Deputy Director-General in charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination at NACOC, Alexander Twum-Barimah, disclosed this during an interview on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

According to him, the decision follows concerns over the manner in which narcotics cases were previously distributed across different courts, a situation he said created challenges for the effective prosecution of cases.

He cited the Adenta Court 5 and Accra High Court 2 among the courts where NACOC cases had previously been heard.

Mr Twum-Barimah said the Commission subsequently engaged the Chief Justice and other senior judicial officials to make a case for a dedicated court.

He explained that NACOC officials, together with the Interior Minister and the Commission’s Director-General, met with the Chief Justice and other Supreme Court judges to explain the Commission’s need for a specialised judicial arrangement.

Following those engagements, he said, the request was granted, resulting in the establishment of a High Court that now handles only cases prosecuted by NACOC.

The development also forms part of efforts to operationalise additional prosecutorial powers granted to NACOC under the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019). The legislation transformed the former Narcotics Control Board into a Commission and provided for the Commission to prosecute its own cases through prosecutors authorised by the Attorney-General.

Mr Twum-Barimah said this aspect of the law had not been operationalised for several years but has now been activated under the current leadership.

He further raised concerns about resources available to NACOC, citing limited vehicles and personnel in some regions. He said, for instance, that the North East Region previously had only two NACOC officers and no dedicated vehicle to support their operations.

The Commission believes that the dedicated court, alongside strengthened prosecutorial capacity and improved resources, will help enhance the efficiency of narcotics-related prosecutions and support Ghana’s broader fight against drug trafficking and abuse.