A 35-year-old unemployed man who was caught with 240.3 grams of cannabis has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.
Awudu Baba, aka Iddrisu, was arrested with a bowl of the dried leaves at Opah near Amasaman in the greater Accra Region on March 18, 2018.
He is reported to be a supplier of the illegal drug to some residents in the area and was arrested at his hide out upon a tip off.
Superintendent of Police, Patience Mario, told the court that the convict upon his arrest, had four pair of scissors, a lighter, jack knife, brown papers, a pair of pliers, two mobile phones and a cash amount of GH?52.00 in his possession.
She said Baba admitted the offence in his police caution statement and told police officers that he bought the narcotic drugs from various people from Avenor in Accra for sale.
He was hauled before the court charged with possession of narcotic drug without lawful authority to which he pleaded guilty.
The court presided over by His Honour, M r. Aboagye Tandoh, however, deferred his sentencing pending a forensic test of the substance to confirm that it was cannabis.
In sentencing him, the court took into consideration his plea for mitigation and the fact that he readily pleaded guilty to the charge.
He was subsequently sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. The court also ordered the criminal investigation department (CID) of the police to destroy the exhibit.
The convict after learning of his fate burst into tears and his family who were in the court could not control themselves and also joined him in shedding tears.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak