I have no knowledge of McDermott being a British fugitive – Dr. Wampah

The governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah says until the British fugitive, David McDermott was arrested in the country, he had no knowledge of the suspect being on the wanted list of the British authorities.

In a statement issued this morning March 13, 2016 in Accra, signed by Dr. Wampah and copied to ghanabusinessnews.com, Dr. Wampah whose step-daughter Ramona has been married to the fugitive for three years said, “I have received the news about the arrest of David McDermott who is married to my step-daughter Ramona with shock.”

McDermott was wanted in the UK for a £71 million cocaine trafficking  offense.

According to Dr. Wampah, he had always known McDermott to be working in the mining industry.

“David has been known to me as a worker in the mining sector and has been living in the country with Ramona since their marriage some three years ago. Until I received information about his arrest I had absolutely no knowledge about David being a fugitive of the British government,” he said.

British news outlets say McDermott, 42, who is one of Britain’s ten most wanted men is suspected of conspiring in a foiled plot to smuggle 400 kilos of cocaine in a container of Argentine beef in 2013 at Tilbury docks, Essex.

He was the last man wanted – six have been jailed for a total of 64 years, the reports say.

McDermott was arrested at a house in the Burma Hills area of Accra last week and extradition proceedings would begin in the coming week.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi