Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has dismissed claims that government officials or members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are linked to ongoing investigations into cocaine trafficking through Ghana’s borders.
He said none of the 10 individuals currently in custody in connection with the investigations is a government official or NDC member.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said authorities had yet to receive evidence connecting any member of government or the governing party to the alleged narcotics trade.
“You folks, as you speak, nobody has put forward any evidence of the involvement of any member of government or any member of the party. It is imperative that we avoid this kind of speculation and rumour-mongering when there’s no basis for it,” he said.
His comments come after President John Dramani Mahama met security chiefs on Thursday to review investigations into major cocaine seizures linked to Ghana, including the interception of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs authorities from a container shipped from Ghana.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu, however, stressed that political connections would offer no protection to anyone eventually found to have participated in the illegal trade.
“In any event, even if a high-ranking member of government or a member of the NDC was involved, it would mean that they have committed a crime against the state of Ghana, that they have violated Ghanaian law, and therefore they will be taken through the same processes that anybody else who violates Ghanaian law will be taken through,” he said.
He said the immediate priority was to establish the facts, identify anyone involved and ensure that appropriate action is taken under Ghanaian law.
The government, he added, remains focused on strengthening measures to prevent the trafficking of narcotics through the country’s borders.
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