Media's interest in Goodies case unusual - Counsel

Thursday, November 20,2008 (Page 3 Lead)

COUNSEL for Isaac Abeidu Aidoo, alias Goodies, the Managing Director of Goodies Music Productions, who is standing trial for a narcotic offence, yesterday expressed concern over what he termed the media's "unusual interest" in his client's case.
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).
And, according to his counsel, Mr Oliver Atsu, Goodies’s blood pressure went up anytime his case was published in the media.
He made particular reference to media publications which indicated that he (counsel) and Goodies had been absent in court on the last adjourned date.
Counsel, accordingly, prayed the media, through the court, to give his client some respite.
However, the trial judge, Mr Mahamadu Iddrisu, held another view and stated that the media were doing their work.
He said the media must be commended because they were necessary partners in the administration of justice.
"I do not want to believe they are doing selective or discriminatory reportage. Ask your client to take it easy," the judge said, adding, "So long as the stories are unbiased, the media must be allowed to do their work."
He further explained that Goodies and his counsel had been absent on November 12, 2008, the last adjourned date, because of the investigator's inability to bring the accused person to court.
Later, Messrs Jerry John Kwasi Abbiw and Benjamin Kingsley Dadzie, both officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), testified and stated that they had been on duty at the KIA when Goodies was arrested.
According to Mr Abbiw, on April 23, 2008, he was on duty at the KIA Central Screening Point and spotted Goodies going through departure formalities.
Led by an Assistant State Attorney, Mr Paul Assibi Abariga, to give his evidence-in-chief, Mr Abbiw said he invited Goodies for questioning when the accused reached the Central Screening Point, adding that when he was not satisfied with Goodies’s answers to his questions, he decided to conduct a urine test on the accused.
He said he took Goodies to the washroom but Goodies could not produce urine for the test, for which reason he (Mr Abbiw) suggested that an x-ray should be conducted on Goodies.
Mr Abbiw told the court that he then handed Goodies over to his commander, who in turn handed Goodies over to two other officials for an X-ray examination at the 37 Military Hospital.
He denied a suggestion from counsel for Goodies during cross-examination that his commander lied when he (commander) told the court that Mr Abbiw had been part of the team that took Goodies to the 37 Military Hospital.
Mr Abbiw explained that he (Mr Abbiw) arrested five persons on the day Goodies was arrested and in the process took some of the arrested persons to the hospital for an X-ray and that might have led to his boss' mix up.
For his part, Mr Dadzie said his commander had instructed him and his colleague, by name Ishaq Bakure, to send Goodies to the 37 Military Hospital for an X-ray.
He explained that the first X-ray had been inconclusive, resulting in the request for a second X-ray which revealed that Goodies had foreign materials in his stomach.
He told the court during cross-examination that he had been present when the X-ray was conducted on the accused person.
Hearing continues today.