Maravi

Magistrates bemoan prevalence of drug trafficking in Chipata

Magistrates bemoan prevalence of drug trafficking in Chipata
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sunday, May 31, 2009 11:26:38 PM

TWO magistrates in Chipata have bemoa-ned the prevalence of drug trafficking in the district. And the Chipata magistrates court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to 16 months imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a cell phone worth K250,000 from a vehicle.

Magistrates Mary Chibanga and Ackson Mumba said the court would not condone people facing drug trafficking cases.

The two magistrates made the remarks when they were sentencing two people who were facing drug trafficking charges in separate courts.

Magistrate Chibanga, who sentenced Gibson Mulilo of Mnukwa area to two years imprisonment with hard labour for drug trafficking, said drug trafficking cases were rampant in the district and that there was need for the court to put up a deterrent by sending the people convicted of the offence to prison.

Mulilo was found with 410 kilogrammes of cannabis at his tobacco shed early this week.

In mitigation, Mulilo asked for the courts leniency saying he was an orphan and was suffering from fits.

And when sentencing Christopher Banda of Humanism Farm in chief Chinunda's area, magistrate Mumba said the case of drug trafficking that Banda was charged with was not only a serious one but was also prevalent in Chipata.

He said Banda, who was found with 830.5 kilogrammes of cannabis, was supposed to consider his plight before committing the offence.

Magistrate Mumba said Banda would have grown maize instead of cannabis, which affects people's mental status.

He said trafficking in psychotropic substances was a serious offence that attracted a custodian sentence of up to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.

Magistrate Mumba sentenced Banda to a 12 months simple imprisonment with effect from May 27, 2009, which was the day of arrest.

In mitigation Banda said he did not know that trafficking in psychotropic substances was not allowed in Zambia and vowed that he would never engage in such activities again.

Banda asked the court to exercise leniency because he was looking after four orphans and had three children.

He told the court that he got a loan amounting to K8.5 million from Alliance One Tobacco Company and that it would be difficult to pay back the loan if he was arrested.

And magistrate Miriam Nachalwe sentenced Patrick 'Mbesuma' Phiri of Mchini compound to 16 months and not the 16 years as we had reported in Sunday's edition for stealing a phone.

Labels: CHIPATA, DRUGS

posted by MrK @ 10:29 PM