A Farmer, who was arrested at Akligokorpe in Aflao for possessing 45 packs of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, has been sentenced to serve a one-year jail term by an Accra Circuit court.
The convict, Jay Dodzi Ameteku, was charged with possession of narcotic drug but the court, after considering the facts of the case, convicted on a charge of supplying narcotic drug.
The convict on his first appearance pleaded not guilty to the charge. However, at the court yesterday, he admitted his guilt leading to his conviction.
The judge Francis Obiri sentenced him to one year with hard labour after his lawyer George Asamaney prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
In addition to the jail term, the convict had been ordered to pay a fine of GH₵ 1,200.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Isaac Agbemehia, disclosed that the accused person, Jay Dodzi Ameteku, was a farmer residing at Akligokorpe in Aflao.
He narrated that on June 14, 2013; Narcotic unit, acting upon intelligence, went to Akligokorpe a suburb of Accra and arrested Ameteku from his house.
The police retrieved from the convict a black handbag containing 45 packs of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa, which were concealed in tablet dispensing plastic bag.
A further search in the porch of his house also revealed two packets of rolling green plastic bucket of similar dried leaves.
The prosecutor indicated that when the convict was interrogated, he claimed ownership of the exhibit but failed to lead police to arrest his supplier.
Inspector Agbemehia informed the court that the exhibit had been forwarded to the Police Forensic laboratory for analytical examination and report.