New prosecutor takes over Goodies' case

Accra, Oct. 23, GNA - A new prosecutor from the Attorney-General's Department has taken over the case of Isaac Abeiku Aidoo, aka Goodies, a popular music producer who is being held for drug related offences. When the case was called before the court, presided over by Mr Iddrisu Mahamadu, Mr Paul Asibi Abariga, a State Attorney, informed the court that Ms Valarie Amartey, Chief State Attorney, who was handling the case, was on leave and he had now taken over.

Mr Abariga therefore craved the court's indulgence to seek for a short date of adjournment to enable him to study the docket and continue from where his colleague left off. Currently, the court is hearing the evidence of witnesses. The court obliged and adjourned the case to October 30. Aidoo, Chief Executive Officer of Goodies Music Production, who is facing charges of attempted exportation of 80 pellets of drugs suspected to be cocaine and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority, has pleaded not guilty.

The case, as presented earlier by prosecution, was that on April 23, Aidoo arrived at the Kotoka International Airport at about 10:45 pm to board a Ghana International Airlines flight to London. The prosecution said while going through departure formalities, operatives of the Narcotics Control Board suspected Aidoo of carrying drugs in his stomach.

He was therefore escorted to the 37 Military Hospital for X-ray, which revealed that he had some foreign materials in his stomach. Aidoo was arrested and put under surveillance and he expelled 80 pellets of whitish substances suspected to be cocaine. During police interrogation, Aidoo said one Abdul Haid, a musician residing at East Legon in Accra, gave the drugs to him to be delivered to one Willie for a fee of 3,000 dollars. The prosecution said he, however, failed to lead the police to arrest the said Abdul. The exhibit has since been sent to the Ghana Standard Board for examination.