Angolan gets fine for possession of crack cocaine

AN ANGOLAN national accused of being a crack cocaine pusher was sentenced to a fine of N$12 500 in the Windhoek Regional Court on Friday, after he had pleaded guilty to two drug possession charges.

Sikiuato Pabo Conceiçao (43) was arrested in Windhoek on May 21, when 111,9 grams of crack cocaine and 13 grams of cannabis were found in his possession. The crack – a highly addictive drug that can have a devastating effect on its users – was valued at about N$43 000, while the dagga was valued at N$39.Conceiçao’s girlfriend, Marieta Katjikuru (23), was initially charged with him on two charges of dealing in drugs, alternatively possession of crack and dagga.The charges against her were withdrawn in the Windhoek Regional Court on October 1, when Conceiçao pleaded guilty to the two alternative charges of possession of drugs.Conceiçao is “self-employed”, earning about N$4 000 a month, and is the father of two children in Angola, Magistrate Sarel Jacobs was told before his sentencing.With the sentencing, the Magistrate said he agreed with Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab that the court could draw an inference, based on the quantity of drugs found in someone’s possession, that the person had the drugs with the intention of dealing in them.However, with the State having accepted Conceiçao’s guilty plea on charges of drug possession only, and not drug dealing, the court could not still make an inference that he was in possession of the drugs in order to sell them, the Magistrate said.He said Conceiçao had pleaded guilty to serious charges, but in his opinion it was not necessary to remove him from society now by imposing a direct prison term on him.Magistrate Jacobs sentenced Conceiçao to pay a fine of N$12 000 or two years in jail on the crack cocaine possession charge.He also imposed a further two-year jail term on that charge, with that sentence suspended in full for four years on condition that Conceiçao is not convicted of possession of a dangerous dependence-producing drug during that time.On the dagga charge, Conceiçao was sentenced to a fine of N$500 or a month behind bars.Conceiçao was represented by defence lawyer André Louw.The crack – a highly addictive drug that can have a devastating effect on its users – was valued at about N$43 000, while the dagga was valued at N$39.Conceiçao’s girlfriend, Marieta Katjikuru (23), was initially charged with him on two charges of dealing in drugs, alternatively possession of crack and dagga.The charges against her were withdrawn in the Windhoek Regional Court on October 1, when Conceiçao pleaded guilty to the two alternative charges of possession of drugs.Conceiçao is “self-employed”, earning about N$4 000 a month, and is the father of two children in Angola, Magistrate Sarel Jacobs was told before his sentencing.With the sentencing, the Magistrate said he agreed with Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab that the court could draw an inference, based on the quantity of drugs found in someone’s possession, that the person had the drugs with the intention of dealing in them.However, with the State having accepted Conceiçao’s guilty plea on charges of drug possession only, and not drug dealing, the court could not still make an inference that he was in possession of the drugs in order to sell them, the Magistrate said.He said Conceiçao had pleaded guilty to serious charges, but in his opinion it was not necessary to remove him from society now by imposing a direct prison term on him.Magistrate Jacobs sentenced Conceiçao to pay a fine of N$12 000 or two years in jail on the crack cocaine possession charge.He also imposed a further two-year jail term on that charge, with that sentence suspended in full for four years on condition that Conceiçao is not convicted of possession of a dangerous dependence-producing drug during that time.On the dagga charge, Conceiçao was sentenced to a fine of N$500 or a month behind bars.Conceiçao was represented by defence lawyer André Louw.