Pubdate: Thu, 20 Jul 2006
Source: Accra Daily Mail, The (Ghana)
Copyright: 2006sAccra Daily Mail
Contact:  http://www.accra-mail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2869

GOVERNMENT ADOPTING MEASURES TO CHECK DRUG TRAFFICKING

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Joe Ghartey, said the 
Government was adopting an integrated approach in the fight against 
drug trafficking to ensure that the country did not become a safe 
haven for narcotic drug traffickers.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday regarding narcotic drug 
trafficking, Mr. Ghartey said the measures being used were developed 
after a thorough assessment and included improving relationships with 
other stakeholders, intensive capacity building and constant 
monitoring and evaluation.

He said the Government had taken seriously the threat of narcotics 
because they destroy people, families and neighbourhoods as well as countries.

It is in this direction that steps were being taken to prosecute all 
outstanding cases, review pending ones and complete ongoing cases.

In addition, efforts were also being made to explore the possibility 
of prosecuting narcotic cases during the legal vacation.

Mr. Ghartey said the Government was also looking at the law on 
exhibits involving narcotic drugs to see if it was possible to 
destroy them immediately on arrest while keeping photos and videos as evidence.

The current law allowed exhibits to be destroyed only after the cases 
have been decided. Efforts are also underway under the terrorism bill 
to deny bail to suspects engaged in narcotic trafficking.

Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of the Interior, said the increasing 
arrest of drug traffickers was the result of extra vigilance being 
shown by the security agencies. He said the Government was doing all 
it could to assist the security agencies to build on their 
intelligence gathering methods to enhance information flow.

Mr. Kan-Dappah said that the report on the missing five kilograms of 
Cocaine had been submitted and a decision would be made within a week.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman