Friday, March 29, 2024

71-year-old man put on Defence for Cultivating Marijuana

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A 71- year- old -man of Mpongwe district has been found with a case to answer for cultivation of marijuana, a psychotropic substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Before Luanshya Principal Resident Magistrate Dominic Makalicha was Dickson Makaya, 71, of Mpongwe district.

It was alleged that on 24th May, 2015, a team of Drug Enforcement Commission Officers conducted a search on the accused’s farm where it was discovered that he was cultivating marijuana intercropped with Maize.

The court heard that following a tip-off from the public that the accused was involved in the cultivation and trafficking of Psychotropic substance called marijuana, DEC officers went to the accused’s house.

DEC officer Sydney Ngulube, 39, told the court that he in company of other officers went to the accused’s house were they searched for marijuana which was not found and later extended the search to his maize field where they found that he was growing marijuana inter cropped with maize.

The witness presented to the court a greenish weed approximately 1 meter tall, as part of evidence which was obtained from the field, adding that the accused was then apprehended and held at Luanshya central police station.

The matter has been adjourned to 11th August 2015 as the prosecution team is still awaiting an analyst report from Lusaka which will prove that the crop under question was actually marijuana.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Makalicha has warned that he will unconditionally discharge six other accused persons charged with possession and trafficking of marijuana if the state fails to present evidence to the court on 11th August 2015.

Mr Makalicha said the cases have been long overdue but that the state has failed to present to the court analysts’ reports to verify allegations that the substance under question was actually marijuana.

He adjourned all the cases to 11th August, 2015 for continued trial were the state would prove its case.

And in another matter, Magistrate Makalicha has deferred a case in which a 25- year- old- man of Mpatamato Township in Luanshya is charged for an act intended to cause grievous harm according to chapter 224 A of the Laws of Zambia.

Before court was Kerris Chanda, a taxi driver of house number 481 section 25 Mpatamato Township in Luanshya who did cause injury to Albert Simona, a Zambia police road traffic officer with intent to disable, break and cause grievous harm.

It is alleged that on 3, August, 2015 the accused injured Simona when he tried to grab car keys from the accused through the window for a said traffic offense when the accused rolled his window up and drove off drugging the officer along with him.

Explaining the charge to the accused, Mr Makalicha said the offense the accused stood charged with was to be tried by the High Court as it was beyond his jurisdiction.

He has since adjourned the case to 20th August 2015 for mention and committal to the High court and that the accused shall be remanded in custody awaiting instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP’s) office.

1 COMMENT

  1. *****s. What right has a police Officer got for trying to grab the car keys? Police are out of order here. I do not care what the Court says . Do not punish the public for silly cases like this

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