Court adjourns "wee" case against mum and daughter

A Tarkwa circuit court has adjourned the case involving a 36-year-old mother, Debora Cudjoe and her daughter Diana Essien 19, to November 2, for allegedly possessing Indian hemp.

They both pleaded not guilty.

Prosecuting, Detective Police Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Obeng Diawuo that Debora Cudjoe was a galamsey operator while the daughter was a student of Takoradi Business Technical Secondary School at Effiakumah.

On September 24 around 06.30 hours, the Tarkwa Divisional Police was informed that the accused persons together with Debora's husband James Essien who had been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in the past for possessing Indian hemp, were allegedly dealing in narcotic drugs at Kadadwen near Nsueam.

He said when the Police got to the accused's residence and conducted a search in the ex-convict’s room they retrieved some dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, a yellow Jerri can of Akpeteshie mixed with a substance and 10 half filled bottles of alcoholic drinks believed to contain a narcotic drug.

He said Diana Essien was found with an ice chest containing 55 wrapped pieces of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

Inspector Amponsah said Essien claimed ownership of the substance and said he got the supply from Sefwi.

His daughter, Diana, alleged she had come home the previous night to collect her school fees, while his wife also said she had returned from Prestea only a few days before the Police came to arrest them.

A report from the Criminal Investigations Department's laboratory revealed that the dried leaves had been confirmed to be cannabis weighing 22.0 grams, while the yellow Jerri can contained Indian hemp weighting 9,400ml and the 10 half-filled bottles contained cannabis weighting 400ml each.