I was misled to cultivate Indian hemp - Accused tells court

Juaso (Ash), Sept 6, GNA - One of the two suspects recently arrested by the Agogo police for cultivating several hectares of Indian hemp at Pewodie near Agogo in the Ashanti Region has told the Juaso circuit court that he was misled by friends to cultivate the narcotic drug in order to raise enough money to treat his ailment. Walajire Wassanga said he could not help but succumb to the incessant pressure from friends to take advantage of the profitability of the banned leaves, not only to raise enough money to treat his ailment but also to improve the living standard of his family. Having pleaded guilty to one count of cultivating Indiam hemp without written permission from the Ministry of Justice, the accused prayed for the court to caution and discharge him, promising not to repeat the offence.

Mr Jacob Boon, the presiding judge, pronouncing judgement said despite the remorse shown by Wassanga he deserved custodial sentence to serve as deterrent to others and handed him a 10-year jail term in hard labour.

According to the facts of the case as presented by Detective Police Inspector Mike Fritz Bekoe, the Agogo police in July this year had a tip-off that some farmers at Pewodie and its environs were engaged in the cultivation of Indian hemp together with food crops. Based on the tip-off, a police team was dispatched to the farm of the accused on July 7, where they discovered the leaves planted in large quantities in a pepper, maize and rice farm. The son of Wassanga, who was then working on the farm led the police to the accused who was then brought to the farm. He admitted owing the farm hence the police uprooted all the leaves and sent it together with the accused to the police station where the exhibits were sealed in his presence and forwarded to the Police forensic Laboratory for testing.

The results proved that the leaves were Indian hemp and he was charged with the offence. Meanwhile, a second accused, Weltin Alore, who was also arrested during the police swoop, pleaded not guilty to the charge and would re-appear before the court on September 18.