Ten years for possessing Indian hemp, mason jailed

Kwame Tango, a 32-year old mason was on Thursday sentenced to ten years imprisonment in hard labour by a Circuit Court in Cape Coast after he was found guilty of possessing Indian hemp.

He pleaded not guilty when he first appeared in court on May 20, 2009.

According to Inspector Safo Khanin, who prosecuted, police received information on May 9, 2009 that Tango was peddling Indian hemp near the Methodist Church at Abura, a suburb of Cape Coast where he lived.

He said on May 15, 2009, Mr. Vitus Napen, a senior police officer led a team of policemen in an operation to search Tango’s residence where a black polythene bag containing 42 wrappers of Indian hemp as well as a quantity of seeds were retrieved from his room.

He said on July 10, 2009 the dried leaves were examined at the police forensic laboratory in Accra where they tested positive for cannabis.

The court, presided over by Mrs Florence Kai Otu, ordered that the cannabis be destroyed at a public place in the presence of the press.**