The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has dismissed claims that one of the suspects arrested in connection with the €225 million cocaine bust in France was a member of the presidential security detail.

The clarification comes after New Tafo Member of Parliament Vincent Ekow Assafuah alleged that suspect Musah Atta was part of the security team of President John Dramani Mahama and the Vice President.

In a Facebook post on Friday, September 18, Ekow Assafuah wrote: “US$261.45 million cocaine bust and one accused, Musah Atta, is reportedly part of the security detail of both the President and Vice President. How does a presidential security operative become linked to a case of this magnitude? Who granted the access, and who was watching the watchers?”

Responding to the claim, Deputy Director-General of NACOC Alexander Twum-Barimah said background checks conducted on all the suspects in custody had not identified any of them as a presidential escort.

Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, September 20, he said: “From the background that we have done, I don’t have any presidential bodyguard. President John Dramani Mahama’s bodyguard? Then he has to come clear and explain to us his job description and everything.”

“And like I said to you earlier, we have checked all the people that we have in custody, their backgrounds are known to us and we don’t have any of them who is a presidential escort,” he stressed.