Accra, May 15, GNA - Seven policemen appeared before the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal on Tuesday for allegedly being involved in the supply, possession and abetment of crime relating to narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

The plea of Oppong Kyei, Francis Arthur, George Akoi, Isaac Anwan, Dominic Amezah, Anthony Adjei and Collins Ohenemang was not taken. The court granted bail to Kyei and Arthur in the sum of 300 million cedis each but refused the bail applications of the rest and remanded them into police custody to reappear on May 29 this year. Two other accused persons, Maxwell Antwi, a car dealer and Ekow Russel, a police officer at the Regional Monitors Unit, were not in court.

Counsel for the accused persons argued that the police officers were only performing their duty in arresting suspects who were dealing in narcotic drugs, but their freedom had been suppressed since they had been in custody for 15 days.

They said it appeared the media was trying their clients on mere allegations that could not be substantiated.

Defence lawyers said the accused persons must be treated with dignity and prayed the court to grant them bail. According to prosecution Deputy Superintendent of Police John Kofi Abraham, Russel supplied a whitish substance suspected to be narcotic drug to Antwi.

The facts of the case are that on March 27, personnel from the Organised Crime Unit of the CID Headquarters arrested Antwi with some whitish substance suspected to be narcotic drug. Upon interrogations he confirmed the substance to be cocaine and mentioned Russel as the source of supply.

During investigations Russel admitted the offence and in his caution statement said he seized the cocaine from a Nigerian drug dealer, Sebastaine Uba at Tema on the January 16 with the other accused persons from the Regional Monitors Unit.

Investigations further revealed that eight slabs of cocaine were seized from Uba but only one slab was declared at the Regional CID when a case was being made against Uba. On January 31, Uba escaped from Russel when he was instructed by an officer to bring him from La Police cells where he was on remand. Detailed investigations further disclosed that 6,000 US dollars out of the proceeds was given to the rest of the accused persons at the station to share, but Kyei and Arthur denied any knowledge of sharing any booty. 15 May 07