Information reaching the Chronicle newspaper from Kumasi indicates that the Ashanti Regional Police Command is currently preparing to hand over Mr. Andrew Appiah Menkah, son of an NPP strongman, Mr. Appiah Menkah to the Police headquarters in Accra for allegedly dealing narcotics.

A highly place police source at Kumasi told The Chronicle on Tuesday that Appiah Menkah’s son was arrested in April this year in Kumasi following a tip-off when he was undergoing operation at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after swallowing 22 pellets of substances suspected to be cocaine. But the source could not state the actual day and time he was arrested.

According to the source, Andrew Menkah went to a private hospital in Kumasi to remove the pellets after he had tummy disorders but the doctor was afraid and referred him to the KATH where after being operated upon and the 22 pellets removed, he was chained to his hospital bed until he recovered from the operation. He was arrested and placed in Police custody in Kumasi pending investigations. The source said Andrew Appiah Menkah, a businessman is aged about 40 years.

However, another Police source at Accra Police headquarters hinted that Andrew Menkah has been handed over to the Police in Accra for further investigation and subsequent prosecution. This is not the first time a person linked to NPP has been arrested for drug-related offences. First was Eric Amoateng, former Member of Parliament of Nkoranza North, who is currently languishing in US jail after being busted in November 2005 for trafficking substances suspected to be heroine with estimated street value of US$6million.