Five businessmen arrested at Kotoka International Airport in 2019 for importing 2,200 grams of cocaine have been found guilty and sentenced to a combined 60 years in prison.
The convicts are Frank Asante (first defendant), Kweku Antwi (second defendant, who subsequently released bail), Alhassan Idris (third defendant), Clifford Boakye (fourth defendant), Isaac. -Quakey (fifth defendant).
This was after they were found guilty of three conspiracy charges of drug possession, drug importation and drug possession by the High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marufo after a full trial. Met.
Justice Osei Marufo then imposed a minimum sentence of 10 years on all the convicts each under the old Narcotics Control Law PNDC Law 236, which was subsequently amended by Law 1019.
“I have listened to lawyers on both sides and considered the old law (PNDC Law No. 236) and the new law, Law No. 1019.” And the penalties for the crimes charged under the old law were: I am satisfied that it is less severe than the new law for the same offence,” Judge Marfo said.
She explained that “those convicted of drug possession and importation are sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison.”
On the other hand, “However, the new law for the same crime also imposes a minimum of 10 years (prison) and some heavy fines, and the two have been merged.”
Judge Marfo also said that the court had taken into account the constitutional provisions under Article 19, Section 6 of the Constitution and that it “cannot impose the penalties provided for under the new law.”
The court also considered mitigating factors from the defense and the convict’s conduct before sentencing.
“I have considered (A2) the conduct of the accused except for their attendance in court while on bail and during the trial, some of them come from Kumasi and are always present and if they are truly unable to attend court; “We have sought permission from the court,” the court said.
In view of the above, the court sentenced all five persons to 10 years’ imprisonment (minimum) each for drug possession and conspiracy to commit the crime of drug possession.
Meanwhile, Asante (the first defendant) and Kweku Antwi (the second defendant, who has since been released on bail) were separately sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug importation.
However, the court found that Frank Asante (first defendant), Alhassan Idris (third defendant), Clifford Boakye (fourth defendant) and Isaac Kwakyi (fifth defendant), who were present in court, He said the four men will serve their sentences at the same time. Kweku Antwi, the second defendant who jumped bail, will continue to serve his sentence following his arrest.
EIB Network legal correspondent Murtala Inusa said each of the four will serve only 10 years in prison, but Antwi will jump bail and serve 20 years.
Twi news
simple facts
Information gathered by the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NACOB) intelligence division revealed that the first suspect, Frank Asante, was importing and trafficking narcotic substances from Brazil and other countries with his accomplices.
It said surveillance was being carried out on the travel and other activities of Frank Asante and his accomplices.
According to the facts, one day in March 2019, the intelligence team that was monitoring Frank Asante arrived in Ghana from Brazil and was met at the Kotoka International Airport by the third accused, Alhassan Idris. I witnessed it.
It said that in May 2019, the team observed Frank Asante arriving in Ghana from Brazil and was met at the airport by Alhassan Idris, Clifford Aboazi and Isaac Kiakye.
It said they all drove to Achimota Mile 7, where Frank Asante was seen handing a backpack from his travel bag to Alhassan Idris.
The ‘facts’ state that on July 13, 2019, Frank Asante and the accused Kweku Antwi arrived in Ghana from Brazil on Ethiopian Airlines.
The second defendant was contracted by the first defendant to transport drugs from Brazil to Ghana for a fee, and both men were carrying travel bags with their names written on them.
It added that during the immigration process, two black backpacks believed to contain drugs were found in the second suspect’s travel bag.
According to the report, after completing immigration formalities, the third accused was seen pushing a trolley containing the first accused’s travel luggage.
Following the first, second and third defendants, the fourth and fifth defendants joined.
All the travel bags were loaded into a car driven by the third defendant.
The fourth and fifth suspects boarded separate vehicles and all five were arrested before leaving Kotoka International Airport and taken to NACOB headquarters for further investigation.
“Two black backpacks taken from the second defendant’s travel bag were cut open in the presence of all the defendants.
“A whitish substance wrapped in foil was discovered in the false compartment of each backpack.
“The substance that was field-tested was found to be positive for cocaine. Subsequent raids at the Accra Race Course and the residence of the third defendant in New Fadama revealed four similar backpacks, including two (the bottoms of which had been torn open), scales believed to have been used to weigh drug substances, test tubes, various passports and gallons containing liquid substances.
“During the arrest, a similar gallon containing a liquid substance was recovered from the third suspect’s vehicle.
“The gallons containing whitish and liquid substances were sent to the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for analytical testing.
“According to the report from the GSA, the substance contained in the two backpacks removed from the second defendant’s travel bag tested positive for cocaine with a purity of 82.5 percent and a net weight of 2,200.0 grams.
“Of the two gallons that contained a liquid substance, two were identified as alcohol and three gallons tested positive for organophosphate pesticides,” the report states.