The Accra Circuit Court yesterday declined to grant bail to two policemen who are standing trial for allegedly dealing in narcotic drugs.
The court, therefore, remanded General Lance Corporal Haruna Nantogma, 35, and Lance Corporal Felix Osomi Teye, 35, in police custody.
The court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, said the fact of the case supported the charges preferred against the accused persons.
Besides, the court held that charges of using and supplying narcotics were non-bailable under the Narcotics Control Enforcement and Sanctions Act 1990 (PNDC Law 236).
The court also stated that since the trial of the two policemen had not delayed unreasonably, there was no need to grant them bail and remanded them to reappear on July 7, 2014.
Charges
General Lance Corporal Haruna, a detective, and Lance Corporal Teye, an investigator, have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, to wit, supply of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and the use of narcotic drugs but they pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Bail application
The counsel for the accused persons, Prof. Ken Attafuah and Mr W.K. Owusu, last Wednesday, June 18, 2014, put in application to the court to grant bail to their clients.
They had argued that the charges preferred against the two in the court were different from those that were made against them when their caution statement was taken.
However, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham Annor, opposed the application and prayed the court to remand the two policemen to enable the police to conduct thorough investigations.
Background
The fact of the case, as presented by the prosecutor, DSP, Mr Annor, was that the accused persons were policemen stationed at the Madina and the East Legon Police stations respectively.
He said on May 30, 2014, the police received a court order from the circuit court for the arrest of the two. On June 2, this year, the accused persons were arrested for interrogation and questioning.
During the interrogations, DSP Annor said, it emerged that the two policemen had met many times at the Madina Police station, Fiesta Royal Hotel, Lapaz and the Accra Shopping Mall.
Both planned, conspired together and arrested one Ken Amuzu who was in possession of a total of 49 wraps of powdery substances and four rocky items suspected to be cocaine.
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