NAYELE AMETEFE JAILED 8 YEARS

Nayele Ametefe

Nayele Ametefe also known as Ruby Adu Gyamfi the Ghanaian lady standing trial for transporting cocaine into the UK, has been sentenced to eight years and eight months jail term.

The Isleworth Crown Court in the UK passed the judgment Tuesday afternoon.

Nayele, who pleaded guilty to carrying 12 kilos of cocaine to the United Kingdom, was sentenced on her own plea.

The 32-year-old is believed to have used the VVIP Lounge of Ghana’s only international airport – Kotoka – in the capital Accra to smuggle the prohibited substance outside the shores of the West African country via a British Airways flight.

Nayele, was busted in the United Kingdom (UK) for carrying 12.5 kg of cocaine. During her first appearance on November 27, 2014 at the Isleworth Crown Court she pleaded guilty and the case was postponed Monday 5th January 2015.

However, sitting was rescheduled to today, January 6, 2015 due to the fact that Nayele was indisposed. Apart from that, the court needed to conclude on their forensic analysis.

the street value of the cocaine carried by Nayele was approximately 1.9 million Pounds. She was reported to have had on her $23, 000 and 6000 Pounds at the time of her arrest.

NAYELE'S LIFE 

Counsel for Nayele, in his submission for a mitigated sentence, disclosed that his client is a single parent with three children. The first child is 16 years (girl), second and third are 13 and 11 years respectively.

According to him, Nayele is currently 32 years old and got married to a Spare Parts dealer at the age of 16, though the marriage has broken down.

Nayele is from an underprivileged home and was born in Accra to a Ghanaian mother and father. Later the father left home to Austria and that was how she came by the Austrian passport. She has two other siblings.

She got linked to some friends in high places and was introduced a higher way of living.

Lawyer James Kubi also told the court that his client came into contact with powerful politicians in 2004 and her life changed dramatically, adding that she still remains connected to powerful politicians who are currently in power in Ghana.

According to the lawyer, she needed to protect her children and that is why she became ‘vulnerable’.

HOW NAYELE GOT INVOLVED IN COCAINE SAGA

Nayele came in contact with a Ghanaian business woman in her late fifties (name withheld) and was given a business proposal. Nayele's counsel further stated that his client engaged herself in the business to support her newly attained high class lifestyle and to take care of her three children due to the amount of money involved.

According to her lawyer, unbeknownst to Nayele, the package given to her by the woman was cocaine and that led to her arrest at the Heathrow Airport.

The court, after listening to arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsel, sentenced her to eight years and eight months' imprisonment, of which she has to serve at least half before she can be eligible for parole.

According to her lawyer, she is not likely to return to Ghana after her jail term and could head to Austria.