THE 23-YEAR-OLD lady, Sakina Mustapha, who was busted three days ago by prison officers at the Sunyani Medium Prison for allegedly attempting to smuggle whitish and brownish substances suspected to be cocaine into the prison, has appeared in court and remanded into prison custody to reappear on 25th January, 2017.
Meanwhile, the 98 wraps of the substance found in her black purse have been sent to the police forensic department in Accra for further examination, according to the Brong-Ahafo Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Sampson Gbande.
Sakina Mustapha yesterday appeared before the Sunyani District Magistrate Court ‘A’ presided over by Jojoe Hagan. She was charged with possessing narcotic substance without lawful authority and trying to send it to a prohibited area.
However, Tofic Mohammed, an inmate serving 10 years’ jail term in the Sunyani Medium Prison whom Sakina mentioned to the police as the supposed recipient of the substance, has denied knowledge of any such deal.
It may be recalled that Sakina Mustapha was on 10th January, 2017 arrested by prison officers at the prisons after she had visited an inmate and was still loitering around the premises.
According to Sergeant Sampson Gbande, prison officers had a tip-off from an informant that Sakina, a trader at Berekum, was coming to deliver cocaine to an inmate. Armed with that information, prison officers searched her thoroughly when she arrived but they found no narcotic substance on her and so was allowed to visit the inmate.
He said after seeing the inmate, Mustapha did not go away but loitered around the prison facility, including the canteen. This made officers suspect her movement and so ordered for her arrest. Upon a second search on her, the police officer indicated, 98 wraps containing whitish and brownish substances suspected to be cocaine were found in her black purse. She was arrested and subsequently handed over to the police for further interrogation.