NACOC says no evidence links Dunkirk cocaine suspects to Mahama, Vice President security details

The Narcotics Control Commission says its background checks have found no evidence linking suspects arrested in connection with the Dunkirk cocaine seizure to the security details of President John Dramani Mahama or Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang. NACOC Deputy Director-General Alexander Twum-Barimah made the clarification during a JoyNews Newsfile discussion on September 26.

The clarification follows public claims that one of the suspects, Musah Attah, also known as Kromo, had worked with presidential security. NACOC said checks conducted after the arrests had not established that he was a member of the security detail of either the President or Vice President.

According to Mr Twum-Barimah, NACOC’s information identified Musah Attah as a farmer and did not show that he was a staff member of the presidency. The commission’s position is based on the background checks conducted in relation to the suspects currently facing charges.

The issue has attracted attention because photographs circulating on social media have been cited in arguments about the suspect’s alleged links to senior government officials. NACOC has said that photographs showing a person in proximity to political figures do not by themselves establish that the person was employed as a presidential security officer.

The Dunkirk case concerns suspected cocaine seized by French customs authorities at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10. The substance was reportedly concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana. Part of the shipment was reportedly destined for Antwerp in Belgium.

Four Ghanaian suspects are facing charges in connection with the alleged exportation of the narcotic substance. They are Desmond Koranteng Curiel, also known as Biggs; Musah Attah, also known as Kromo; Kweku Okyere; and Jessica Hartog. They were arraigned before the Accra High Court on September 16 and remanded to reappear on October 13.

The accused persons face charges relating to conspiracy to export narcotic drugs without a licence and the exportation of narcotic drugs. They have pleaded not guilty, meaning the allegations remain matters for the judicial process to determine.

A fifth suspect, Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, also known as Bolle Jos, has been reported to be at large. Investigators are continuing efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the shipment and identify any other persons who may have been involved.

The case has also prompted wider questions about Ghana’s port security, customs procedures and the systems used to detect illicit shipments before they leave the country. NACOC has said its investigations are continuing, including efforts to establish how the consignment passed through Ghana and what controls were applied at relevant stages.

The commission has also urged political actors and the public to avoid treating unverified claims as established facts. The distinction is important in a case that involves criminal allegations, ongoing investigations and court proceedings. Claims about the background of suspects should be supported by verified evidence and official investigative findings.

The clarification from NACOC also comes as Parliament prepares for an extraordinary sitting on September 29. Speaker Alban Bagbin has summoned the House from recess, while concerns about recent narcotics seizures have become part of the national discussion. The exact business for that sitting is expected to be clarified through parliamentary procedures.

For the public, the central issues now are the progress of the criminal case, the outcome of ongoing investigations and any findings about how the shipment moved from Ghana to France. Those processes will provide a clearer factual record than photographs or unverified social-media claims.

Until the courts determine the criminal allegations and investigators complete their work, the suspects remain entitled to the legal protections that apply to accused persons. NACOC’s latest statement addresses the specific question of alleged presidential-security links but does not conclude the wider investigation into the cocaine shipment.

Source: MyJoyOnline and the Narcotics Control Commission.