A HARARE man who yesterday told the court that he used
dagga in his food and drink to prevent contracting the coronavirus (Covid-19)
was slapped with a one-year prison term.
Terence Joronga was represented by lawyer Knowledge
Maeresera when he was convicted of unlawful possession of one kilogramme of
dagga by Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga.
Taruvinga suspended six months off the sentence on
condition that Joronga pays $8 000 fine and the remaining six months was set
aside on condition of good behaviour.
“The accused person had the dagga for personal use after
being advised that it could boost his resistance from contracting the
coronavirus if taken in food and drink,” Maeresera said in mitigation.
Prosecutor Lovemore Siyamunda had proposed a stiffer
penalty after submitting that dagga was a mood-altering drug with drastic
health effects.
“The accused person has been convicted of a very serious
offence which is on the increase and calls for a deterrent sentence. This will
protect the public and even the accused person from using the dangerous drug,”
Siyamunda said.
The State proved that on April 24 detectives from CID
Southerton were deployed in Glen Norah A and received information that Joronga
was in possession of dagga at his house.
Detectives proceeded to Joronga’s house and found him
outside before introducing themselves.
Joronga was leaning on his car and detectives requested to
search it and recovered two plastic bags full of dagga.
He was immediately arrested and the dagga was weighed
recording 1,073kg with a street value of $1 600. Daily News
0 comments:
Post a Comment