Accra, March 12, GNA - An Accra Regional Tribunal on Monday sentenced a 32-year-old Malian from Bamako to 14 years' imprisonment for attempting to export narcotic drugs out of the country. When he first appeared before the tribunal on February 22 last year, Moussah Keita pleaded not guilty to attempted exportation of the drug, but at the end of his trial on Monday, Keita was found guilty and sentenced accordingly.

The brief facts of the case as narrated to the Tribunal by the prosecution on February 22 were that on April 24, 2005 Keita, who was resident in Spain, arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to board a KLM flight to Amsterdam.

The prosecution said security personnel at the airport became suspicious of Keita's demeanour and escorted him to the 37 Military Hospital, where he was subjected to an x'ray examination. Keita, according to the prosecution, was put under observation for two days during which period he expelled 20 pellets of a whitish substance which proved positive for cocaine when examined by the Ghana Standards Board.