Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 7 March 2020

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Two jailed 31 years for possession and sale of Tramadol

Aisha and David were charged with the offence and arraigned before court Aisha and David were charged with the offence and arraigned before court

The Nsuta Circuit Court in the Ejura-Seyedumase Municipality of the Ashanti Region has sentenced an unemployed 27 old lady, Aisha Awudu and 21-year-old David Okrah, chemist attendant to 31 years imprisonment over the possession and sale of Tramadol.

The presiding Judge, Lydia Osei Marfo, fined Aisha and David GHC90,000 and GHC96,000 respectively, a failure which they will serve jail terms of 15 and 16 years.

According to the facts of the case put out by the Prosecutor, ASP Kyei Sarpong Crime Officer of the Ejura Police Command, Aisha on 19th June 2018 was arrested upon intelligence and found without lawful authority possessing and selling 74 tablets of Tramadol 225 milligrams and 100 tablets of Tramadol hydrochloride tablet 225-milligram tablets of the prohibited drugs.

When interrogated, she mentioned Frank Sarpong’s Chemist Shop as her source of supply. She then led the police to the said shop where she pointed David as the shop attendant she’s been buying the drugs from without any prescription from a medical officer.

On police arrival at the shop, David was caught red-handed selling ten tablets of tramadol 225mg to Prince Opoku a witness in the case without any prescription from a medical officer. He was arrested and a search conducted in the shop led to the retrieval of 112 tablets of tramadol 225mg, 6 empty boxes of tramadol 225mg and one empty box of tramadol 120mg.

After investigations, Aisha and David were charged with the offence and arraigned before court.

Meanwhile, the Ejura Police Command Crime Officer ASP Kyei Sarpong, in an interview with Ejura based Naagyei FM’s Kwabena Adjei Adomarakwa vowed to intensify the fight against the illicit use of drugs in the area.

He said the Police will not look on for drugs to destroy the youth of Ejura.

“It’s painful that a young lady is going to spend 15 years of her life in prison, but what she was doing was also wrong. We just couldn’t have looked on for her to sell drugs to people which will end up destroying them. Drug abuse among the youth in Ejura is reaching an alarming proportion, let me warn those who are in this practice to stop. If anyone is arrested the law will deal ruthlessly with the culprit.”