By Janet A. Sesay

Monica Kumba Kaiwandi, who was sometime last year caught with 165 tablets of tramadol at the Pademba Road Prison, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by Justice Mark Ngegba of the High Court in Freetown.

The accused was standing trial on a one-count charge of unlawful possession of drugs contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act No. 10 of 2008.

According to the indictment, the accused, Monica Kumba Kaiwandi, on 29 July 2025 in Freetown in the Western Area, was found in possession of 800 grams of tramadol without lawful authority.

In his ruling, the learned judge informed the court that the prosecution had discharged the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubts and therefore found the defendant guilty.

State Counsel, A. Jalloh in his brief to the court stated that on the said day, the defendant was caught with tramadol and subsequently charged to court, noting that she had no previous criminal conviction.

In a tearful allocutus, the defendant told the court that she is a mother of three and the breadwinner for her family and therefore pleaded with the Judge to temper justice with mercy.

Delivering his judgment afterwards, Justice Mark Ngegba stated that the evidence presented by the Prosecution clearly revealed that the defendant was in possession of the drug, adding that there was no evidence before the court showing that she had lawful authority to possess the 800 grams of tramadol.

Based on the evidence presented in court by the prosecution, the judge maintained: “It is very clear that the defendant was in unlawfully in possession of the said drug and I therefore sentence her to twenty years imprisonment.”

During the trial, the defendant was represented by Lawyer M.Y. Conteh.