Accra, May 12, GNA - An Accra Regional Tribunal on Friday sentenced Jimmy Chika, a 32-year old Nigerian, to 10 years' imprisonment with hard labour for dealing in cocaine.

The tribunal presided over by Mr Justice Frank Manu convicted Chika on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly.

The convict, a native of Abia State, was first put before the tribunal in September 2005 on charges of attempted exportation and possession of a total of 963.5 grams of cocaine without lawful authority.

The case for the Prosecution was that on April 10, 2005 Chika arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to board a KLM flight to Amsterdam en route to Vienna.

While going through boarding formalities, the Convict was picked up by officials of the Narcotic Control Board on suspicion of carrying narcotic drugs.

Chika was escorted to the 37th Military Hospital where an x-ray examination conducted on him revealed that he had foreign material in his stomach.

Under the supervision of the Narcotic Control Board officials, the Convict expelled 70 whitish pellets suspected to be cocaine. Upon interrogation, Chika alleged that the drugs were given to him by one Chief Sam in Lome to sell for him in Vienna. Ghana Standards Board's analysis of the substance proved positive for cocaine, a narcotic drug, with a total weight of 965.5 grams.