Two jailed over drugs and defilement

Accra, Nov. 1, GNA - A Circuit Court in Accra on Monday sentenced a 26-year-old trader to 10 years' imprisonment for concealing cannabis sativa in a compartment of his travelling bag. Padmore Asante pleaded not guilty to the charge of possessing narcotic drugs without authority.

The court presided over by Mr E.K. Baffour, however, found him guilty after the trial and convicted him accordingly. This was after it had taken into consideration Asante's age, his plea for mitigation and the fact that he is a first offender.

The case of the prosecution was that on October 19, last year, Asante was about to board a Lufthansa flight number LH 5676 at the airport in Accra to Belgium when he was invited by officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) who suspected him of concealing drugs in his travelling bag.

During a search of Asante's two travelling bags, a quantity of cannabis sativa was retrieved from the compartment of one of the bags. The prosecutor said in an interrogation, Asante admitted ownership of the drugs, which were sent to the Ghana Standards Board for analytical examination.

A forensic examination, confirmed that the substance was cannabis sativa.

In a related development, another circuit court has sentenced an unemployed woman to seven years' imprisonment for abetting to the offence of defilement of a 12 year-old pupil. The court presided over Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa found Yvonne Morris guilty and convicted her.

The Prosecutor, Police Inspector I.A.A. Ahor, told the court that the complainant was Kate Osei, mother of the victim. The prosecutor said on September 20, this year, the victim left home and all efforts to trace her proved futile.

Inspector Ahor said on September 22, at about 0943 hours the victim was found with Yvonne at Achimota Cargo Station.

When the victim was quizzed, she disclosed that Yvonne abducted her and compelled her to sleep with a certain man who was on the run. She added that Yvonne took a fee of GH¢10.

Inspector Ahor said a report was therefore lodged with Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, Tesano, and Yvonne was arrested.