Woman jailed for possessing Indian hemp

Ho (Volta Region), 19th April ?99 ?

The Volta Regional Tribunal has sentenced Gibed Assignee, a 40-year-old unemployed, to 10 years' imprisonment for possessing Indian hemp. Assignee pleaded guilty.

Assistant State Attorney, Mr Yaw Awuku Asabre, prosecuting, told the tribunal chaired by Mr J. Akwasi Addae Okofo-Dartey that following a tip-off, the police on June 1, last year, went to Assignee's residence to conduct a search. On their arrival, they found 10 men smoking "something wrapped in a cement paper". The men on seeing the police, bolted but Asignee who was seen with a tray on which were some leaves, was arrested before he could escape.

A search on Assignee's compound led to the retrieval of a fertiliser bag containing leaves which were later certified by a Police forensic laboratory to be Indian hemp.