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In a
shocking change of events, a Circuit Court in Tema has imposed a heavy sentence
against two police officers found guilty of unlawful drug possession and
conspiracy. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nasiru Amadu, a senior
officer, and his driver, Corporal Emmanuel Mintah, have been sentenced to a
combined 13 years in prison. Amadu, who is 48, received eight years, while
Mintah, 43, was handed five years.
A almost four-year trial that rocked the town comes to an
end with this punishment. Amadu was the Sakumono District Police Headquarters'
second-in-command at the time of the crime. Mintah served directly under him as
a service driver.
On November 19, 2023,
their illicit activities abruptly stopped. During a routine snap-check, the two
policemen were pulled over. Inside the Nissan Navara (registration number GP
727) that the police were driving, they discovered something startling. Eight
sacks with a big haul of 541 compressed bundles suspected of being drugs were
inside the vehicle.
The levels of this illicit operation were revealed by
additional investigation. It was determined that Corporal Mintah had a
relative, known by the alias "Oluman." Oluman, who lives in Ashaiman
Tulaku, is a reputed narcotics dealer. Oluman engaged Mintah to convey a large
shipment of Indian hemp from Peki Tsibu in the Volta Region to Tulaku. ASP
Amadu, Mintah's senior officer, was then included in the plot. Amadu reportedly
communicated with Oluman to finalize the specifics of the deal.
The two policemen drove the police car from Sakumono to a
woodland close to Peki Tsibu in accordance with their plan. There, they met a
waiting Benz bus and took control of the drugs. Even more alarming,
investigators determined that this was not the first time these officers had
exploited their position for this illicit purpose; it was the second incident
of their drug trafficking activities.
Was
Justice Served?
A
dedication to eliminating corruption is demonstrated by the court's decision to
imprison a senior police officer and his driver for their offenses. However,
the question of whether the punishment was excessively light commonly arises in
circumstances affecting public confidence. Some would contend that the
sentences of eight years for the senior officer and five years for his driver
do not adequately reflect the seriousness of their betrayal of the public's
trust for a crime involving unlawful possession and conspiracy to traffic 541
parcels of drugs, especially considering that they used a police vehicle.
Ultimately, the 13-year combined term ensures they face significant time behind
bars, but it leaves open the argument of proper deterrence for officers who
engage in massive criminal enterprises.
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