Farmer gets 12 months imprisonment for possessing weed

A 45-year-old farmer, Sampson Appiah has been jailed 12 months for possessing ‘weed’.

Mr. Appiah who admits he smokes the narcotic drug indicated that he never dealt in it as a business.

He said he was arrested after the police invaded his room and found a parcel and seeds of indian hemp.

‘What I know is that when the police want to search your room they have to comb through the room but these police officers led by their Commander, went straight to my television, raised it and found the ‘weed’ there and also went straight to my wife’s handbag in which they removed seeds of weed,’ he indicated.

Mr. Appiah said he was surprised at the actions of the police and suspected he was framed up by one of his uncles because he had an altercation with him over the death of their queen mother.

“I come from a royal family. I was away when I was informed that the queen mother had passed. This was because my uncle and the queen mother disagreed on the choice of who to become the next Chief of the area,’ he said.

He added, ‘I was told my uncle had subjected the queen mother to beatings which caused her death.’

Mr. Appiah said he confronted his uncle over the issue but his uncle indicated that he was threatening him so they should resort to legal action.  He indicated that his uncle may have connived with the police to effect the search and his subsequent arrest.

‘At the police station, I changed my statement and said I was guilty because of the torment my wife was going through. I was also subjected to severe beatings,’ he said.

Mr. Appiah said he was jailed twelve months by a Court after his failure to pay his fine of Two Thousand Four Hundred Ghana cedis.

Crime Check Foundation (CCF) paid his fine for his release through the support of one of its donors, Antwiwaa Akua Fordjour.

Time With The Prisoner

CCF visits prisons across the country to interview inmates bringing to bare their struggles in prison to discourage the public on the consequences of crime.

By Rudolph Nandi