An Accra Regional Tribunal yesterday sentenced five foreigners, including four women, to a total of 75 years imprisonment with hard labour for their involvement in drug-related cases.
Kamara Aisatu and Aminatu Ibrahim, both Malians; Adisa Yusuf, Amin Ogeit and Alhaji Ahmed Alao Adewale, all Nigerians; pleaded not guilty tot he charge of possessing narcotic drugs without authority but the tribunal found them guilty after the trial and sentenced them to 15 years imprisonment each.
The tribunal, chaired by Mr. Justice B.O. Tetteh, ordered that the convicts should be deported to their countries of origin after serving their jail terms. It also odered that the drugs should be destroyed.
The facts of the case were that Aisatu and Adisa arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on January 2, this year, on board an Ethiopian Airline from Pakistan.
According to the prosecution, on arrival, officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) suspected them of possessing narcotic drugs and they were invited to the conference room at the KIA, where a thorough search was conducted on them.
The prosecution said during the search, it was realised that Aisatu and Adisa had concealed some substance suspected to be heroin in the sandals they were wearing.
It said a further search on them led tot he discovery of the substance in their private parts. The prosecution said they were subsequently arrested and an analytical test of the substances by officials of the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) confirmed that the substances were heroin.
The prosecution said at about 8.30 p.m. on January 6, this year, Ogeit arrived at te KIA on board an Ethiopian Airline from Bombay and was suspected to be dealing in narcotic drugs. According to the prosecution, Ogeit was detained by CEPS officials at the KIA and while in detention, she expelled 53 capsules suspected to be heroin.
The prosecution said at about 8.10 p.m. on January 2, this year, Aminatu arrived at the KIA from Pakistan and a search conducted on her by CEPS officials led to the discovery of a number of substances suspected to be heroin concealed in her sandals.
The prosecution said Aminatu further confessed that she had swallowed some of the substances and while in detention, she expelled 16 pellets through defecating. It said the convict was made to wash the substances and a test conducted on the substances by officials of the GSB revealed that they were heroin.
According to the persecution, Alhaji Adewale arrived at the KIA from Pakistan on December 13, last year and was suspected to be dealing in narcotic drugs. It said CEPS officials at the KIA invited him to the conference hall and a search conducted on him led to the discovery of 18 pellets concealed in a socks hidden in his underpants.
All the accused persons told the tribunal in their evidence that they were carrying the substances for financial gains. They all pleaded with the Tribunal to deal leniently with them since they were first offenders.
Mr. Johanes Vegba, Assistant State Attorney appeared for the state. The Registrar of the Tribunal, Mr. Ebenezer Ayi Bot, carried out the tribunal's orders and detroyed the drugs in the presence of Mr. Mike Afriyie, Principal State Attorney, the prosecutor, the investigator, the Court Warrant Officer (CWO), officials of the Judicial Service as well as officials from CEPS.
