Two granted bail over narcotic charges

An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday granted bail to two persons for possession of narcotic drugs and using narcotics without lawful authority.

The two are Abdul Fatawu, driver and Issaka Amadu, a driver’s mate were to fulfill a bail bond of GHC40,000.00 GHc5,000 respectively for the alleged offenses.

The court did not take the plea of the accused because the prosecution was yet to prove that the substance in question were narcotics.

Mr George Asomaning, the counsel for the accused who prayed for bail for his clients told the court that sometimes exhibits sent to the forensic laboratory takes a year for the report to be submitted to court.

He said this most times made accused to spend unaccounted years in remand before the full trial commences, recounting an instance in another case which the report came out later that the suspected leaves was “kontommire,” and not narcotics.

He told the court that the accused person have hired a team of expert lawyers to defend them and have a fix place of abode and have persons of substance to stand surety for them.

He said the quantity of the substance only effects the judgement after the case had been determined.

The Prosecution led by Chief Inspector K. Adu, told the court that on January 12, the Madina Police Command had information from a source that, a group of young men were smoking substances suspected to be Indian hemp in-front of a house and was threatened by them when he complained.

He said two patrol teams proceeded to the scene at North Legon, but the suspects upon seeing the Police bolted.

He said during the cause chasing them, the Police smelled narcotics coming from a particular house they went into that house and met Fatawu sitting in-front of his room and cutting dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp with a pair of scissors in a large aluminium plate.

He said the Police arrested him with the exhibits, and when Police entered his room, Amadu was found there and when a search was conducted on him one wrapper of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp was found on him.

The Prosecution said Police searched the room and forty pieces of wraps suspected to be Indian hemp were found.

The accused persons together with the exhibits were brought to the Police Station but Fatawu denied the offences in his caution statement and whiles Amadu admitted the offence and stated that, he bought the one wrapper at the cost GH¢1.00 for his personal use.