The Ashaiman Circuit Court has sentenced Emmanuel Atinga, a labourer of the Ghana Dock Labour Company, to a fine of GHC2, 400. 00 or in default serve four months jail term, for attempting to stowaway to Belgium.
Atinga, pleaded guilty to the charge of stowaway.
The convict together with his colleagues were contracted to offload containers from the vessel, M/V Grandi Lagos, at Takoradi, on July 24, 2021, after which they were all asked to evacuate the vessel.
Chief Inspector of Police Samuel Aperwah told the court presided over by Mr Eleanor Kakra Banes Botchway that Atinga hid in one of the containers of the vessel.
Prosecution said the vessel left the shores of Ghana and sailed to Abidjan Port, where it docked for three days, and left for Europe on July 28.
Chief Insp Aperwah said that on August 5, 2021, when the vessel berthed at Belgium port, the convict came out of his hideout.
Atinga was grabbed by one of the handlers of the vessel and handed over to captain of the vessel.
Atinga was kept him in a cabin of the vessel till it was loaded and headed back to Africa, on August 10.
The vessel docked at Benin port on August 22, and accused was handed over to immigration officials, who transferred him to Ghana by flight and handed over to the police. – GNA