Security man at Awudome Cemetery jailed over "wee"

Kofi Adu, a security man at the Awudome Cemetery on Friday sent audience laughing when a Circuit Court in Accra sentenced him to a year’s imprisonment for possessing a quantity of Indian hemp.

Adu, 23, charged with possession of narcotic drugs, pleaded guilty but explained that he smoked Indian hemp to keep him awake to patrol the cemetery.

"Narcotic drugs also enable me to avoid inhaling the stench at the cemetery as a result of mass burial done by hospital authorities at the cemetery," Adu claimed.

After receiving the sentence, Adu, who had been smoking for the past two and half years, pleaded with the trial judge, Mr Francis Obiri, to forgive him and reduce his sentence.

“It is true that I smoke Indian. I will not smoke again in my life,” Adu who was without a lawyer pleaded. The trial judge said: "I have given you one year jail term and you want me to reduce it again? If you don’t take care I will give you five years.”

Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent of Police, Duuti Tuareka, said the complainants in the case were policemen while Adu worked as a security man at the Awudome cemetery.

On February 2, this year, the policemen went to visit an uncle at a spot known as Boateng Drinking Spot at Awudome in the evening and spotted Kofi Adu carrying a polythene bag.

Prosecution said the policemen ordered him to open his bag to be searched but Adu threw the bag away and took to his heels.

When the polythene bag was opened, it contained a quantity of the illegal hemp. Adu was subsequently apprehended and escorted to the Kaneshie Police station.