Lakes state drug dealers sentenced

September 28, 2012 (RUMBEK) – Rumbek town court, Lakes state, has sentenced 16 people charged with selling opium.

South Sudanese police arrested 18 people on charges of selling opium to be smoked via shisha pipe. Of them, 16 were put on trial and received various sentences of between three and six months.

One of the accused was a 45 year old mother who was found guilty of selling the drug in Rumbek market. She was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

Dhelbeny Makuer Gol, the head of Rumbek court said that ”law is law” and that the accused had received appropriate sentences, explaining that the remaining two accused will face trial this week.

He said that those convicted were also guilty of illegal gambling. They were charged under South Sudanese Penal Code Act 2008 as well as Lakes state customary law.

Article 384 of the Act forbids the possession of dangerous drugs.

“In both costmary law of this state and South Sudan Penal code law, there no is space for such crimes to continue – they are convicted according to law,” said Dhelbeny.

(ST)