Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Source: GNA

“I needed wee to relief stress” – electrician tells court

A 23-year-old electrician was on last Monday jailed ten years by a Kumasi Circuit Court for possessing a wrap of Indian hemp popularly known as “wee” weighing 0.78 grammes.

Richard Kwaku Beganon, who pleaded guilty with explanation sent the packed court into laughter when he told the court that he had a long day at his work and needed to relieve the stress with the drug.

The court however ignored his explanation and maintained that it was an offence to posses drugs without prescription.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Doris Amewu narrated to the court presided over by Justice D.W.P Amedior, that the complainants in the case were workers of the Goil filling station, Santasi in Kumasi.

On January 12, this year, at about 0200hours, they spotted Beganon loitering around and they confronted him.

He told them he needed a match to light his wrapped substance believed to be Cannabis.

The staff became suspicious thinking that he wanted to set the place ablaze, arrested him.

Beganon was sent to the Suntreso police, and later transferred to the Drug Enforcement Unit where in his caution statement admitted ownership of the substance.**