 The girls were arrested as the went to board a plane in Accra |
Two British girls charged with trying to smuggle cocaine into the UK have appeared in court in Ghana. Yasemin Vatansever and Yatunde Diya, both 16, were arrested on 2 July as they tried to board a plane in Accra.
The students, both from north London, are accused of trying to carry cocaine worth �300,000 into the UK.
Their pleas were kept confidential under Ghana's juvenile laws and the court hearing in the capital Accra sat in a closed session.
'Fair trial'
On 12 July the pair were charged with possessing and attempting to smuggle drugs, an offence which carries a jail term of up to 10 years.
Sabine Zanker, from Fair Trials Abroad, explained that they were being tried under Ghana's Juvenile Justice Act.
This, she said, means they can only be remanded for a week at a time and their trial must be completed within six months.
Ms Zanker said: "We have every confidence in the justice system there. We believe they will be getting a fair trial."
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