WOMAN 56, JAILED FOR TRAFFICKING IN MARIJUANA

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 13:14:14 +0000

By Justina Mulenga

THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court yesterday sentenced a 56-year-old woman of Lusaka’s John Laing compound to 9 months imprisonment for trafficking in psychotropic substances – 78.8 kilograms of marijuana –  without lawful authority.

Maggie Sachikuyu was charged with two counts of trafficking in marijuana while Mwansa Lukwesa, 19, and a 17- year-old boy are facing one count of trafficking in Psychotropic Substances contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

In count one it alleged that Sachikuyu, Mwansa Lukwesa, and the juvenile on November 30th 2017 in Lusaka, did traffic in psychotropic substances, 78.8 kglograms of marijuana, a herbal product of cannabis saliva without lawful authority.

And in count two, she is charged with trafficking in  psychotropic substances namely 3.2 kilograms of marijuana on November 30th 2017 in Lusaka.

The matter came up yesterday before Magistrate Faidess Hamaundu for sentencing.

Ms Hamaundu sentenced Sachikuyu to six months imprisonment in the first count, and 9 months in the second count and all sentences to run concurrently.

She also sentenced Mwansa to six months imprisonment and referred the juvenile to the Drug Enforcement Commission for rehabilitation. Ms Hamaundu told Sachikuyu that she had received those sentences for taking advantage of the two young men and engaging them in trafficking in harmful substances like marijuana.

“I have sentenced you accordingly and for taking advantage of these young men by engaging them in trafficking in such harmful substances as marijuana,” she said. In the same court, a woman of Bauleni compound, Febby Siachubo, aged 53, yesterday failed to identify the man alleged to have defiled her granddaughter.

When the witness was asked to identify the accused who was in the dock, she failed because she had never met him.

Siachubo, told the court how her granddaughter visited her with a friend crying that a man had defiled her. She told the court that after receiving that report, she checked her granddaughter and found that her pant was torn.

She testified that after finding out that her granddaughter’s pant was torn, she rushed to the police with the two girls and reported the matter and were later issued with a medical report to take to the hospital. The told the police that they could identify the suspect if he was brought before the police.

 “I received a call from an unknown person who said he was the relative to Moses (accused),” she testified. It is alleged that Moses Julius Hangoma, 31, on March 27th 2017 in Lusaka, had unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 16 years.

The court adjourned the case to January 8th 2018 for continued trial.