afrol News, 10 January - The sentencing of the two British teenagers found guilty of smuggling six kilograms of cocaine has been deferred for the second time by a juvenile court in the capital Accra. The reasons for the deferment was to allow a social services report to be taken into consideration.

The two girls aged 16 - Yatunde Diya and Yasemin Vatansever - were arrested on July 2, 2007 at Kotoka International Airport in Accra when anti-drugs officers found cocaine worth ₤300,000 in laptop bags they were carrying as they boarded a flight to London .

They were arranged before the court and found guilty in November last year. However, the girls are yet to receive their sentence, as earlier dates were adjourned.

The new date for the sentencing has been scheduled for 23 January.

A Spokesman of the British High Commission in Accra said they were informed by Ghana's Social Welfare Department that they had not finished studying the report. Gary Nicholls,

“Since they are expected to add their comments before submitting it to the court, the judge has agreed to give them a further two weeks,” Gary Nicholls told reporters.

Nicholls said the judge would not accept any further delay.

The teenagers - who pleaded not guilty to the charges - said they were tricked into carrying the bags by male acquaintances in Ghana and Britain, insisting they did not know the contents of the bags.

The two were arrested under Operation Westbridge, a project set up by Britain and Ghana to tackle drug smugglers using Accra airport as a gateway to Britain and Europe .

By Sulayman Makalo in Accra, Ghana

© afrol News

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