Guinean Jailed For Drug Pushing

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, 03 August 2006.
A 34-year-old Guinean was yesterday sentenced to 18 years in jail for drug trafficking by the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal in Accra.

Amadou Lamarana Diallo who is self employed concealed 29 pellets of cocaine weighing 289.17 grammes in his underwear and attempted to export it to Europe last year.

He had pleaded not guilty to possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority but the tribunal presided over by Mr. Justice Frank Manu, returned a guilty verdict after a full trial.

Mrs. Rebecca K. Adjalo, Assistant State Attorney who prosecuted the case said Diallo was arrested on April 2, last year, at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) where he was about to travel to Mapenza, Italy.

She told the tribunal that Diallo, holder of a Guinean passport arrived at KIA on that day at about 9.30 pm where a Narcotic Control Board official picked him for a search because his dressing appeared suspicious.

During the search the officials found out that Diallo had wrapped a black band under his waist and covered with his underwear.

When asked, the convict claimed it was "juju" which he was sending to Greece to cure his sick child.

The convict further claimed that he bought the stuff from someone at Cantonments in Accra but when he led the police to the place he could not identify anybody there.