Farmer jailed for using Indian hemp

A Tarkwa circuit court has sentenced a 30 year-old farmer, Kwaku Yiga to 18 months imprisonment for using Indian hemp without authority. He pleaded guilty to the charge leveled against him. Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Obeng Diawuo that, the complainants are police officers stationed at Asankragwa. Inspector Amponsah said on January 1, this year, at about 09:20 hours, one Abena Kyere reported a case of offensive conduct against the convict. He said on that same day at about 22:20 hours, the police officers on night patrol duties went and arrested Yiga and when his room was searched, eleven wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp were found on a table. Detective Amponsah said during interrogation, the offender claimed ownership of the stuff in the presence of an independent witness and stated further that, he bought the substance at an illegal mining site, which he failed to lead the police to arrest his source of supply. The Prosecutor when the substance was forwarded to the Police Forensic Science Crime Laboratory for examination and it showed that it was Indian hemp weighting 0.11 grams. Detective Amponsah said after investigation he was charged with the offense.