Audio By Carbonatix
The senior police officer being held by the Bureau of National Investigations(BNI) in connection with the cocaine-turned-baking soda saga has been granted bail by the Human Rights Court in Accra.
DSP Gifty Mawuenyega Tehoda, who is the deputy head of the Commercial Crimes Unit of the Police CID, was granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 with two sureties to be justified when she appeared in court Thursday.
The Human Rights Court had ordered the BNI and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to produce and explain why they have kept her in custody since her arrest on December 29, 2011.
Joy News’ Cyrus de-Graft Johnson, who was in court, reported that the court upheld that the BNI breached provisions in the constitution by holding her beyond the 48 hours stipulated by law.
Meanwhile, the BNI has served notice that it will re-arrest her.
In another development, a nasty scene was said to have erupted at the premises of the court when journalists detailed to cover the court proceedings were assaulted by some security personnel.
A female photographer working with the Daily Guide newspaper, who tried to take shots of the accused, had her camera taken from her and badly manhandled by the security.
An eyewitness told Joy News some journalists who were only doing their job were confronted by the BNI, creating a “very nasty scene”.
The eyewitness, who is a lawyer, said the way and manner the security personnel were brandishing their guns scared a number of his colleagues.
“We officers of this court, I don’t think we are safe here at all,” he said.
According to him, the Daily Guide photographer whose name was given as Gifty Lawson was “badly manhandled” by the BNI officials.
“In fact, she was badly manhandled…if I were her after this incident I will take legal action against the security officer [who assaulted her]. I don’t think it’s fair for a woman to be manhandled that way…" the lawyer said.
Her clothes were torn off exposing her undies as the security personnel gripped her firmly by the waist and whisked her away in a Toyota Corolla car with registration number GE 1584 W, another eyewitness said.
Lawson has since been taken to an unknown location.
Having suffered almost similar fate a day before, she was said to have gone to the court with her bodyguard, but unfortunately, he too was overpowered and bundled into a Pick-Up with registration number GR 1109 -10.
Meanwhile, lawyer for DSP Gifty Maweunyega Tehoda, Oliver Dzeble is pleased with the court’s decision to grant his client bail. He says it was unfortunate the BNI had wanted to persist in abusing her human rights.
The BNI was directed by President J.E.A. Mills to investigate how a cocaine exhibit in a drugs related trial later turned out to be baking powder. The BNI has since presented its report to the President. Summary of the report has since been made public.
Play the attached audio to listen to eyewitnesses accounts
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