[1999]DLSC118 • December 22, 1999 • Supreme Court •
BONSU ALIAS BENJILLO vs THE REPUBLIC
On 27 March 1996, a parcel containing heroin was intercepted in Accra. The parcel was collected by Gordon Amartey (4th accused), passed through Henry Akoto (3rd accused), and then to George Bonsu alias Benjillo (2nd accused/appellant), who handed it over to the first accused, a Nigerian national. All five accused were arrested and charged with offences including possession of narcotic drugs. The appellant claimed he was unaware of the parcel's illicit contents and was merely holding it for a friend, Mohammed Iddrisu, who was allegedly out of the country.
read moreJUDGMENT OF BAMFORD-ADDO JSC. This appeal arose out of the case of Sylvester Chuka Osunoh and four others including appellant who was 2” Accused in the case, The charge sheet contains three Counts but the Count in respect of which appeal has been brought relates to Count 3 and reads as follows: “Count Three Statement of Offence Possessing Narcotic drug contrary to section 2(1) of the Narcotic Drugs (Control Enforcement and Sanction) Law 1990 (PNDCL 236) Particulars of Offence Sylvester Chuka Osunoh, George Bonsu alias Benjillo, Henry Akoto, Gordon Amartey and Alexander Osunoh on 27 March 1996 at Accra in the Greater Accra Circuit of the Republic of Ghana and within the jurisdiction of this Tribunal did have in your possession 417.0670 grammes of heroin a narcotic drug, without lawful authority.” The facts are that on 27 of March 1996 Gordon Amartey, the fourth accused in the case and an administrative off...