High Court Holden in Portloko District, 29th January 2026:
The High Court of Sierra Leone, sitting in Kambia, has sentenced Finda Aziz Turay to five years imprisonment following her conviction for illegal possession of drugs.
The convict was arraigned before the court on four counts, including unlawful possession of drugs contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act 2008 (Act No. 10 of 2008) and selling of drugs contrary to Section 7(c) of the same Act.
Turay pleaded guilty to count one – illegal possession of drugs without lawful authority – but pleaded not guilty to counts two, three, and four.
In mitigation, defence counsel M. Korie Esq. and T.P. M. Sowa told the court that the convict is a first-time offender and a mother of two children. They noted that she had not wasted the court’s time and urged the judge to temper justice with mercy.
The defence appealed for a minimal custodial sentence or a fine as an alternative, pursuant to Section 12(3) of the National Drugs Control Act 2008. Counsel argued that a custodial sentence would end the convict’s career, which is her principal source of income.
In response, Prosecution Counsel, Tholley Esq. urged the judge to consider that the convict was caught with thirty-nine (39) wraps of kush, weighing thirty-four point six (34.6) grams. He reminded the court that the offence carries a mandatory custodial sentence of not less than five (5) years.
Delivering his sentence on count one, Hon. Justice Sahr Kekura J. stated that he had considered the plea in mitigation, including the fact that the convict did not waste the court’s time and her profession. He therefore sentenced her to five years imprisonment – the minimum sentence prescribed by law for the offence.The prosecution will continue to present evidence on counts two, three, and four to determine the convict’s guilt on those charges. The matter has been adjourned to 29th January 2026.
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