NDC defends cocaine boy

The Lower Manya Krobo constituency Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Eastern Region has come to the defence of the embattled youth organiser of the party in the constituency, David Kwame Tettey, who is being tried for a drug-related offence.

According to the party, David Tettey is not a cocaine dealer neither is the incumbent Member of Parliament, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, connected to any narcotics business.

The youth organiser was detained and subsequently put before court over a heroin-related offence and was granted bail last week Thursday, even though narcotic offences are not bailable.

The Lower Manya Krobo constituency secretary, Frederick Atenas, when addressing a press conference dubbed “Set the Records Straight” at Odumase Krobo yesterday, stressed that David Tettey Kwame is not a drug dealer, but a clearing agent and had never been a special assistant to the MP, Okletey Terlabi – not even an errand boy.

“David Tettey Kwame was not arrested in a swoop at the airport, rather he reported to the BNI some days after the incidence to give a statement on the issue,” Frederick Atenas underscored.

David, who the NDC claims is not a cocaine dealer, is standing trial at an Accra circuit court along with six other suspects for engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotics.

They are expected to make another appearance in court on Friday, February 6, 2015.

After a week’s detention of the suspects, Frederick Atenas claimed that the MP and the NDC party were not aware of the incident or the arrest of the youth organiser, adding that David Kwame Tettey was bailed simply because he was not indicted, pointing out that cocaine offences are bailable under the law.

According to the constituency secretary, the publication in the media was influenced by ‘faceless antagonists of the MP’ from the constituency, and that the executives were setting the records straight.

He said that they would not hesitate at all to drag anyone to court for redress, should the person or group of persons refer to the publication to make emphatic statements or tag the NDC with cocaine, either verbally or in print.

He said the agenda for the media briefing was to set the records straight, but not to judge the matter which is in court, nor attack any media house regarding the reports.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that Tettey had been asked by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to report on a daily basis and so he could not turn up at the press conference yesterday; but the constituency executives were in attendance.