A 32yr old woman Rute Makuluni has been slapped with a six month jail term by the Nkhatabay First Grade Magistrate court after she was found guilty for possessing indian hemp.

Makuluni was on 1st August 2017 found with indian hemp weighing 28kgs at Mukwiya roadblock and when she appeared before court recently, she pleaded guilty to the charge.

During mitigations, Makuluni claimed that she looks after seven children, she has no husband and also that she was deceived by her friends that indian hemp has been legalised by the government and that there is much profit in indian hemp business.

But FGM Anthony Banda told the convict that indian hemp still remains an illicit and illegal drug. Though the convict would have been handed a ten year jail term, the magistrate showed some leniency bearing in mind the fact that Makuluni was a first offender and that she has a huge responsibility of looking after seven children.

He later handed Rute Makuluni who hails from Bula village in T/A Kwataine in Ntcheu district a six month jail sentence.