A 31-year-old painter was on Wednesday arraigned at a Circuit Court in Accra for possessing two large parcels and 38 wrappers of cannabis without lawful authority. David Asare pleaded not guilty. The court admitted Asare to 80 million cedis bail with a surety to reappear on October 10, this year.<br><br> The case as presented by prosecution was that Asare lived at Awoshie, a suburb in Accra. On February 4, last year, Personnel from Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) of the Police Service received information that Asare was peddling in drugs and when they went to the spot they saw Asare selling the cannabis to people under a tree.
He was arrested and when searched, 38 wrappers of cannabis were found on him. Prosecution said Asare was escorted to a kiosk nearby which served as his place of abode and two large parcels were retrieved.<br><br>Asare claimed ownership and explained that he was unemployed, had a wife and two children to cater for and he was thus making a livelihood from the sale of the drug. The drugs when tested at Police Forensic Laboratory showed that they were cannabis.<br><br> In related development the same court has remanded a 27-year-old carpenter for also possessing 65 wrappers of cannabis without lawful authority. Kwame Appiah pleaded not guilty and is expected to reappear on October 27. Prosecution said on February 18, last year security personnel, from embarked on anti-drug operation in the Accra Metropolis and arrested Appiah on a vegetable farm near the Odaw River at Alajo with 65 wrappers of cannabis in a polythene bag.<br><br> Appiah claimed ownership but refused to disclose his source of supply. Prosecution said examination conducted by the Police Forensic Laboratory certified that the substance found on Appiah were cannabis and weighed 32.3 grams.