The High Court in Accra has remanded Taoufic El Sayed, a Lebanese national, into custody at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, following his arraignment on charges of attempted exportation and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Presiding judge Justice Comfort Kwasiwor Tasiame issued the remand order after the accused pleaded not guilty to both charges when they were read to him in Arabic.
The court heard arguments from the prosecution, led by Watkins Adamah, who requested the remand of the accused to Nsawam, citing the inability of both the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and the National Investigative Bureau (NIB) to accommodate the accused on a long-term basis.
NACOC’s cell capacity constraints had resulted in the accused being held intermittently at the NIB, which the prosecution described as a temporary holding facility unequipped for extended detention.
Defence Raises Health Concerns
Defence counsel Amanda Clinton, assisted by Bernard Edufful-Annan, opposed the remand application, citing the accused’s poor health.
According to the defence, El Sayed suffers from high blood pressure and prostate complications and is currently undergoing medical assessment coordinated by NACOC.
“He is a foreign national, does not speak English, and is not in good health,” Clinton stated. She asked the court to allow the accused to remain in NACOC custody for an additional two weeks while medical evidence is gathered to support a bail application.
A NACOC legal representative, Emefa Randolph, confirmed the prosecution’s account of logistical limitations at both NACOC and NIB facilities.
After considering both arguments, Justice Tasiame ruled that El Sayed be remanded into custody at Nsawam Prison, with the state directed to file all necessary disclosures within 14 days. The case was adjourned to August 7, 2025 for continuation.
Brief Facts of the Case
According to court documents, Taoufic El Sayed was arrested on April 9, 2025, at KIA as he attempted to board a flight from Ghana to Lebanon. A routine luggage scan raised suspicion, leading officers to escort him to the baggage area, where he identified two suitcases as his—one black and one blue.
A search of the blue suitcase revealed eight compressed slabs concealed within. A field test indicated the presence of cocaine, and further laboratory analysis by the Ghana Standards Authority confirmed that seven out of the eight slabs tested positive for cocaine, with purity levels ranging from 60.49% to 82.81%.
Investigations revealed that El Sayed had arrived in Ghana from Lebanon on April 2, 2025, carrying the same suitcases. He allegedly delivered the bags to an unknown person on the instructions of Habib Abou Zeinab, currently at large, who also financed his travel. Before returning to Lebanon, El Sayed reportedly retrieved the suitcases from another unidentified individual.
Initially, the accused denied knowledge of the contents of the luggage, but later confessed to being aware that the blue suitcase contained cocaine and pleaded for forgiveness. Investigators also found images of similarly packaged substances on his mobile phone.
Two other individuals, Habib Abou Zeinab and Hassan Abou Zeinab, have been named in connection with the case and remain at large.
