Court convicts British coke girls

November 22, 2007 (Page 20 & 45)
Story: Mabel Aku Baneseh
THE two British juveniles who were found in possession of six kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in their laptop bags were yesterday convicted by the Juvenile Court in Accra.
The court found Yasemin Vatasever and Yetunde Diya, both 16 and of Cypriot and Nigerian parentage, guilty of conspiracy and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.
Sentencing of the two was, however, deferred to December 5, 2007.
The court deferred their sentences because it was awaiting a social services report on the juveniles from the British authorities.
Lawyers of the two have declared their intention to file an appeal against the convictions.
Journalists were later informed after the conviction that the girls broke down in tears after the court’s verdict.
Their trial was heard in camera because the law does not permit cases involving juveniles to be heard in open court.
The convicts who, as usual, hid their faces from the public, were whisked away by security officials after the verdict.
According to the court, the prosecution had established a prima facie case beyond reasonable doubt against the convicts.
Seven prosecution witnesses and one defence witness were called in the trial, which lasted four months.
The girls had pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and maintained that they were lured into Ghana by two men who left them to their fate.
The two were arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) by officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) on July 2, 2007.
Each had in her possession three kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in her laptop bag.
Meanwhile, the families of the two convicts have expressed their deep disappointment at the verdict.
In a statement issued immediately after the verdict, they said, “Yasemin and Yetunde were two extremely vulnerable young girls whose naivety was ruthlessly exploited by the men who lured them into Ghana and left them to this terrible fate.”
It said “while drugs smuggling is clearly a problem which the Ghanaian authorities wish to prevent, our daughters are not the criminal masterminds which the prosecuting authorities have attempted to portray them as being”.
The statement expressed appreciation to the British High Commission, Fair Trials International and Joe Stone from Doughty Street Chambers for their assistance and support “during this difficult time”.