Private Security officer jailed ten years

An Accra Circuit on Monday sentenced one Stephen Gbafa, to ten years imprisonment in hard labour for possessing 42 compressed parcels of dried leaves which was Indian hemp.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was found guilty after trial.

The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh in sentencing him said the court took into consideration of the 23 months he had already spent in custody as well as his counsel’s plea for mitigation.

The court also ordered the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to destroy the exhibits in the presence of the Court’s Registrar and leave one gram to be destroyed three months later.

The Ghana News Agency noted during the trial that the Prosecution which was led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Atibila told the court that the complainants are Policemen from Alpha Swat Unit, Accra Region, whilst the convict is a Security Officer with COB ‘A’ Industries Limited, producers of standard water.

The Prosecution said on October 3, 2015 at about 1700 hours, the complainants had information that the convict had taken delivery of a sack containing some substances suspected to be Indian hemp at Agbogbloshie onion market and has boarded a taxi heading towards the 37 Military Hospital.

The prosecution said the complainants quickly proceeded to the Kanda Highway and fortunately caught with Stephen and one Reindolf Anthony on board the cab.

ACP Atibila said they arrested the two, searched the cab and found 42 brownish parcels containing dried leaves in the boot.

He told the court that, the two together with the exhibits were sent to the Regional CID, where Stephen stated that it was his son Courage Gbafa who sent him the exhibits from Hohoe, and that Reindolf was only a friend whom he pleaded with to accompany him to Agbogbloshie to receive the exhibits.