A splinter group in the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Young Patriots wants National Security Coordinator Lieutenant Colonel Larry Gbevlo Lartey to step down from his position.

They believe his continuous stay in office is likely to affect any form of investigations into the infamous ‘Sohin cocaine scandal’ in which Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sohin Security Company Limited, Solomon Adelaquaye has been arrested over drug deals.

Sohin was the company contracted by the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to provide security services at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra.

A statement issued in Accra yesterday and signed by Richard Nyamah, Hopeson Adorye, Fred Amankwah Sarfo and John Kumah said, “We request that Mr Gbevlo-Lartey step down as National Security Coordinator whilst investigations continue, this will ensure he does not interfere with evidence, nor hamper the process.”

“We wish to appeal to the President, that for the image of Ghana and especially for Mr Gbevlo Lartey’s own reputation, a thorough investigation be carried out on the national security coordinator, Sohin Secuirty and its CEO and the President should let the chips fall where they may if anyone is found culpable,” the statement said.

This, they said was because “Solomon Adelaquaye, it is alleged, to be a very close pal of Mr Larry Gbevlo Lartey the National Security Coordinator, whose outfit and person was responsible for the selection of the company to take charge of security” insisting that “if this friendship is true, there is a clear case of conflict of interest as this award would have been as a result of cronyism and nepotism than competence.”

Due to the alleged relationship between the two, the Young Patriots said “Mr Lartey and his outfit could have failed to do due diligence to ascertain the background of the CEO in terms of experience in the security sector, his criminal record if any, his activities and background, which would have saved Ghana the embarrassment we are going through.”

Apart from that they said “the other possibility is that Mr Adelaquaye and Sohin security could have been chosen purposely for their experience in drug trafficking, if the national security apparatus and Mr Lartey wished to use the institution to traffic drug” since according to them “the company is alleged not to have prior experience in security”, thereby asking rhetorically “on what basis were they selected?”

They therefore wondered whether there was a national competitive bidding, whether it was publicised as required by the procurement act and was the selection open and transparent, asking rhetorically “on what basis will a company formed within 3months without any security background be handed a sensitive national security post like the airport?”