Escaping cannabis dealer arrested at funeral

Accra Aug. 14, GNA- The Greater Accra Regional Tribunal on Tuesday discharged a Postmaster after he had managed to apprehend a trader who allegedly posted 8.1 kilograms of cannabis sativa through the post.

Richard Tawiah, the post master had since February this year been on remand after he was charged for abetting to the posting of 8.1 kilograms of cannabis.

The trader, Akosua Boatenma aka Juliana Osei, who was earlier on said to be Mr Tawiah's accomplice had been on the run for about seven months now.

Boatemaa was said to have deceived Mr Tawiah into believing that the dried leaves were herbal medication for potency. When the court admitted Mr Tawiah to a 200 million cedi bail, little did he know that he could apprehend Boatemaa. Mr Tawiah had travelled to Kumasi for a funeral and chanced on Boatenma. He raised the alarm and with the help of a soldier apprehended him to a near by police station in Kumasi. The Police at Kumasi however brought Boatenmaa to Accra to stand trial.

The court, however discharged Mr Tawiah, and he is now a prosecution witness Meanwhile the Tribunal remanded Boatemaa in Prison custody on three counts of attempted exportation of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and possessing 8.1 kilograms of cannabis without authority.

The parcels were to be delivered to three persons in the United Kingdom.

Boatenma pleaded not guilty. The facts as presented by Mr Augustines Obuor, a State Attorney that on December 21, last year, personnel of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in Aviance Export Section, Accra intercepted three EMS parcels each containing two long compressed leaves wrapped with brown cello tapes suspected to be cannabis.

The parcels were to be sent to London, United Kingdom. A report was made to the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) and investigation led to the arrest of Mr Tawiah, the Postmaster at Ejisu branch of the Ghana Post where the parcels were posted. Mr Tawiah stated that it was Boatemaa who brought the stuff to be posted, adding that the accused told him that the parcels were

herbal medication for potency.