2 Prisoners get additional years

A Takoradi circuit court has sentenced two convicts, Francis Quansah, 27 and John Kofi Mensah, 29, who were serving 10- and 20-year jail terms respectively at the Sekondi Central Prisons, to additional 10 and five years imprisonment’s in hard labour respectively for possessing Indian hemp while in prison.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges of possessing and supplying narcotic drug without lawful authority but the court found them guilty after the trial and sentenced them.

Prosecuting, Inspector Yakubu Fuseini said the complainant in the case was Chief Mekpa, a prison officer at the Sekondi Central Prison, while the accused persons were convict prisoners at the Sekondi Central prison yard.

He noted that on May 9, 2011, at about 8am, a witness in the case, who was also a convict prisoner at the Sekondi Central Prisons, spotted the first accused person holding wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and was looking for buyers.

The witness quickly informed the prison authorities and Quansah was arrested. A search in his pocket revealed 12 wrappers of Indian hemp.

Quansah then mentioned the second accused person as his supplier and so Mensah was also arrested. The two convicts were later handed over to the Drug Law Enforcement Agency for investigations.

In their caution statements, Quansah claimed ownership of the stuff but Mensah denied knowledge of the offence.

According to the prosecutor, the exhibit was wax-sealed and forwarded to the Police Forensic laboratory for an analytical examination and report. The report revealed that the substance tested positive for cannabis weighing 6.0 grammes.

The two convicts were therefore charged with their respective offences and put before court.