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Missing illicit drugs: Narcotic Control C’ssion charges at Customs Division
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The Narcotic Control Commission (NCC), has asked the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), to produce all exhibits intercepted at Kpoglo Border in the Volta Region last Friday during a joint operation by security operatives.
According to the Commission, the law mandated that impounded vehicles and their content must be retrieved and transferred to the NCC within 36 hours.
The Acting Director General of the NCC, Mr Francis Torkornoo who disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday said the substance suspected to be illicit drugs was being transited into the country by a drug syndicate when it was impounded.
He said after impounding the truck and its content, the Customs Division contrary to the law kept it in their custody for almost a week.
However, he said the Commission needed the exhibits suspected to be narcotic substance including the missing 100.1 grams whitish substance suspected to be cocaine for testing and to enable investigations to commence.
“As of date the Custom Division of the GRA has failed to hand over the exhibits to the NCC for further investigations,” he added.
Mr Torkornoo mentioned that the items comprised six parcels labelled fatal (767.3g), 45 whites pebbles(3,097.1g), 40 blisters 10 tabs, 225 tramadol tablet (353.5g), three cans labelled praise palm cream weighing 2,265.7g,eight parcel wrapped in brown cello tape weighing 7.743.1g, four parcel wrapped in black polytene weighing 5,079.2g,fifity-one parcels wrapped in transparent polythene weighing 5,0459.2 .
He said in addition was an amount US$200,000.00, drivers licence, complimentary cards, and cheque books.
Mr Torkornoo said the Commission had written officially to the division to demand for the exhibits, adding they will pursue the matter in court if the division failed to hand over the exhibits to them.
“I have personally sent messages and calls to their boss demanding for the exhibits for further investigations but to no avail,” he added.
Mr Torkornoo said on June 7, 2020 about 7am, all the agencies were invited by the Customs Division to verify the exhibits in the custody, before it was escorted to the headquarters of the division.
However, the verification exercise revealed that a parcel 100.10g parcel of the seized items was missing.
The Director General also explained that the security operation which led to the arrest was based on intelligence of an NCC officer and not a sole effort of the Customs Division.
When contacted on the issue, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) in charge of Communications at the GRA, Mr Yankey Johnson Menlah said on June 8, the Division presented the exhibits (suspected narcotics) without the vehicle to the NCC in Accra but they refused to accept it because the vehicle and other exhibits were not included.
He said the NCC as a procedure should have written officially to the Commissioner of GRA to request for the vehicle.
The Chief Revenue Officer stated that all the money seized have been paid to the Bank of Ghana.
He said a committee had also been set in Accra to investigate the missing whitish substance suspected to be cocaine.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that the government has accepted the recommendation to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment as part of the constitutional review process.
He said the proposed amendment would affect Articles 3, 13, 19 and 72 of the 1992 Constitution, with offences that previously attracted the death penalty instead carrying life imprisonment.
Dr. Ayine made the announcement on July 30, 2026, at the Jubilee House in Accra during the Government Accountability Series while outlining the government’s position on the final recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee.
According to him, the government believes the death penalty is inconsistent with the constitutional right to life and Ghana’s international human rights obligations.
He explained that the recommendation forms part of broader proposals aimed at strengthening the protection of fundamental human rights under the Constitution.
Dr. Ayine said the government had also accepted the spirit of several recommendations to expand rights relating to women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the youth.
He added that a comprehensive Human Rights Act would be introduced to protect these rights and provide detailed enforcement mechanisms instead of amending the entrenched provisions of the Constitution through a national referendum.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on both local and international investors to tap into opportunities in Ghana’s tourism, hospitality and creative industries.
Speaking in an interview yesterday with World Media USA Today, the Minister said government is committed to creating a conducive investment environment to support growth in the sector.
She highlighted key investment areas including hotels, fashion, music, film production, and tourism infrastructure.
Dzifa Gomashie also encouraged Ghanaians to invest in domestic tourism to help boost the local economy.
According to her, strategic investment in tourism and the creative economy will drive economic transformation, create jobs, and position Ghana as Africa’s gateway for heritage, culture, business and investment.
“Ghana has vast opportunities across tourism, hospitality and the creative industries. We are ready and open for business,” she stated.
The Minister’s remarks come as government intensifies efforts to leverage culture and tourism as drivers of economic growth and job creation.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
