Ghanaian resident in Italy remanded for dealing in drugs

Accra, July 18, GNA - A Ghanaian resident in Italy was on Monday remanded in prison custody by a Greater Accra Regional Tribunal when he was brought before it for dealing in narcotic drugs.

Owusu Bempah, Tailor, was brought before the tribunal on two charges of attempted exportation of narcotic drugs without licence and possessing the drugs without lawful authority.

His plea was not taken and the tribunal, chaired by Mr Justice Frank Manu, adjourned the case to Thursday, August 4.

The facts as narrated by the Prosecution were that on July 10 2005; at about 2030 hours Bempah arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to board a KLM Flight to Italy.

The Prosecution said officials of the Narcotic Control Board on duty at the Airport became suspicious of the accused person, and escorted him to the 37 Military Hospital where he was subjected to an x-ray examination.

The examination revealed that Bempah had foreign materials in his anus, and so under the supervision of the officials, he expelled two large black oval shaped pellets suspected to be narcotic drugs. When Bempah was subsequently handed over to the Police for interrogation, he admitted the offence in his caution statement. According to the accused person, after purchasing the drugs with his own money in Kumasi at the cost of 1,000 dollars, he concealed them in his anus.

The Prosecution informed the tribunal that it was awaiting a final report from the Ghana Standards Board, where the suspected narcotic drugs had been forwarded for analytical examination. 18 July 05