A police officer who allegedly brandished his rifle at fellow officers in a bid to free a suspected drug dealer has tested positive for marijuana and cotinine, a court in Accra has heard.
Corporal Awudu Alhassan Shaban, 31 and an officer with the Accra Regional Police Visibility Unit, appeared before Circuit Court 7, presided over by Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam, where he faces three charges arising from the July 30 incident.
The accused pleaded not guilty to all charges. The prosecution, however, strongly opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and the potential for the accused to obstruct investigations.
The court agreed and Corporal Shaban was remanded into police custody until the next hearing, scheduled for September 2, 2025.
The accused is defending himself against threat of death, assault on a public officer and use of narcotic drugs without lawful authority
According to the prosecution, the complainant in the case, Detective Chief Inspector Eric Kwarteng of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) at the CID Headquarters, led a narcotics operation at Adabraka, near the University of Ghana City Campus, on July 30, 2025.
During the operation, a suspect believed to be involved in drug trafficking was apprehended. However, moments later, Corporal Shaban arrived on the scene in full police uniform, pulled out his service rifle and threatened to shoot the officers if they did not release the suspect.
The officers, all in plain clothes, were taken by surprise. The suspect managed to escape custody amid the chaos.
The DLEU team, however, quickly regained control of the situation, disarmed and arrested the accused officer and transported him to the Special Investigations Unit at CID Headquarters.
During interrogation, Corporal Shaban reportedly admitted in his caution statement that he had threatened the officers, but claimed he did so because he could not identify them as police officers due to their plain clothing.
A medical examination and urine toxicology test conducted as part of the investigation returned positive results for marijuana and cotinine, the latter indicating recent nicotine use.
Following the investigation, charges were formally filed and the accused was brought before the court.
With bail denied, Corporal Shaban will remain in custody as the case continues on September 2, 2025.
