Painter jailed 10 years for possession of illicit drugs

The Accra Circuit Court Seven has sentenced a painter to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for possessing narcotics.

Ber Kevin, 21 years, was also ordered by the court presided over by Mrs Ellen Ofei-Ayeh to pay a fine of 1,000 penalty units equivalent to GH¢12,000.00 or in default serve another three years imprisonment which will run concurrently.

Kevin pleaded guilty simplicita to unlawful possession of narcotic drugs and he was convicted on his own plea as his accomplice, George Relatus Zanugah, bar operator, 28, denied supplying Kevin with the substance.

Zanugah was granted a GH¢50,000.00 bail with three sureties, one to justify the bail bond.

Police Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah told the court that personnel from the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Police Service, were the complainants in the case.

Ber Kevin also known as “Biggi,” is a painter and Zanugah Relatus George, a bar operator, both resided at Spintex Baatsona-Kotobabi, a suburb of Accra.

He said on February 9, 2022 about 1040 hours the complainants acted upon intelligence and arrested Kevin, a Nigerian at Spintex Baatsona Kotobabi and a search conducted at where he was seated, led to the recovery of 150 blue paper wraps of rocky substance, 73 white paper wraps of plant material, 38 brown paper wraps of dark substance popularly called hashish, 10 dark rocky substance tied with black polyethene and 24 plain rubber wraps containing quantity of plant material known as amnesia.

Prosecution said a quartier of compressed slab of plant material and two plain rubber containing a handful size of plant material, all tested positive for narcotic drugs were also retrieved from Kevin.

Chief Inspector Anquandah said GH¢130.00 believed to be proceeds from the narcotic trade was also seized from Kevin.

He said upon interrogation, Kevin claimed ownership of all the exhibits and informed the police that he got his supply from a certain man who was dark and short at Ashiaman, but in police custody, he mentioned Zanugah as his source of supply.

On May 4, 2022, Kevin led police to Baatsona Kotobabi Spintex and pointed out Zanugah to police and he was subsequently arrested, the court heard.

Chief Inspector Anquandah said Zanugah however, denied the offence in his investigation cautioned statement. –GNA

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