The Ghanaian woman arrested in the UK for allegedly trafficking cocaine could face a life sentence if found guilty, UK-based legal practitioner and consultant, Joseph Gans-Lartey has said.

Nayele Ametefeh, aka Ruby Adu Gyamfi, was busted in Heathrow International Airport about two weeks ago with 12.5 kilograms of cocaine.

She has pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking and illegally possessing of cocaine when her trial began on Thursday at the Isleworth Crown Court in West London.

The case has been adjourned to January 5, 2015.

In terms of the British law on drugs, cocaine is classified under category ‘A’, Gans-Lartey said. Under Section 170 of the Customs and Excise Act, “it can attract a life sentence”.

The life sentence “doesn’t mean she will spend the rest of her life in jail”, he explained on Joy FM's Top Story.

If she is found to be a habitual trafficker, the trial judge “may put her away for life”,  he explained further, that would be subject to the interpretation of the judge who can define the life sentence to be 25 years or whatever years he or she will put on it.

Joy News’ George Wiafe who was in court reported that the brief hearing was done via video link and Nayele who appeared calm and remorse, and wanted early sentence. Four women and a gentleman out of the many Ghanaians who trooped to the court to witness the hearing identified themselves as relatives of Nayele Ametefeh.

The court however wants to take its time for a forensic test to be conduct to ascertain whether the substance is indeed cocaine and the actual quantity, George said.

Pleading guilty could mitigate her sentence, Gans-Lartey stated.

The courts would not rush into passing judgment because they would want a historical background – whether she is a first time offender or habitual drug importer which could influence their judgment, Gans-Lartey said.

In addition to jail sentence, any goods of hers that the courts are convinced were proceeds of crime can be seized.

Joseph Gans-Lartey is however cautioning against the politicization of the cocaine issue.

“There are a lot of political games being played with these things; it does not help our country. If people have facts that a particular political party is involved or not they should come out and state the facts, not speculate; because all it does is to damage and tarnish the Ghanaian image abroad.”

Head of Research with the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Training Centre Dr. Kwasi Aning indicated on Top Story that Nayele's  plea of 'guilty' could be a strategy to divert attention from her collaborators.

“But this would not wash,” Dr. Aning who has also done some work with the UN office on Drugs and Crime stated.