Accra, March 4, GNA - The Greater Accra Regional Tribunal on Tuesday sentenced a businessman, Ellis Essilfie, to 10 years' imprisonment in hard labour for attempting to export cocaine in 44 capsules to Madrid, Spain.

Essilfie, who was charged with attempted exportation and possessing 510 grammes of cocaine, pleaded not guilty. He, however, changed his plea and the tribunal convicted him on his own plea.

The case of prosecution was that at about 1800 hours on March 29, 2006 Essilfie arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to board British Airways flight to Madrid, Spain.

The prosecution said personnel of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) on duty at KIA suspected him of carrying narcotic drugs as a result of his demeanour.

He was therefore picked by the personnel of NACOB and while he was being escorted to the 37 Military Hospital he took to his heels. However, he was chased by NACOB officials and police personnel who arrested him and sent him to the hospital where an x-ray proved that he had foreign materials in his stomach.

When Essilfie was put under surveillance, he expelled 44 pellets of whitish substance suspected to be cocaine.

During interrogation, Essilfie said he bought the cocaine at the cost of 4,000 dollars from one Fosu at Matehako, Accra.