Music producer jailed 10 years for trafficking in drugs

Accra, June 16, GNA - The music producer busted after expelling 96 pellets of cocaine was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Accra Fast Track High Court.

Sam Sarfo Kantanka had on May 30, this year, told the court there was no need to remand him because he was guilty and would not like to waste the court's time.


Soon after his confession the court, remanded him pending the outcome of the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) examination into the substance. When the case was called, the prosecutor, Mr Asiamah Sampong, Principal State Attorney told the court that the test conducted by GSB proved positive of cocaine weighing 1.1 kilograms.


Facing charges of attempted exportation of narcotic drugs and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful excuse, Kantanka repeated his plea before the court.


The court presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist therefore convicted him to 10 years on each count to run concurrently. It further ordered that Kantanka's sentence should take effect from the day of his arrest.

The complainants were operatives of Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the accused is a music producer resident at Sowutuom in Accra.


On April 27, Kantanka was accosted at KIA and while going through departure formalities, to board a British Airways Airline, was picked up on suspicion that he had ingested narcotic drugs.


Operatives of NACOB took Kantanka's urine sample and tested it, which proved positive of cocaine.


On interrogation, he admitted swallowing the substances, which were given to him by one Stone at Ashongman Estates in Accra to be given to one "Obroni" in London for a fee of 4,000 pounds sterling.