A 39 year old businessman of Mukwantha village in Chief Mwase Nthembwe’s area of Lundazi district has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with hard for trafficking in marijuana.
Appearing before Lundazi Magistrate Milton Nyirenda was Elias Banda, a businessman who admitted to the charge before court.
Particular of the offence are that Elias Banda on May, 9th, 2016 jointly and whilst acting together with Christopher Sichone aged 31 a businessman of John Laing in Lusaka, Daphless Tembo 52 a peasant farmer, Dingiswayo Mwale 42 a driver of Roman Catholic Compound in Lundazi district and Hermit Chungu 68 a businessman of Zgobeta village in Chief Kapichila were arrested by officers from DEC, the Drug Enforcement Commission for trafficking in psychotropic substance commonly known as marijuana weighing 2,546 kilogram.
And when the matter came up on May, 9th, 2016 Elias Banda readily admitted to the offence, forcing Magistrate Nyirenda to adjourn the case to 23rd May for sentencing Elias Banda.
The other four accused denied committing the offence and the matter was adjourned to June, 7th, 2016 for the commencement of trial.
In mitigation Elias Banda pleaded with the court to exercise maximum lenience on him since he was a family man adding that if sent to prison his family would suffer.
But Magistrate Nyirenda said it was the duty of the court to give stiff punishment to wrong doers to deter would be offenders.