A Nigerian, Maureen Moses 38, broke down at an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday immediately a 10- year prison sentence was pronounced on her for possessing narcotic substances.

As soon as she heard the verdict: “The accused is hereby sentence to 10 years in hard labour...” Maureen started shivering and exclaimed: “My Lord have mercy on me! Please! Please! Have mercy upon me!”

The Court presided over by Ms Audrey Korcuvie –Tay said: “Per your charge and earlier conviction this is the maximum punishment.”

She then ordered the exhibits to be destroyed by the Court Registrar in the presence of the police and the Investigator of the case.

Maureen a trader earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing narcotic drugs but the court deferred her sentence, awaiting further examination of the substance by the Ghana Standards Board.

The results from the Board confirmed the substances as narcotic.

According to the Prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector Johnson Kwabena Anim, at about 1830 hours on May 4, at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Maureen was arrested and had in her possession a quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp without authority.

He told the court that the complainants in the case are two police personnel stationed at the Neoplan Lorry Station who spotted Maureen at the Obra Spot, at circle holding a brown hand bag.

According to the prosecutor, a young man in the company of the two police men saw the convict and called her, but without any cause she took to her heels compelling the police to be suspicious.

The policemen therefore managed to arrest her at a distance and after searching her bag found a quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, a pair of scissors; two wrappers, two lighters as well as pieces of brown papers.

The prosecutor explained that when the Officers interrogated her, she admitted ownership of the dried leaves and the other items in the bag and was subsequently arrested and handed over to the Kaneshie Police where she was detained for investigation.**