Court Sentence Cocaine Dealer Linda Chinula To 3 Year Imprisonment

Lilongwe Senior Residence Magistrate Court has convicted and sentenced Linda Chinula to 3 years jail term for importation and 2 year jail term for being found in Possession of Dangerous Drug, Cocaine and these sentences will run concurrently.

Chinula aged 22 was arrested by Police at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) last week Friday when police confiscated her luggage containing dangerous drug, cocaine weighing two kilograms.

Chinula, a Lilongwe based business lady was arrested upon arrival from Lome in Togo where she went on Saturday, November 20, 2016 through KIA.

KIA Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Sapulain Chitonde, said the State Prosecutor for the Malawi Police Service, Deputy Director of Headquarters  Prosecution Branch, Nefia Thomson Chafikana prayed  for the custodial sentence to Linda Chinula with no option of fine as a deterrent to the would be offenders because drug traffickers like Linda are rich and can manage pay fines.

"The prosecutor asked Court to give custodial sentence to the convict considering that this is one of the dangerous drug which she planned to smuggle into the Country because this would have affected the good reputation of Malawi." He said

Cocaine

Chitonde further said prosecutor Chafikana also informed court that the convict had made suspicious movements between Togo, Zambia and Malawi before her arrest and that she admitted to have once managed to sneak into the country with the drug through the same airport, KIA.

"In her mitigation, Linda asked for leniency because she has a three year old baby and that she looks after three Orphans and her old mother." Said Sgt. Chitonde

However, Sgt Chitonde said the presiding Senior Residence Magistrate, Her Worship Shailene Yonah agreed that there was need for stiffer penalty then pronounced a 3 years jail sentence for importation of the dangerous drug and 2 year jail term for being found in Possession of Dangerous Drug and these sentences will run concurrently.

Cocaine exhibited in the court has been burnt

The cocaine was found concealed in one of Chinula's hand language.

Meanwhile the exhibits and the black hand language bag used to carry the drug were immediately burnt in view of the prosecutor Chafikana, Police officers, Court Officials and the Senior Residence Magistrate Her Worship Yonah.