NARCOTIC SUSPECT ARRESTED IN KUMASI (PAGE 29, SEPT 29, 2010)

THE vigilance of health personnel at the SDA Hospital in Kumasi has led to the arrest of a 36-year-old physically challenged person alleged to have been peddling substances suspected to be narcotic drugs at the hospital.
The suspect, identified as Maxwell Djinku, unemployed and resident at Asokwa in Kumasi, was alleged to have sneaked into the female ward of the hospital and allegedly offered a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine to a patient who was on admission at the ward.
Moments after the suspect left the ward, the patient, identified as Ayisha Fuseini, was seen sniffing the whitish substance at the washroom and when questioned, she mentioned Djinku as her supplier.
The health authorities quickly alerted the security personnel who apprehended Djinku at the gates and when he was searched, dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp were retrieved from his pocket.
Both Djinku and Ayisha were handed over to the Police Narcotic Unit in Kumasi to assist them in their investigations. The substances have been sent to the police forensic laboratory for testing as part of police investigations.
While Djinku was charged with supplying narcotic drugs without authority and attempting to use narcotic drugs, Ayisha was charged with attempting to use narcotic drugs.
The suspects were remanded into prison custody last Friday by a Kumasi Circuit Court presided over by Justice Agyei Frimpong. They would reappear before the court on October 8, 2010.
Presenting the facts before the court, the prosecutor, Inspector Asenso, said on September 17, 2010, Ayisha Fuseini, who was suffering from stomach pains, was admitted to the hospital.
He said three days after her admission, the pains subsided and as the medical officers were preparing to discharge her, they spotted Djinku at the bedside of the patient.
He said moments after Djinku had left the patient, they saw that she had rushed into the washroom and this prompted some of the medical staff to investigate.
He said as soon as the door was opened, they saw Ayisha sniffing a whitish substance and when questioned she mentioned Djinku as the supplier of the substance.
This, he said, made the hospital authorities alert the security about the operations of Djinku. The security apprehended him as soon as he reached the gates.
The prosecutor said when he was searched, dried substances suspected to be Indian Hemp were retrieved from his pocket, so the police narcotic unit were alerted and they rushed to arrest the two to assist in their investigations.
He said the substances were also sent to the forensic unit for testing, while the suspects were charged and arraigned as part of police investigations.