No gov’t, NDC member implicated in cocaine probe- Kwakye Ofosu

Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has rejected claims linking members of the government or the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to investigations into cocaine trafficking through Ghana’s borders, as a Kwabenya Circuit Court on Thursday denied bail to six suspects connected to the export of nearly four tonnes of suspected cocaine to France.

Government Denies Political Links

Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Thursday, September 17, 2026, Kwakye Ofosu said no evidence had so far been presented implicating any government official or NDC member in the investigations.

“You folks, as you speak, nobody has put forward any evidence of the involvement of any member of government or any member of the party,” he said, adding: “It is imperative that we avoid this kind of speculation and rumour-mongering when there’s no basis for it.”

His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s meeting with security chiefs on Thursday following major cocaine seizures linked to Ghana, including the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs authorities from a container shipped from Ghana.

Kwakye Ofosu said none of the 10 people currently being held in connection with the investigations is a member of government.

“None of the people in custody at the moment is a member of government,” he said.

He, however, stressed that political affiliation would not shield anyone from prosecution if evidence established their involvement.

“In any event, even if a high-ranking member of government or a member of the NDC was involved, it would mean that they have committed a crime against the state of Ghana, that they have violated Ghanaian law, and therefore they will be taken through the same processes that anybody else who violates Ghanaian law will be taken through,” Kwakye Ofosu said.

He said the priority was to establish accountability for those involved and prevent further trafficking of narcotics through Ghana’s borders.

Court Denies Bail to Six Suspects

Meanwhile, the Kwabenya Circuit Court in Accra has denied bail to six persons accused of being connected to the export of nearly four tonnes of suspected cocaine from Ghana to France.

The accused were brought before the court on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in connection with four 40-foot containers that allegedly left Tema Port and were subsequently intercepted in France with approximately 3.9 tonnes of substances suspected to be narcotic drugs.

The court has adjourned the case to September 24, 2026, while investigations continue.

The six accused persons are Francis Narh Amanor, Frank Adu-Boahen, Togbe Agbeti, Andrews Tetteh Amponsah, Daniel Laryea and Helena Akua Denkyi.

Four of the accused persons are linked to the Ghana Revenue Authority and are facing allegations relating to their handling of the Customs scanning process at Tema Port.

The Alleged Smuggling Operation

The charge sheet alleges that the four containers — SELU4549480, FFAU2242304, MSDU5642699 and SELU4809801 — were scanned before they were exported. According to the prosecution’s case, the scan images were considered abnormal, raising concerns about the contents of the containers.

However, the containers were allegedly cleared and subsequently left Ghana. The prosecution is alleging that some of the Customs officials involved in analyzing the scan images failed to properly act on the abnormalities identified.

Prosecutors further allege that Frank Adu-Boahen, a GRA official, provided his login credentials to other accused persons to conduct the scan image analysis on his behalf when he should have done it himself. The images were allegedly found to be abnormal, yet the containers were released without further examination.

Adu-Boahen is also alleged to be the owner of all four containers. He was arrested on September 16 at a hideout in Tema Community 19. Investigators say he admitted ownership of the containers and admitted to stuffing them at a warehouse in Tema Community 12. He claimed he shipped them together with the first accused, Francis Narh Amanor.

Amanor, a freight forwarder and Managing Director of Fresna Commodities Ltd, was arrested on September 15. Prosecutors traced Fresna Commodities Ltd as the exporter through the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), with Amanor’s phone number listed as the exporter’s contact. The same number was also linked to F&F Logistics, identified as the freight forwarder. Amanor allegedly told investigators he owns F&F Logistics and handled the export of the containers, which he claimed contained PET flakes or plastic waste.

The six accused persons face three main charges: conspiracy to export narcotic drugs, exportation of narcotic drugs without a licence, and aiding and abetting the exportation of narcotic drugs, which applies to the four GRA officials.

Broader Investigation

French customs intercepted the cocaine on September 10 at the Port of Dunkirk. The haul has an estimated street value of about €225 million (approximately $261 million). The drugs were concealed in a shipment of plastic waste from Ghana, with part of the consignment destined for Antwerp, Belgium.

President Mahama has since directed the establishment of a cross-sectoral task force to review Ghana’s border security systems and submit a roadmap within two weeks to prevent narcotics trafficking. The President was briefed at Thursday’s meeting that 10 people, including four Customs officials, are currently in custody as investigations continue.