Loan clerk jailed for drug trafficking

MULENGA MUSONDA writes@SunZambian THE Choma Magistrates Court has convicted and fined a Loan Clerk of a named financial institution K2,000 for trafficking in over 5 grammes of Marijuana.In this matter 28-year-old Joseph Banda pleaded guilty to trafficking in Psychotropic Substances contrary to the Laws of Zambia.Particulars of the offence are that Banda on September 6 trafficked in 5.11grammes of Marijuana a herbal product of Cannabis Sativa without lawful authority or medical recommendation.When he appeared he for Facts before Senior Resident Magistrate Idah Mupemo, the accused person admitted that the Facts read to him were a true reflection of what transpired.According to the facts stated by Public Prosecutor Catherine Sakala, the accused was apprehended from a named Bar after Drug Enforcement Commission received information that an unknown person was dealing in Cannabis.A search conducted on Banda yielded to the recovery of 1 ball of suspected Marijuana which was sent to University Teaching Hospital Food and Drugs Laboratory and the test confirmed that it was Marijuana.In mitigation, Banda pleaded for lenience and explained to the Court that he desperately needed his job which was a source of income for his entire family.In passing the sentence, Magistrate Mupemo expressed disappointment in him for the fact that he was an educated man who indulged himself in illegal activities instead of being a law abiding citizen.She fined him K2,000 in default to serve 9 months in jail with hard labour. The Sun