An Accra circuit court presided over by Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku was yesterday taken by surprise when a suspect arraigned for robbery asked a police officer to supply him with Tramadol tablets.
Isaac Kofi Binder, repairer, was dragged before the court for assaulting and robbing a community health nurse of her bag containing GH¢20, a flash drive, ID cards and ATM cards at Pantang in the Greater Accra Region.
He reportedly dragged the complainant into a nearby bush, tore her clothes and allegedly slapped her before snatching the said items from her.
But things took a dramatic turn when his case was called for him to enter the dock.
He immediately began requesting for the drug. Things got more dramatic when the suspect changed his request and shouted that he needed some tranquilizers (a drug designed for the treatment of anxiety, fear, tension, agitation and disturbances of the mind). It is a banned substance by the FDA.
This caught the attention of the presiding judge who demanded to know what he was asking for; and there was a give-and-take encounter between the judge and the suspect.
Suspect: I just need some tranquilizers.
Judge: How are you? Are you OK?
Suspect: I just need some tranquilizers.
Judge: How do you know?
Suspect: Because a tea is a tea
Judge: Are you a doctor?
Suspect: No
Judge: Are you a nurse?
Suspect: No.
The judge, who was not convinced with the behaviour of the suspect, then asked the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Victor Dosoo, what was wrong with the suspect.
The prosecutor told the court that the suspect insistently demanded the Tramadol tablets, saying he would be OK after taking them.
The judge then ordered the prosecution to take Isaac Kofi Binder to the psychiatric hospital for medical examination.
She also told the suspect that he could get the tranquilizers he demanded at the hospital.
Mrs. Adjin-Doku subsequently adjourned the case to February 1, 2018.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak