Accra, July 18, GNA - An Accra Regional Tribunal on Tuesday sentenced a 35-year-old welder from Sekondi to 10 years' imprisonment with hard labour for possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority. Ebenezer Essuman changed his plea from not guilty to guilty and the Tribunal convicted him accordingly.

At the last adjourned date on July 10 the Prosecution closed its case and Essuman was ordered to open his defence on Tuesday. Instead of opening his defence when the case came up for hearing, Essuman changed his plea to guilty.

As a result, the Tribunal chaired by Mr Justice Frank Manu, had no alternative than to convict and sentence him accordingly. The facts as narrated on the first day by the Prosecution were that on June 25 2005, Essuman arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to emplane to Italy.

Mr Essuman was suspected of carrying drugs and was arrested by security officers and escorted to the 37th Military Hospital. An X-ray examination conducted on him revealed that the Convict had foreign materials in his stomach and he expelled 50 pellets of substance suspected to be cocaine. An analytical examination and report on the substance at the Ghana Standards Board proved positive for cocaine. 18 July 06