DSP Tehoda secures bail again
A Fast Track High Court on Tuesday granted GH¢100,000 bail with with two sureties, one to be justified, to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gifty Mawuenyegah Tehoda, allegedly involved in the swapping of 1,020 grammes of cocaine into sodium bicarbonate.
She is to report to the Police every Monday.
This is the third time that three different High Courts had granted bail in the same matter.
DSP Tehoda was granted bail after her lawyers had gone to the court to secure bail.
The court said it did not see any link between the facts and charge which were the same matter that bad been put before two different courts and DSP Tehoda had been granted bail.
Moving a motion for bail before the court presided over by Mr Justice Edward Asante, Mr E.A. Vordoagu, one of the defence counsels said the charges preferred against his client was not properly laid before the court and therefore, had no basis in law.
He said the charge preferred against DSP Tehoda was highly misconceived as the facts only confirmed confusion in the matter.
Mr Vordoagu said he held a contrary view to the allegation of swapping the cocaine exhibit by prosecution that constituted promotion of an enterprise.
He said the charge preferred against his client was in bad faith and only to keep his client behind bars.
After the court’s ruling, Mr Vordoagu noted that some institutions were applying power capriciously and the public would only run to the law to seek refuge.
Mr Anthony Rexford Wiredu, Principal State Attorney denied that the facts did not support the charge.
He maintained that DSP Tehoda promoted an enterprise by facilitating the securing of bail for Nana Ama Martins and sale of Nana Ama’s house to pay for her legal fees.
Mr Wiredu said there was evidence that DSP Tehoda jubilated when Nana Ama was acquitted by the court.
DSP Tehoda was initially charged with abetment of crime to wit stealing of cocaine, but is now facing a new charge of abetment of crime to wit undertaking an activity relating to narcotic drugs.
At the Circuit Court, DSP Tehoda was remanded to re-appear on February 20.
She has however denied the charge.
DSP Tehoda was granted bail by the Human Rights Division of the Fast Track High Court on January 30, this year, because there was no law which charged individuals for “loss of cocaine.”
However, she had her freedom curtailed, when the court remanded her in custody to reappear on February 20.
The facts of the case were that following Vice President John Dramani Mahama‘s directive on December 4, 2011 the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) launched investigation into the missing cocaine, which was tendered in evidence in Circuit Court One on September 27, 2011 in the case of Nana Ama Martins.
The following day, September 28, 2011 the defence team objected to the exhibit claiming it was not cocaine.
The prosecution said, it would lead fresh evidence to prove that an uncle of Nana Ama Martins called Yankah and a sister of Nana Ama, Serwah Gyaabah told a witness in the case that they (uncle and Serwaah) managed to turn the cocaine into sodium bicarbonate with the assistance of DSP Tehoda after the trial judge and his court clerk had refused to take GH¢4,000 and GH¢1,000 respectively as bribe.
It said there was another witness to confirm the role played by DSP Tehoda and others to turn the cocaine into sodium bicarbonate.
The prosecution stated that DSP Tehoda assisted Nana Ama Martins’ family to get a buyer to sell her house in order to raise GH¢10,000 to pay legal fees and other expenses.
DSP Tehoda invited Nana Ama’s lawyer to her office three times to pay off his legal fees.
Mr Wiredu alleged that DSP Tehoda informed the lawyer that she (DSP Tehoda) with the connivance of others managed to swap the cocaine in order that at the trial, the defence lawyer should request for a re-testing which was done.
He said evidence would be led to show that DSP Tehoda jubilated in her office after the narcotic drug found on Nana Ama had tested positive for sodium bicarbonate.
Mr Wiredu prayed the court to remand DSP Tehoda on grounds that she was facing a different charge.
However, the Circuit Court Judge, Ms Audrey Korcuvie-Tay, said DSP Tehoda’s offence was narcotic related therefore, her hands were tied by the law.
DSP Tehoda was therefore remanded until February 20.
Source: GNA