Information reaching tv3network.com from the United Kingdom suggests that Nayele Ametefe, the Ghanaian lady busted for transporting 12.5 kg of cocaine into the UK is likely to change her guilty plea.
Nayele Ametefe a.k.a Ruby Appiah pleaded guilty on her first appearance on November 27, 2014 at the Crown Court at Isleworth in the UK. Due to her guilty plea, the judge adjourned the case to January 5, 2015 for sentencing.
The case was again shifted to Tuesday January 6, 2015. Speaking in an interview with Accra based Citi Fm, a lawyer and former senior Crown Prosecutor in the UK, Godwin Adjei-Gyamfi disclosed that Nayele Ametefe is likely to plead not guilty because she has changed her lawyer.
He said ?tomorrow, we will see a different lawyer for the accused simply because, the previous lawyer for reasons beyond reasoning has been relieved of her duty and so we will see a different counsel.?
Mr. Gyamfi further indicated that ?from my experience in the courtroom, normally, when the accused person wishes to vacate her plea, it?s good to sacrifice your previous defense lawyer and put the blame on him or her. If there is a change in the plea, we will find blame being shifted onto the previous counsel.?
If the accused goes forward with a not-guilty plea, the trial would have to go the full haul. This also means the number of years she could be sentenced to, would be higher than if she stays with her earlier guilty plea.
Some lawyers are suggesting that Nayele is like to get between 9 and 10 years if her earlier guilty plea stands but if she changes her position and a full trial goes forth, she is likely to get between 13-15 years.
Source:?Martin Asiedu-Dartey , tv3network
