The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has clarified that none of the suspects currently in its custody over the €225 million cocaine seizure in France has been identified as a presidential escort.
The clarification follows claims by New Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah that one of the suspects, Musah Atta, was allegedly part of the security detail of President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, September 20, NACOC Deputy Director-General Alexander Twum-Barimah said the Commission had conducted background checks on all suspects in its custody but found no evidence that any of them serves as a presidential bodyguard.
“We have checked all the people that we have in custody, their backgrounds are known to us, and we don’t have any of them who is a Presidential escort,” he said.
Mr Twum-Barimah added that NACOC could not independently verify the claim concerning Musah Atta without further details about his alleged role within the presidential security structure.
He also disputed the suggestion that one officer could simultaneously serve as a close escort to both the President and Vice President.
According to him, established protection arrangements require separate security teams for the two principals, making it unlikely for one close escort to perform both roles.
“I am a trained protection escort. I was trained in South Africa as a President’s personal bodyguard... Under no circumstance would you be allowed to be a close escort to the President and also be a close escort to the Vice President,” he explained.
The controversy comes amid investigations into 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.
NACOC says any additional information regarding the alleged security role of Musah Atta could assist its ongoing investigations.
