The Chairman of Finatrade Group of Companies, Mr Nabil Edmond Moukarzel, has praised Ghana's judicial system and the Attorney-General for the display of professionalism and sense of justice. He was responding to the retraction of, and apology for, the false allegations levelled against the group and its subsidiary, Market Direct Limited, to the effect that it illegally imported drugs into the country in 2006. Mr Moukarzel said although the last four years had been a painful experience for the group, it found consolation in the vindication of its employees linked to the false accusation. He reaffirmed Finatrade's standing as one of the country's leading corporate citizens and that it would continue its contribution to the country's economic growth. It will be recalled that the Police Administration on Wednesday rendered an unqualified apology to the Finatrade Group of Companies and its subsidiary, Market Direct Company, for any embarrassment caused them when some officials of the company were arrested for allegedly importing 15 kilogramme of cocaine into the country in December 2006 without lawful authority. It acknowledged that the officials were falsely accused of indulging in the unlawful importation of narcotic drugs through the Tema Port on December 20, 2006. "The Ghana Police Service hereby makes an unqualified retraction of the false accusations made against the said group of companies, their directors and employees," the Director of Public Affairs of the Police Service, DSP Kwesi Ofori, stated in an interview with the Daily Graphic. The Managing Director of Market Direct Limited, Mr Michael Ayache, and two clearing agents of the company, Isaac Quansah and Mohammed Salami, were arrested on December 20, 2006 on a charge of importing 15 kilogrammes of cocaine into the country. The three spent the 'Christmas and New Year holidays behind bars till they were discharged by the Accra Circuit Court on January 12, 2007 after the prosecutor had withdrawn the charge of criminal offence against them. DSP Ofori explained that the publication of the false accusation had not been intended to harm or tarnish the image or reputation of the company. He said the Police Administration had conceded the embarrassing situation in which it placed the management of Finatrade with the publication after their arrest and, "therefore retract the said publication". According to him, "the service further wishes to state that any harm that the said false accusation might have done to the image and reputation of the Finatrade Group of Companies, their directors and employees is deeply regretted". DSP Ofori explained that the publication associated with the arrest of the directors had been an indispensable aspect of police and civilian partnership through which the police received useful information in the performance of their statutory duty of fighting drug-related crime. Source: Daily Graphic