Court remands man for possessing wee bitters

Tema, March 2, GNA - Tema Circuit Court 'A' on Tuesday remanded into pri= son custody, a 40-year-old man for possessing a bottle of local gin mixed wit= h dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. Samuel Zahson, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of possessing narcot= ic drugs, would re-appear in court on March 16.

The court presided over by Mrs Lorinda Owusu, was told by the prosecutio= n that Zahson who resides at Bediako, a suburb of Ashaiman, with his family= , brutally assaulted his pregnant wife on February 20.

Police Chief Inspector Adolphus Otchere, said the wife who experienced serious abdominal pains due to the assault, parked her belongings and wen= t to stay with her parents at Adakardzi, another suburb of Ashaiman. He said Zahson's wife was later sent to the Tema General Hospital where she delivered prematurely.

Chief Inspector Otchere said the accused person was arrested after his in-laws had lodged a complaint with the Domestic Violence and Victim Supp= ort Unit at Ashaiman. Chief Inspector Otchere said while the suspect was in custody, police ha= d information about a bottle containing "wee bitters" in his room. The prosecution said he was accompanied to his residence and a search revealed a plastic bottle labelled "Agya Appiah," containing the dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and other herbs mixed with the local g= in, akpeteshie. The suspect claimed ownership of the concoction, which he said was a treatment for his hernia. 2 March 10