Driver jailed 11 years for possessing Indian Hemp

An Accra circuit court on Wednesday sentenced Christian Sarpong, a driver, to 11 years imprisonment for possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

Christian pleaded not guilty to the charge of possessing three slabs of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp but after full trial was found guilty by the court.

The court, presided over by Mr Abogye Tandor, said the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused person and, as such, sentenced him to serve as a deterrent to others.

He said in sentencing, the court took into consideration the four months the accused had already spent in custody.

The court ordered that the exhibits should be destroyed by the investigator in the presence of the court registrar.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu, told the court that on November 24, 2015 at about 1130 hours, the Tesano Police had a tip off that a truck loaded with charcoal had some dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp concealed on board and parked at Achimota Charcoal Station.

He said upon the tip off officers were quickly dispatched to the area but could not trace the said loaded truck, however, the convict was spotted with a travelling bag and his demeanor prompted the police to confront him and find out what the bag contained.

The prosecution said after searching his bag, the police retrieved three slabs of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. He was arrested and sent to the police station for investigations.

Chief Inspector Adu said upon interrogation, Christian claimed ownership of the substance and said he was going to sell them to someone at Santana Market but could not lead the police to the supposed buyer.