Abdulai Tetteh, a farmer, on Wednesday appeared before the Asamankese Circuit Court charged with possessing 15,000 grams of Indian hemp without lawful authority.
He pleaded not guilty and his counsel, Captain (Retired) Effah Dartey, asked the court to free him since he was innocent of the charge.
Police Chief Inspector, Kate Ogyiri, prosecuting, told the court that on May 28, 2008, the police had information at about 1300 hours that a taxi cab with registration number ER 3381 X driving towards Asamankese from Suhum direction was carrying dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
She said the police on the look-out spotted the cab and signalled it to stop, but the driver sped off.
He was, however, pursued by the police to the outskirts of Asamankese where he abandoned the vehicle, which had Tetteh and other passengers on board.
The prosecutor said when Tetteh was about to flee he was arrested and when the booth of the vehicle was later opened in his presence, a fertilizer bag containing dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp was found and he claimed ownership of it.
He was escorted to the police station together with the exhibit but in a caution statement to the Police, he denied ownership of the bag.
The leaves, sent to the police crime laboratory, proved positive for Indian hemp, weighing 15,000 grams.
Captain Effah-Dartey said his client was an innocent farmer who had been kept in custody for almost a year.
He said Tetteh boarded a taxi and when the driver was asked to stop by the police he abandoned the vehicle and fled and that the police had not proved that Tetteh owned the bag.
Counsel pleaded that Tetteh should be granted bail but the Judge, Mr Emmanuel Siame, refused bail but gave the assurance that Tetteh would receive a speedy trial.