A 28 year old businessman, Kweku Appiah is alleged to have claimed that he smokes a narcotic substance suspected to be Indian herb, as an antidote for sleeping effect.

As a result, he has been accused by the police of unlawful possession or control of narcotic drugs which is against the laws of the country.

Kweku is standing trial with his younger brother, one Kwame Appiah, aged 20 and a student, on another count of causing unlawful.

The Accra Circuit Court ‘9’ presided over by His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah on Tuesday remanded the two into lawful police custody after both pleaded not guilty to the counts.

The court yesterday rescinded Kwame Appiah’s remand decision and admitted him to bail in the sum of GH₵50,000 with one surety who is permanently residing within the jurisdiction of the court and also has permanent place of doing business within the jurisdiction of the court.

The court has adjourned the case to April 26, 2022.

The fact of the case      

The prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah told the court that the complainant is one Vida Bonsu, a Pastor.

He said, on March 4, 2022, the complainant bought one plot of land, which had incompleted four-bedroom apartment with a garage, from Akortaa Appiah, mother of the two accused persons in the case.

C/Inspt Anquandah indicated that on March 13, 2022 at about 10:00am, the accused persons went onto the complainant’s land with a bulldozer and graded the entire structure on the said plot of land valued GH₵150,000.00.

The prosecutor added that on March 14, 2022, the complainant reported the case to the police for investigation and when the law enforcement officers visited the scene and took photographs of the devastation that has allegedly been caused, the accused persons were arrested on same day.

The prosecuting officer said the accused persons admitted the offence in their caution statement, adding that when the police were searching the duo before they were put behind bars, they found a dry substance suspected to be Indian hemp or Narcotic Drugs on Kwaku.

He said on caution, Kwaku Appiah admitted the offence and stated that he bought the said Narcotic Drugs from one Isaiah to smoke as a sleeping drug. 

“Investigation disclosed that, the accused persons in this matter received GH₵78,000 .00 from their mother Akortaa Appiah after the sale of the property to the complainant in this matter, but they were not satisfied with the said amount given to them,” he alleged.

 He said after receiving the GH₵78,000.00 from their mother, they went ahead and resold the same plot of land to one Isaac Abey who is a military officer without the knowledge of their mother.

The prosecutor added that the Narcotic Drugs has been forwarded to the Forensic laboratory for examination.