The First Grade Magistrate’s Court sitting in Mponela, Dowa District has today October 23, convicted and sentenced a 22 year old man, Gift Jeffrey to pay a fine of Two hundred thousand Kwacha (K200 000) for being found in possession of chamba without licence.

The court through the State Prosecutor Sub Inspector James Maganga heard that on October 13, 2022, detectives from Mponela Police receives information that Jeffrey is keeping the illicit drug in his house.

Upon receiving that information, the detectives managed to arrest Jeffrey whom they found with 8 loose plastic jumbos full of chamba.

In court, Jeffrey pleaded guilty to the charge of found in possession of cannabis sativa which contraveness regulation 4(A) as read with section 19 of the Dangerous Drug Act.

In his submission, Maganga asked the court to give the convict a stiffer punishment in order to deter other would be offenders.

First Grade Magistrate Talakwanji Mndala concurred with the state prosecutor hence convicted and sentenced him to pay a fine of K200, 000 or in default to spent 9 months in prison with hard labour.

Gift Jeffrey hails from Mphimbi Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mponela in Dowa District.