Nkhunga First Grade Magistrate (FGM) Court in Nkhotakota has convicted and sentenced a 35 year old man to pay a fine of K 300, 000 or in default serve a 12 months jail term for being found in possession of Indian hemp contrary to section 19 (1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act as read with regulation 4 (d) of the same Act.
The court, through Inspector Wills Asibu, heard that the convict, Aubrey Banda, on December 14,2017 abandoned a motor vehicle Nissan Tiida registration number MC 5047 with 20 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 343 kilogrammes (Kgs) inside Illovo forest in Dwangwa.
“We received a tip from members of the public that there was a motor vehicle that plunged into Illovo Forest, a certain idle land within Dwangwa Estate and was left unattended to for about three hours.
“Following the tip from members of the general public, police on December 14, 2017 intercepted the said motor vehicle inside Illovo Forest in Dwangwa where it plunged due to over speeding but the driver had escaped,” he said.
On January 4, this year police arrested the convict who pleaded guilty before the court.
In mitigation Banda pleaded for leniency saying he looks after his family and if sent to prison, his family would suffer.
However, the state in its submission pleaded for stiffer punishment taking into account how rampant such kinds of offences are in the district, let alone Dwangwa area.
Passing the sentence, FGM Kingsley Buleya echoed sentiments by the state to deter would-be offenders.
“The court orders you to pay K 300, 000 fine or in default serve a 12months jail term,” Buleya concluded the case.
Banda who comes from Kapuwa Village, Traditional Authority Khonsolo in Mzimba district has since paid the fine.
According to The New Conversions Act, anyone found in possession of 50kgs or above of Indian hemp shall be fined an amount not exceeding K 20 million or serve a life sentence in prison.
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