Juaso (Ash), June 20, GNA - Kwabena Boateng, a 29-year-old farmer, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour by a Circuit Court at Juaso, for possessing Indian hemp. Boateng, alias Zakaria, pleaded not guilty.

Chief Inspector Edward Ben Amanor, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr Jacob Boon, that on November 23 2002, at about 1900 hours at Ofoase in the Asante-Akim South District, the accused, alleged to have harboured a criminal who had broken jail was arrested at Anyaaso, a village near Ofoase.

He said when he was brought to the Ofoase Police Station and searched; accused had a wrapper of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp concealed in a matchbox.

The Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the wrapper contained Indian hemp weighing 0.14 grammes.

Inspector Amanor said when Boateng was granted bail in 2003 he failed to re-appear in court until June 10, 2004, when he was re-arrested.

In his defence Boateng claimed that he found a matchbox containing the Indian hemp under a blanket, which he was sleeping on.