Convicts smoke Indian hemp in prison

January 10, 2011
Takoradi, Jan. 11, GNA — Four prisoners at the Sekondi Central Prisons have appeared before a Takoradi Circuit court for possessing and smoking Indian hemp.

Their pleas were not taken and were placed in custody to re-appear on January 20.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Alice Parker-Wilson told the court presided over by Mr. Kwasi Boakye that the four accused were caught by Prison officers smoking dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp at the Sekondi Central Prison in November last year.

The prosecutor said a search conducted on them retrieved quantities of wrapped dry leaves and were handed over to the Sekondi Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Police Service.

When the presiding Judge inquired from the accused how they managed to smuggle the substances into the prison yard, one of the accused persons, Kweku Duku said they bought the stuff whenever they went out to work at people's residences.

The Judge also asked whether Prison officers on duty searched them at the entrance before entering the prison yard and Duku's response was that they were searched but not always.

The presiding judge took a swipe at the Prison officers at the Sekondi Central Prisons for negligence and told them to discharge their duties diligently to avoid such embarrassment.

GNA