Convict with few hours to leave prison nabbed with drugs

A serving convict who had few hours to leave prison has been nabbed for allegedly possessing a quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

Appearing before an Accra Circuit Court, Emmanuel Danquah pleaded not guilty to the charges of possessing narcotic drugs without authority.

The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh remanded him into Police custody to reappear on February 28 where the court is expected to rule on Danquah’s bail application.

Danquah’s lawyer had prayed for bail saying his client knew he would be exiting the prison in a few hours after serving a two year jail term, would not get himself involved in such an act.

Prosecuting Superintendent of Police, Patience Mario told the court that the complainant Anthony Ninson is a Prison officer at James Camp Prison at Maamobi while Danquah was prisoner at the same Prison and was about to complete his sentence on the day he was arrested.

Supt. Mario said on February 9, this year Danquah had a quarrel with Nicolas Adjei an inmate on suspicion that Adjei had stolen his MP3 radio recorder.

Prosecution said during the quarrel Danquah pulled a knife at Nicolas. Danquah was therefore asked to produce the said knife but he rather brought out a spoon.

According to prosecution, the complainant and another prison officer invited him to identify his box containing his personal belongings. Danquah identified two boxes which were brought out and in his presence, quantity of dried leaves were found in a white rubber in one of the boxes.

Prosecution said Danquah was arrested and escorted to the Kotobabi Police Station while the drugs were later forwarded for examination at the Police Forensic laboratory.