Pubdate: Thu, 22 Mar 2007
Source: Ghanaian Chronicle (Ghana)
Copyright: 2007 Ghanaian Chronicle
Contact:  http://www.ghanaian-chronicle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2455
Author: Charles Takyi-Boadu
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

CONSEQUENCE OF NUMEROUS COCAINE SCANDALS: GHANA SOURS IMAGE ABROAD	

US Gov't Tags It As Major Transshipment Point Of Drugs

THE NUMEROUS cocaine scandals that have bedeviled the country in 
recent times continue to carve a bad niche for Ghana's corporate 
image in the eyes of the international community.

Latest among series of reports is that of the United States 
Department of State 2007 International Narcotic Control Strategy 
Report (INCSR) on Ghana, which puts Ghana in the spotlight as a major 
transshipment point of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine.

The nation's premier Kotoka International Airport is captured as 
increasingly becoming a focus for traffickers.

Also, the Tema and Takoradi ports as well as border posts at Aflao, 
Elubo and Sampa are tagged as areas that often record significant 
drug trafficking activities.

According to a press release issued by the Public Affairs Section of 
the Embassy of the United States of America, in the year 2006 for 
instance, South American cocaine trafficking rings were said to have 
increased their foothold in the country, establishing well-developed 
distribution networks run by criminals from neighbouring Nigeria and 
Ghanaians themselves.

The report further quotes Ghana's interest in attracting investment 
as providing a good cover for foreign drug barons to enter the 
country under the guise of doing legitimate business.

"However South American traffickers reduced their need to visit Ghana 
in person by increasing reliance on local partners, thus further 
insulating themselves from possible arrest by local authorities".

Last year, a series of cocaine scandals rocked the country, including 
allegations of Police complicity in cocaine trafficking.

The report makes references to specific cases in which some parcels 
of cocaine in Police custody went missing from their evidence locker.

An ensuing investigation which received extensive domestic media 
attention quickly expanded to other cases, prominent among which was 
that of the interception of a ship, MV Benjamin, thought to have been 
carrying as much as two tons of cocaine of which the authorities only 
seized thirty kilogrammes.

The scandal intensified when a secret recording surfaced that caught 
an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kofi Boakye, currently on 
interdiction and other drug barons discussing why they had not been 
alerted about the two tons cocaine shipment.

However, at the same time but in a separate case, a certain Grace 
Asibi alleged that a different Senior Police Official, Superintendent 
Tabiri requested an amount of US$200,000 as bribe to drop a case 
against her boyfriend, a foreign cocaine baron.

The incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and the main 
opposition party, the National Democratic Congress used the scandal 
to accuse each other of allowing the country to become a 
transshipment point for cocaine and heroine bound for other countries.

As a result of these scandals, government has renewed its focus on 
how to combat the narcotics trade.

The report noted that illicit drug trafficking has also fueled 
increasing domestic consumption, with cannabis use on the increase in 
Ghana as in the case of its cultivation.

The country's law enforcement agencies have repeatedly raised 
concerns that narcotics rings were growing in size, strength, 
organization and capacity for violence.

On its part, the report said government has mounted significant 
public education programmes, as well as cannabis substitution 
programmes as a form of controlling the cultivation of the drug.

The US government however appreciates the fact that, Ghana as a 
corporate country "does not, as matter of government policy, 
encourage or facilitate illicit production or distribution of 
narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or 
laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions nor is any 
senior official known to engage in, encourage or facilitate narcotics 
production or trafficking".

The report bemoaned that despite the regular arrests of suspected 
narcotics traffickers, the country has an extremely low rate of 
conviction, which law enforcement officials indicate was likely due 
primarily to corruption within the judicial system.

The backlog of cases pending at trials and the already limited 
resources facing the judiciary, remain problems in controlling drug 
trafficking in Ghana, the report observed.

According to the report, "Officials of the Narcotics Control Board 
have constantly complained that the courts often release suspected 
smugglers, including foreign nationals on bail that was often set at 
only a tiny fraction of the value of drugs found in a suspect's possession.

"The Court requirement of a surety is either dropped or court 
registrars will fraudulently use identical property as surety for 
multiple cases.

"Though Ghana made progress in late 2006 addressing its legislative 
and enforcement deficiencies, the US believes that "there is a long 
road ahead", the report added.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman