By Jeneba A.Conteh
Magistrate Marke Ngegba of the Pademba Road Court No.1 has sentenced Success Gibson, a pupil of the Ahmadiya Secondary School to a jail term of twelve months and Kadiatu Kamara to a jail term of eight years.
Both convicts were charged for the offence of unlawful possession of Kush and cannabis sativa contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Act of 2008.
According to the particulars of offence, on the 24th January, 2023, at Calabash, Kissy in Freetown, the first convict, Success Gipson, age 24- year, was found in possession of 140 wraps of Kush weighing 20.6 grams, while the second convict Kadiatu Kamara age 24, was found in possession of 25 wraps of cannabis sativa weighing 38.9 grams without lawful authorities.
Taking the witness stand, the exhibit clerk,Mohamed Yusuf Jalloh, Detective Police Constable 2905 attached to the exhibit store of the Trans National Organized Crime Unit, Hastings in Freetown,recognized the accused persons in the dock.
He said he was on duty on the 6th of January 2023 at Hastings when Detective Sergeant 13905 Bangura S. handed over to him the following exhibit to wit twenty five wraps of cannibi sativa, one hundred and fifty wraps of kush and ten book of rizla. He said he received them and registered them in the court exhibit book against serial number 06/2023.
The witness said since then they have been in his custody .
After tendering the exhibits, defense counsel, Kemeh Kamara, informed the Bench that her client wanted to change their plea.
The court clerk re-read the charges and both accused person pleaded guilty to the charges levied against them.
Reading the fact as charged, the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Christian Davis Cole, said both accused were charged with the offenses above for which the punish attached is not less than five years. She said even though they were first offenders, she wish the bench to lay punishment on them that will serve as warning to others.
Defence counsel prayed for the Bench to temper justice with mercy. She said her clients didn’t waste the court time by pleading guilty to the charges levied against them.
Defence counsel said the first accused is a pupil attending Ahmadiya Secondary School and has to write his first term exams.
