The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) has been slammed for its modus operandi in seizure of property of Nayele Ametefe, who was on Tuesday sentenced to eight years and eight months in jail for an attempt to traffic 12.5 kilogrammes of cocaine into the United Kingdom.
NACOB in accordance with Section 36 of the Narcotics Drug (Control, Enforcement & Sanctions) Law proceeded to East Legon, a suburb of Accra, to seize a property belonging to the 32-year-old but not without resistance from her mother.
An official of the drugs-enforcement agency was bruised in an attempt to post seizure notices on the property. He, later, lodged a complaint at the Airport Police Station.
But a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joseph Nii Ayikoi Otoo,?says the drugs-control body should have rather acted on Section 13 of the Law.
He told TV3?s Komla Klutse that the Attorney General?s Department could have been prevailed upon to get the Board a legal backing.
?Even holding down that law, don?t you see that there is power given to the Attorney General?so why don?t you go to court and get a court order?? he asked in a phone interview on Wednesday.
A human rights lawyer, Francis Xavier Sosu, shared a similar view.
?The appropriate thing that the Narcotics Control Board should have done is to apply through the Attorney General?s Department to the court for an order of forfeiture so that the persons who are living in that house currently should show cause why those property should not be seized.?
NACOB?s governing board was dissolved by President John Dramani Mahama over the arrest of Ms Ametefe in London.
Source:?Emmanuel Kwame Amoh, tv3network
