A businessman on Friday stunned audience gathered at the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal when he prayed the court to send him to any prison in the country to serve his 10-year term except Nsawam Prison.
Daniel Opoku Amoateng, who pleaded guilty to attempted exportation and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority and was convicted and sentenced accordingly, said his brothers had received three calls from unknown persons suggesting that if he were sent to Nsawam Prison his life would be in danger.
Mr Musah Ahmed who represented Amoateng in an application told the tribunal that the threats were real and true and prayed it to grant the application.
Quoting authorities to buttress his argument, he said under the law an accused could be allowed to plead with the court if he or she thinks that his or her life was in danger if sent to a particular prison.
Defence counsel also drew the attention of the tribunal to his client's plea saying he had not wasted the court's time by allowing it to go into full trial and prayed that he should be dealt with leniently.
The court granted the application and ordered that Amoateng should be sent to Ho Prisons.
Ms Victoria Odame-Darkwa, an Assistant State Attorney told the tribunal that on May 5, this year at about 9pm, Amoateng arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to board a flight to Milan, Italy.
While going through departure formalities personnel of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) on duty at KIA picked up Amoateng as result of his strange movement and demeanour.
Amoateng was escorted to the 37 Military Hospital where an ex-ray conducted on him indicated that he had some foreign materials in his stomach.
Prosecution said when Amoateng was searched his black pair of shoes contained two slabs of whitish substances suspected to be cocaine.
During interrogation, Amoateng said one George Amoakohene who sold 60 pellets of the drugs to him also gave him the pair of shoes.
Prosecution said Amoateng, however, failed to assist the Police to arrest Amoakohene. A laboratory examination conducted on the substance proved positive of cocaine weighing 1226.8 grammes.
Source: GNA
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
Latest Stories
-
Court orders police to determine gender of accused
4 minutes -
Ghana’s gold production to rise marginally by 3% in 2025 – Deloitte
7 minutes -
A man’s suicide leads to clamour around India’s dowry law
8 minutes -
Asante Gold Corporation enters into $500m agreement with Fujairah Holdings LLC
12 minutes -
ECG Power Queens support Ho Female Prison
1 hour -
Don’t appoint a new EC Chair; allow Jean Mensa to work – Prof. Stephen Adei to Mahama
2 hours -
Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong arrives in Ghana for visit
2 hours -
‘It will be disastrous if Mahama removes the Chief Justice’ – Prof. Stephen Adei
2 hours -
Jean Mensa must step down as EC Chair – APC and Movement for Change assert
2 hours -
Akufo-Addo calls on police to refine strategies to avoid prolonged electoral unrest
2 hours -
Only NPP looting brigade unhappy about ORAL – Ablakwa
2 hours -
CSIR-SARI introduces integrated soil fertility management technology to boost maize production
2 hours -
Ghana’s indigenous agribusiness faces challenges impacting economic growth – Dr. Azinu
3 hours -
41-year-old man arrested over illegal power connection
3 hours -
65-year-old man plans to walk over 250-km Kumasi-Accra journey for Mahama’s swearing-in
3 hours