Cocaine-Turn-Baking Soda-Case: Another Suspect Arrested By BNI

One more suspect, Michael Adu Gyamfi, alias Yankee, has been arrested by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in connection with the cocaine-turn-soda case involving DSP Gifty Mawuenyegah Tehoda. Chief Inspector Paul Mahama, the investigator in the case told the Accra Circuit Court Thursday that the suspect, who was arrested last week from his Accra residence, was assisting in investigations, therefore the prosecution needed some more time in order to start the hearing. Although the court had threatened to struck out the case if the prosecution did not commence the hearing, there was nothing the court could do when the prosecutor, Mr Anthony Rexford Wiredu, said some one person had been arrested. Following that, the judge called the investigator to explain why the hearing case was not commencing and he made the disclosure. It took the court some time to finally arrive at a final decision to adjourn the matter for the last time to June 28, 2012, to enable the prosecution to start the hearing or else the accused person would be discharged on that day. When the matter was called, the judge, Mr Francis Obiri enquired from Mr Wiredu as to whether or not there was any law that all accused person in matter had to be arrested before trial commenced. Mr Wiredu replied in the negative and indicated that the accused person had been on bail without her liberty being curtailed even though she was burdened with coming to court every now and then. He disclosed that he had sat down with the acting Director of Public Prosecutions and a consultant and had decided to meet the Attorney-General on the matter and come out with a definite conclusion as to whether or not to continue with the trial. Under the circumstance, the counsel for Tehoda, Mr E.A. Vordoagu, prayed the court to discharge the accused person since indications were that the prosecution was not ready to start the hearing because they always came to court with excuses. Counsel said at the court�s last sitting the prosecution informed the court that subpoenas had been served on the BNI to be filed in the court but nothing of that sort was before the court, and which statement prompted the court to ask the state prosecutor if the subpoena had been filed. The judge asked Mr Wiredu to justify why the court should not discharge the accused person to which he replied ��I cannot tell the court what to do as to whether to discharge or not discharge�� saying that discharging the accused person would not help matters since a discharge was not an acquittal. Mr Wiredu said the rule of justice grind gradually but they shall get there because the prosecution knew what they were doing since they had all the arsenals at their disposal. "We shall get there and I want everybody to relax", he said. In his ruling the judge said that time, it had been stated, didn�t affect criminal trials but indeed did affect the accused persons and delays created a recipe for chaos in the administration of justice, especially if parties were allowed to initiate their actions and then go to sleep. DSP Tehoda is facing one count of abetment of crime, to wit, undertaking an activity relating to narcotic drugs contrary to Section 56 (c) and 3 (2) of PNDCL 236, Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Act 1990, for her alleged role in the 1,020 grammes of cocaine, which turned into sodium carbonate. She was released on bail by the Accra Fast Track High Court on February 14, 2012, pending trial at the circuit court. The accused has been admitted to bail in the sum of GH�100,000, with two sureties, one of which was to be justified.