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Eric Darko Akuffo, one of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) officers standing trial along with nine colleagues for drug-related offences, yesterday ran amok when he suddenly descended the staircase of an Accra Circuit Court, with the speed of lightening, to attack a photojournalist for attempting to take pictures of him. All the cocaine suspects were hiding their faces to prevent their pictures from being taken. They covered their faces with veils, handkerchiefs and other clothing material. Eric Akuffo, who was in handcuffs, was being led down the staircase by some police officers when he spotted a photojournalist who had a camera in hand. Akuffo jumped down the stairs, with many people thinking he was about to escape, only for him to head menacingly toward the direction of the photojournalist who, sensing danger, ran toward the staircase leading to the judge�s chambers. The policemen detailed to ensure law and order at the court quickly moved to avert any nasty situation, but shocked bystanders when they ordered the photojournalist to delete pictures of the accused person. The photojournalist had no choice but to delete the pictures as ordered by the police. The other accused persons were Fatima Abdulai, Dennis Adutwum Gyimah, Yakubu Issaka, Timothy Aboloimpo, Peter Asong, Mutawakilu Yahaya Iddi, Jerry John Kwesi Abbiw, Nana Zamsah Evrah and Abubakari Nallah popularly called Abu Sondoko, owner and bankroller of Tudu Mighty Jets Football Club in Accra. At yesterday�s hearing, Eric Kyei Baffuor, the trial judge, after a couple of adjournments, said he would give a ruling on October 17, 2011 on whether or not the accused persons should remain in custody. This was after counsel for the accused persons applied for bail for them. Rexford Wiredu, the principal state attorney, told the court that the state had not been able to file an affidavit in opposition to the application for bail due to the fact that the accused persons had gone to the Fast Track High Court Human Rights Division over their continuous detention. However, when the judge said he was expected to deal with the case before him, Mr. Wiredu responded by saying that the state was in the process of using sophisticated internet technology to get the contents of SMS correspondence between the accused persons and drug suspects. The trial judge, who was not amused by the reasons offered by the state attorney, said he needed to make a ruling on the bail application but Mr. Wiredu said the prosecution would make available to the court the statement of case. The judge asked that the statement of case be made available to him before the next hearing date and ordered counsel for the accused persons to make their bail submission. Counsel for the accused persons- James Agalga, Kwame Akuffo, Raymond Bagnabu, James Abeaduka, Amofa Agyemang, Ellis Owusu-Fordjour and Dr Dominic Ayine- told the court that the state had so far produced no evidence to show the complicity of the accused persons in the case. According to them, the liberty of the accused persons was at stake with their continuous remand in custody over accusations which had not been proved. The lawyers accused the state of abuse of prosecutorial discretion and noted that the name of the person who the accused persons were alleged to have abetted in the drug business was not even in the case before the court. Counsel told the court that the state should not be allowed to arrest persons, remand them and then go out looking for information to return to prosecute them. They consequently prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail and said they would make themselves available as and when needed by the court. Mr. Wiredu, in response, stated that the said person would soon be arraigned with them. The accused persons had pleaded not guilty to abetting a drug suspect called Edward Macauley, and others, to export narcotic drugs to America. The first accused, Fatima Abdulai, during her arrest and interrogation at the offices of the BNI, reportedly sang like a bird about how she and her colleagues had aided suspected drug barons to export and import narcotic drugs over the years. Narrating events leading to the arrest of the accused persons, Supt Boye Abicham told the court at the last hearing that the suspects were NACOB operatives stationed at their headquarters in Accra. He said some of the officers had worked or were still working at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) between 2009 and 2011 where they were supposed to be checking and arresting passengers carrying narcotic drugs. According to him, sometime in July 2011, a narcotic drug suspect, Edward Macauley, who had been in the United States of America (USA) for sometime, was arrested at Dansoman and during investigations, text messages reportedly received from one of the suspects, Fatima, were found on the cell phone of the suspect. Superintendent Abicham noted that the text revealed that the said Fatima, who was working with the Procurement Unit of NACOB, and some of her colleagues, had been aiding suspects and other drug dealers to import and export narcotic drugs through KIA. The police officer stated that the NACOB lady was arrested and during interrogation admitted to the offence and mentioned the other suspects who had compromised their positions and allowed drug couriers safe passage.