Police: "We Won't Apologise To Kinapharma"

The Police administration has in a rather bullish and defiant manner dismissed calls for an apology being demanded by the management of Kinapharma Pharmaceutical Company Ltd for carrying out a botched cocaine raid at one of the company's warehouses at Spintex. At a press conference addressed by the Director of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Adu Poku, in Accra, today, December 15th, the Service claims its officials acted professionally and within the full remit of the law in effecting the arrest of three top officials of the Pharmaceutical Company for trading in narcotics. �From all indications, the police acted on reasonable suspicion and on reasonable grounds and the constitution by article 14(1g) gives the police power under the circumstance where it has acted upon reasonable suspicion and from the circumstances, there was enough reasonable suspicion. �Again by section 10(2) of Act 3060 as replaced by NRC deed 235 (1), the police acted upon reasonable grounds; so in all totality, there was justification for the action of the police at the premises of the company.� he stated. Officials from the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service picked up leading figures of Kinapharma Pharmaceutical Company for possessing substances prohibited under Ghana�s Narcotic Control law on Thursday, December 10. They have since been freed, after tests on the chemicals proved negative for cocaine, but are demanding an official apology from the Police Service. The General Manager of the Kinapharma Pharmaceutical Company, Mr. Eshun Fameyeh, disclosed to PEACEFM that they have nothing against the police conducting investigations into allegations, and the ordering of a search or taking samples or even confiscating chemicals for further analysis. �The problem is with the methods used, the actions taken and the statements made, the leaks to the media when there was a greater likelihood that there was nothing more than what was there, especially when they were on the premises of a company with permits to import restricted raw materials,� he said. But DCOP Adu-Poku categorically told the media that, converse to the earlier held belief that the police leaked the bust-up to the press, the police was not the source of the Daily Graphic newspaper story implicating Kinapharma in cocaine trade. He, however, pointed out that his outfit is prepared to offer an apology to Kinapharma if it can be established that they erred. �If the operation which culminated in the arrest of the officials was legally justifiable, and the source of the information did not come from the police, do we owe the Kinapharma officials, and for that matter the company, any apology as being demanded?� he asked. �We are always ready to admit our faults and mistakes when established. We have done it in several instances and we are prepared to do it this time around when established that we are at fault. But from the facts provided, do you think there is any ground for us to apologise?� He queried. Referring to the Graphic publication on Monday December 11, 2009, he said there was a factual error which reinforces the position that the information did come from a credible source and for that matter the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), headquarters. �Only two officials from the Kinapharma Pharmaceutical Company Limited were arrested and not three as contained in the Graphic Publication,� he stated. Earlier reports by a section of the media claimed three top executives of Kinapharma, the Managing Director, Mr. Kofi Nsiah Poku, the Deputy Managing Director, Mrs. Nsiah Poku, and the General Manager, Mr. Eshun Fameyeh, had been arrested by the police for allegedly possessing substances prohibited under Ghana�s Narcotic Control Law. The CID boss stated that the Ghana Police Service was a noble institution and a disciplinary one and for that matter, were always ready to admit their fault and mistakes.