Court remands man for attempting to export cocaine

Accra, Feb. 11, GNA - The Greater Accra Regional Tribunal on Monday remanded into prison custody Nicolas Yeboah, a Ghanaian resident in Spain for attempting to export eighty pellets of cocaine to Spain. Yeboah, charged with attempted exportation of narcotic drugs pleaded not guilty.

He is to reappear on February 20.

The facts as narrated by Mr Asiamah Sampong, a State Attorney were that, on 23 June 2005 , Yeboah arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to board a KLM flight to Spain.

Mr. Sampong said due to his demeanour, personnel of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) on duty at the airport suspected him of carrying drugs.

The NACOB officials arrested Yeboah and escorted him to the 37 Military Hospital where an ex-ray examination revealed he had some foreign materials in his stomach.

Prosecution said Yeboah under the supervision of medical officers and security personnel expelled 80 pellets of oval shaped whitish substances suspected to be narcotic drugs. When Yeboah was interrogated, he admitted the offence and stated that he was to deliver the substance to one Yakubu for a fee of 2000 Euros. The substance is in the custody of the Ghana Standard Board where analytical examination was being conducted. In a related development, the court has remanded into police custody Issa Ibrahim for possessing a quantity of Indian hemp. Ibrahim allegedly told security personnel he had been in the drug business for five months and had his source of supply from Nkonya. He has pleaded not guilty to possessing cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug.

Prosecution said on June 6, last year, security personnel had information that the accused was dealing in drugs at a house at Abofu, near Achimota. Officials from NACOB proceeded to the house and arrested Ibrahim who was in the process of wrapping dried leaves believed to be cannabis sativa.

When his house was searched three big and 10 small wrappers were found. Prosecution said Ibrahim claimed ownership and stated that he had been in drug business for five months and had his supply from a man at Nkonya, but refused to mention his accomplice. When the leaves were sent to the Ghana Standards Board for examination it proved to be cannabis sativa.