An Accra Circuit Court presided over by Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam, has remanded a police officer into custody after he pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including threat of death, assault on a public officer, and unlawful use of narcotic drugs.
The accused, Corporal Awudu Alhassan Shaban of the Accra Regional Police Visibility Unit, was arraigned on three counts:
Count One: Threat of death, contrary to Section 75 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Count Two: Assault on a public officer, contrary to Section 205(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Count Three: Use of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, contrary to Section 37(1)(2a) of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).
Prosecutors strongly opposed the granting of bail, arguing that the accused posed a flight risk and that his release could interfere with ongoing investigations.
By order of the court, Corporal Shaban was remanded into police custody.
The case has been adjourned to September 2, 2025.
Facts of the Case
According to the brief facts presented by the prosecution led by Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP) Sarfo Antwi, the complainant in the case is Detective Chief Inspector Eric Opoka Kwarteng of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) at the CID Headquarters.
On July 30, 2025, the DLEU embarked on an intelligence-led operation at Adabraka near the University of Ghana City Campus, during which a suspect believed to be engaged in narcotics trade was arrested.
While the arrest was underway, Corporal Shaban, dressed in police uniform, allegedly appeared at the scene, pulled out his service rifle, and threatened to shoot the officers if they fail to release the suspect.
The accused’s intervention enabled the suspect to escape. However, the DLEU team managed to disarm Corporal Shaban and arrested him for further investigation.
During interrogation, he admitted in his caution statement that he threatened the officers because they were in plain clothes, and he claimed he could not initially identify them as police personnel.
A medical examination conducted during the investigation revealed that his urine toxicology tested positive for marijuana and cotinine.
Following the conclusion of preliminary investigations, he was charged and put before the court.