Student jailed for attempting to smuggle ‘wee’ to prisoner

An eighteen year old student who attempted to smuggle Indian hemp to his uncle serving a jail term at the Ankafu prison has been sentenced to one year imprisonment by a circuit court.

The convict, James Ndego was fined GH¢ 1, 200 or in addition serve a prison term to be decided by the court on Thursday May 26, 2016.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempting to supply narcotic drug but the court presided over by Ms. Audrey Kocuvie-Tay found him guilty of the offence after full trial.

Ndego prior to the sentence, pleaded with the court for leniency, saying he was a student who had to go back to continue his education.

Passing sentence, the judge, Ms Kocuvie-Tay said she took into consideration the fact that Ndego had spent close to two and half years on remand and that he needed to continue his schooling, adding that he had also been obedient and respectful throughout proceedings in court.

Presenting the facts of the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sylvanus Dalmeida said the complainants were officers at the Ankaful Maximum prisons in Cape Coast while the convict was a resident at Adankwame, a suburb of Kumasi.

He said on Thursday December 19, 2013 at about 15:30 hours, complainants were on their routine duty checks when Ndego arrived with some food items requesting to visit his uncle who was serving a 20-year term at the prison.

Ndego who was a regular visitor to the prison was thoroughly searched and was found to have concealed the substance suspected to be Indian hemp in locally made slippers meant for his uncle.

ASP Dalmeida said he was arrested and on interrogation, admitted ownership of the slippers but denied knowledge of the substance embedded in them and was handed over to the Police.

According to ASP Dalmeida, the substance was sent to the police forensic laboratory where it proved positive after examination.