Driver's mate charged with possession of narcotic drug

Accra, March 8, GNA - An Accra Regional Tribunal on Wednesday remanded in custody John Mensah Kodzo, a driver's mate, charged with possession of narcotic drug without lawful authority.

Kodzo, 22, pleaded not guilty. Mr Johanes Vegba of the Attorney-General's Office told the tribunal chaired by Mr Justice B. O. Tetteh that Kodzo reported at the Customs at the Accra General Post Office on December 22, last year, to export some items.

They were five tins of substance alleged to be palm nut soup and some pepper wrapped in a polythene bag. The prosecutor said the customs officer removed the cellotape and then opened two of them in the presence of the accused and found that they contained some substance wrapped in a brown paper, which was suspected to be narcotic drug.

Mr Vegba said the five tins of the suspected narcotic drugs and the alleged polythene bag of pepper were sealed in the presence of Kodzo and were sent to the Ghana Standard Board for examination.

He said after the examination, some of the substances tested positive for cannabis and weighed two kilograms, while the rest tested positive for cocaine and weighed 6.2 grams.