Court fines four stowaways

Sekondi, May 23, -GNA-A Sekondi District Magistrate's Court on Thursday fined four persons who attempted to stowaway on an American ship 200 Ghana Cedis each.

The Court ordered the accused persons- Emmanuel Ewusi, an 18-year computer technician, Thomas Mensah, 18, unemployed, Mark Woode, 17, student and Isaac Quainoo, 17, unemployed to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for four months.

They would serve six months imprisonment in hard labour in default of the fine and the bond.

The case of the prosecution was that the accused persons who were all resident in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis were desperate to go to Europe. He said on May 13 this year, when they had a information that an American cargo vessel would be arriving at the Takoradi Port, they quickly organised some food items to stowaway on the ship. The prosecution said at about 1130 hours the same day, the accused persons went to the New Takoradi beach where an accomplice who is on the run conveyed them in a canoe to the Takoradi Port. He said the accused persons sneaked into the ship but they were seen, arrested and taken to the Police Station.