Panel to investigate missing drugs in police custody

A high powered panel has been set up by the Interior Ministry to investigate the disappearance of narcotic drugs from police custody. According Interior Minister, Kwamena Bartels, checks conducted at the Police Narcotics Exhibit Room indicated that the drugs which had been placed at the premises of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the police service, had been taken away and replaced with other substances. The officer-in-charge of narcotics at the Police CID has been arrested following reports by the Ministry. The panel, which is chaired by Hon. Kojo Armah, Member of Parliament for Evalue-Gwira, is expected to establish the facts relating to the disappearance and present its findings to the ministry within a month. Mr. Bartels told Joy News that preliminary findings by the police had necessitated the establishment of the committee to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, he said the Ministry has asked the Ghana Standards Board to conduct tests on the substances that had been replaced with the narcotic drugs to determine their chemical properties or otherwise. The Panel will be expected to look into all matters related to the missing narcotics and recommend steps to prevent future occurrence. The Panel has S. A. Afari, Mark Ehuntomah, DCOP Kwesi Nkansah and J. J. Yidana of the Interior Ministry as members.