 Lead)

ISAAC Abeidu Aidoo, alias Goodies, the Managing Director of Goodies Music Productions who is standing trial for a narcotic offence, yesterday admitted that different people supervised him while he expelled 80 pellets of cocaine he had swallowed.
Goodies, who took two days to expel the pellets through his anus, made the admission when his counsel showed a sheet of paper which indicated the date and times he expelled the drugs to him for verification.
The accused person further admitted that he was among the people who signed the sheet of paper, compelling his counsel, Mr Oliver Atsu, to withdraw his earlier objection to the tendering of the sheet of paper in evidence.
The incident occurred when the investigator in the case, Detective Sergeant Hans Addai, was giving his evidence-in-chief in the case in which Goodies has pleaded not guilty to the possession of narcotic drugs without authority.
Goodies, who is on remand, is alleged to have swallowed 80 pellets of cocaine and attempted to smuggle them to the United Kingdom on April 23, 2008 but he was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Led in evidence by Mr Paul Assibi Abariga, an Assistant State Attorney, Sgt Addai said Goodies took two days to expel the drugs.
According to the investigator, he sealed the expelled drugs in a brown envelope in the presence of Goodies and an independent witness, adding that he (investigator), Goodies and the independent witness appended their signatures on the envelope.
He further explained that Goodies fingerprinted the envelope, in addition to his signature. Goodies admitted doing the signing and fingerprinting when he was asked to identify the envelope, which was also tendered in evidence.
The investigator informed the court that the sealed brown envelope which contained the expelled substances was later forwarded to the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) for examination.
He said a report signed by K. Acheampong, the Director in charge of the Testing Division of the GSB, dated June 5, 2008, and which was tendered in evidence stated that the 80 expelled pellets tested positive for cocaine.
Sgt Addai said Goodies had told him that a musician by name Abdul Hamid had given him the drugs to be given to someone by name Willie for a fee of £3,000.
He informed the court that Goodies later took officials from the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) to East Legon to apprehend Hamid but he could not be traced.
The investigator told the court, during cross-examination by counsel for Goodies, that Goodies was handed over to him, together with his Ghanaian passport and a bag containing his personal belongings.
He also stated that Goodies was detained by NACOB officials until he finished expelling the drugs.
After the cross-examination of the investigator, the prosecution announced that it had closed its case.
The trial judge, Mr Mahamadu Iddrisu, then ordered the destruction of the seized drugs in the presence of court officials, the prosecution, the defence and the media.
Goodies is expected to either make a submission of ‘no case’ or open his defence on Wednesday, November 26, 2008.