Sakumono Police Commander, ASP Amadu and accomplice jailed for 30 years for trafficking drugs

The Gbetsile Circuit Court presided over by  Mrs Eleanor Kakra Banes Botchway has found two policemen guilty of unlawful possession of narcotic drugs for trafficking and convicted them cumulatively to 30 years imprisonment. 

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nasiru Amadu and No. 51836 G/CPL Emmanuel Mintah, who in 2023 had been charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit unlawful possession of narcotic drugs for trafficking contrary to sections 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs for trafficking contrary to section 37(2)(b) of the Narcotic Control Commission Act 2020 (1019), were found guilty on Friday November 28, 2025

They were sentenced to 5 and 10 years each, respectively, and the offences are to run concurrently.

In addition, the convicts were fined 10,000 penalty units (GHC 120,000) in default, will serve an additional three years each to their 10-year sentence.

Background

It would be recalled that Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ernest Kuofie said the complainants were police officers in the Afienya District.

The accused person, Amadu, 48 years old at the time of their arrest, was the second in command at Sakumono District Police Headquarters with Mintah.

He said Mintah, aged 43, was working under him at the station as a service driver on November 19, 2023.  The complainant was performing snap check duty when they picked up intelligence that a Nissan Navara vehicle with registration number GP 727 was loaded with narcotic drugs from Ho towards Accra.

ASP Kuofie said that at about 19:15 hours the same day, the accused persons pulled up at the snap checkpoint where they were intercepted. A search conducted in the vehicle revealed eight sacks containing 541 compressed parcels of substances believed to be narcotic drugs.

The prosecution said the investigation revealed that Mintah had a family relation named Oluman, a resident of Ashaiman Tulaku, who traded in narcotics.

The prosecution said that on November 19, Mintah was contacted by the said Oluman to assist him in transporting a quantity of Indian hemp from Peki Tsibu in the Volta Region to Tulaku for a fee. Mintah then contacted Amadu about the deal, and he also contacted the said Oluman to agree on the terms of engagement.

He said upon striking a deal with Oluman, the accused persons drove vehicle No. GP 727 from Sakumono to a forest around Peki Tsibu, where they received the exhibits from a waiting Benz bus.

The prosecution said it was in the course of transporting the illicit drugs that police picked up intelligence and arrested them.

It was detected that the incident on November 19, 2023, marked the second time the accused persons were engaged in such an illegal act.