Lalif Jawla, an alleged renowned drug dealer, was on Wednesday arraigned before the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Principal Magistrate Taiwo Ade Alagbe, where he told the court that he only smokes cannabis but does not traffic it.

Jawla made this remark while reacting to a charge of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, contrary to the Laws of The Gambia. The prosecution of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) stated in the particulars of the offence that the accused person on the 15th July 2012 at Nyakoi, in the Upper River Region (URR), had in his possession 3kgs of cannabis, a prohibited drug, thereby committed an offence. The accused in reaction said that the cannabis found in his house belonged to him but denied that it did not weigh 3kgs as stated by the prosecution, and that the said cannabis was not weighed properly.

The NDEA prosecutor, ASP Jobe in response told the court that the weigh­ment certificate will speak for itself as it was issued after the weighment of the substance in the presence of the NDEA officers. The presiding magistrate however ordered for the weighing officer to come to court and testify and he further ordered for the accused to be remanded in custody.

The case was adjourned to 6th October 2012.