A man convicted and sentenced to a 15-year jail term for drug possession has been ordered to pay a P1000.00 fine by end of July or risk getting an additional five years for the offence.
Kenathebe Lekoko, 32, of Phaleng ward in Shoshong was found in possession of more than 110mg of Methacathionine on the 12th of July 2019 at Boseja ward in Maun and was charged for illegal possession of drugs by Maun police.
When passing sentence, Magistrate Keneilwe Kgoadi took into consideration Lekoko’s plea for leniency and gave him a lesser sentence.
Magistrate Kgoadi explained that the crime carried a fine not exceeding P1million alongside five to seven years imprisonment in default of payment, but she considered the fact that Lekoko was a first offender.
”The accused person in his mitigation pleaded with the court to take into consideration the fact that he is a breadwinner in his family, never interfered with police investigations, attended all mentions as and when required to do so, has since been reformed and was only lured into drug dealing as a result of unemployment,” Kgoadi stated.
Kgoadi expressed concern that cases of illegal drug possession were on the rise in the Maun area with people blaming unemployment and poverty as an extenuating factor, “These cases have now become prevalent in this area with people shifting the blame on unemployment and poverty. The innocent communities are exposed to these dangerous substances,” she said.
The drugs have since been forfeited to the state for disposal.