Accra Sept. 10, GNA - Obeng Karikari, a pharmacist technologist of the La General Hospital who allegedly gave quantities of Indian Hemp to two persons to conceal them in drums for export on Thursday appeared before a circuit court in Accra.

With him in the dock was Seidu Ibrahim a 28-year-old carver and Joseph David Theodore a 27-year-old musician.

The three persons who were jointly charged with conspiracy and possessing dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, pleaded not guilty. The court presided over Mrs Elizabeth Ankomah has remanded them into Police custody to reappear in two weeks.

Mr Ben Sackey, who represented the accused persons, told the court that his clients had been in the custody of the Police for a week and prayed the court to admit them to bail.

Mr Sackey said the accused persons were residents in Accra and would not abscond from the court's jurisdiction. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dela Blagodzi however, prayed the court to remand the accused persons to enable the Police to complete their investigations.

ASP Blagodzi said on September 3, this year the Police received information that a group of men at the Arts Centre were concealing dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp into drums for export. Based on that information, Policemen were dispatched to kiosk number 64 at the Arts Centre and met Ibrahim stuffing the drugs into the drums. The Policemen arrested Ibrahim who mentioned that it was Karikari who gave him the stuff to conceal in the drums.

Prosecution said Theodore, a Nigerian friend of Ibrahim who was present was also arrested. Ibrahim invited Obeng to the Arts Centre and the Police also rounded him up. In Karikari's caution statement, he confirmed that he gave the substance to Ibrahim and that he obtained it from one Clap from Wegbe, near Hohoe in the Volta Region. 10 Sept. 09