An Accra Circuit Court has granted bail totalling GH¢52 million to four individuals standing trial for attempting to traffic narcotics through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Each accused person — Gariba Soli, Josiah Baidoo, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampofo Anti — was granted bail in the sum of GH¢13 million, with stringent conditions imposed by the court, presided over by Her Honour Mrs. Sedinam Kwadam.
Per the bail terms, each accused is to present four sureties, one of whom must be a civil servant earning a minimum net salary of GH¢5,000. In addition, one of the sureties must justify their eligibility with landed property valued at GH¢1 million.
The court further ordered the accused to report to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) twice a week, surrender their passports to the court registry, and have their biometric data submitted by NACOC to the Passport Office.
They are also barred from travelling outside the jurisdiction without the express permission of the court. The Ghana Immigration Service has been instructed to place them on a stop list at all exit points.
The case has been adjourned to June 18, 2025.
Brief Facts of the Case
The facts presented in court revealed that NACOC officers, during routine checks at the export section of the Swissport Cargo Terminal, intercepted three wooden boxes destined for Brussels. Initial scanning did not reveal anything incriminating, but further examination uncovered hidden compartments in the boxes. These compartments contained 73 compressed slabs of a whitish powdery substance, which tested positive for cocaine.
Investigations show that Gariba Soli, an artifact dealer at the Art Exhibition Center in Accra, was the shipper of the intercepted cargo. He told investigators he had been contracted by one Patrick, whose local representatives — identified only as Onik and Imex — delivered the boxes to him. Soli claimed that he and his team loaded the boxes with artifacts and sent them to Swissport on April 14, 2025.
Josiah Baidoo, Emmanuel Mintah, and Kwabena Ampofo Anti, all employees of Ansahdys Shipping & Logistics Co. Ltd., are said to have handled the freight forwarding process. They have all denied knowledge of the narcotics.
The suspected cocaine is to be forwarded to the Ghana Standards Authority for analytical examination. Investigations are still ongoing.
