Court sentences scrap dealer for selling cannabis

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a scrap dealer to 500 penalty units equivalent to GH¢6,000.00 for possessing and selling cannabis popularly known as “wee”.

In default, Augustine Mensah, the convict, would spend 15 months in prison in hard labour.

Mensah pleaded not guilty to the offence but was found culpable after trial.

Police Chief Inspector Christine Bansah told the Court presided over by Susanna Eduful that the Police were the complainant, adding that Mensah was a scrap dealer and lived at Striker, close to Kasapreko Junction on the Spintex Road.

She said on October 19, 2020, the Police, acting upon intelligence, gathered that the convict was dealing in narcotic drugs in a kiosk and proceeded to the area and arrested him.

The prosecution said a search was conducted in the kiosk and one and a half slabs of dried leaves were found in his microwave, 66 wraps of the same substance and some quantity of similar dried leaves were also found in a black polythene bag.

Chief Inspector Bansah said Mensah in his charge statement admitted the offence and stated that he had been selling the substances.

He mentioned one “GH” at Ashaiman as the one who supplied him with the dried leaves but failed to lead the Police to arrest the said “GH”.

The Court heard that the exhibits were forwarded to Police Forensic Laboratory for examination.

The prosecution said on February 20, 2021, it received the result from the Forensic Science Laboratory, Ghana Police Service, Accra, which indicated that the exhibits tested positive as cannabis.