Cobbler attempts to smuggle wee to murder suspect

THE Prisons authorities at Wa have arrested a 24-year old cobbler for attempting to smuggle Indian hemp to a murder suspect on remand at the Wa Central Prisons.

Mohammed Rashid, who had been on remand at the prisons before but is presently on bail, was arrested on May 25, by Senior Chief Officer, J.T. Salifu and Assistant Chief Officer, John Benang, of the Ghana Prisons Service, who were on duty at the time.

According to Inspector Daniel Dorkpoh of the Police Public Relations Unit, Rashid, on May 25, this year, called at the prisons gate with cooked rice and beans (waakye) for the murder suspect, Iddrisu Issifu, 46, whom he said was his friend.

He told the prison officers that they became friends whilst he was on remand at the prison.

According to Inspector Dorkpoh, the two officers looking at the countenance of Rashid, became suspicious of him. They, therefore, critically examined the food during which an item which was wrapped fell from it.

Inspector Dorkpoh said Rashid quickly picked the item and attempted to swallow it but the prison officers reacted quickly and retrieved the stuff from his mouth.

When it was unwrapped, it was found to contain dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

Inspector Dorkpoh said when Issifu was searched further, a sharp pen-knife was found in his pocket and was seized.

Issifu, who has since been placed in police custody, will soon be arraigned before court to be remanded in prison custody. This is to allow time for the dried leaves to be forwarded to the Police Forensic Laboratory in Accra for analytical examination.