The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) says its preliminary background checks have not established that any of the suspects arrested over the €225 million cocaine seizure in France is a presidential escort.

Deputy Director-General of NACOC, Alexander Twum-Barimah, said the Commission had checked the backgrounds of all suspects currently in its custody but found no indication that any of them served as a presidential bodyguard.

Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, September 20, Mr Twum-Barimah said NACOC could not confirm a claim by New Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah that suspect Musah Atta was part of the security detail of President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.

“We have checked all the people that we have in custody, their backgrounds are known to us, and we don’t have any of them who is a Presidential escort,” he said.

He said NACOC would need further details to verify Mr Assafuah’s claim.

“If there’s anything that they can give further and better particulars to, it will even help our investigations. But as I sit here I don’t have that, so I cannot confirm whatever Assafuah is saying,” he said.

Mr Twum-Barimah also disputed the claim that one officer could simultaneously serve as a close escort for both the President and Vice President.

He said established security arrangements assign separate protection details to the two principals.

“No, under no circumstance would you be allowed to be a close escort to the President and also be a close escort to the Vice President; it is not done that way.”

The clarification follows a Facebook post by Mr Assafuah on Friday, September 18, in which he claimed that Musah Atta was part of the security detail of both the president and vice president.

The MP wrote: “US$261.45 million cocaine bust and one accused, Musah Atta, is reportedly part of the security detail of both the President and Vice President. “How does a presidential security operative become linked to a case of this magnitude? Who granted the access, and who was watching the watchers?”

Four Ghanaians, namely: Desmond Koranteng Curiel, Musah Atta, Kweku Okyere and Jessica Hartog, have been remanded over the alleged exportation of about four tonnes of cocaine from Ghana to France. They face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and exportation of narcotic drugs and are expected to reappear on October 13. 

The case follows the seizure in France of nearly four tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container originating from Ghana.