K11,000 fine for moving drugs

By MALIKAI BALANDU
A Lae District Court has fined three men charged with transporting marijuana yesterday.
Presiding magistrate Jacinta Doa ordered Kingsly Hubby, 24 and Michael Hubby 21, both from Angoram’s Binan village in East Sepik, to pay a fine of K3,000 each or serve 18 months imprisonment at Buimo jail in default.
Doa also ordered Jonathan Aludi, 39, from Dagua’s Wakitu village in East Sepik to pay K5,000 fine or serve 24 months imprisonment at Buimo jail in default.
Magistrate Doa made the ruling after the three pleaded guilty to their part in transporting the drug.
The court noted they were all married with children, self-employed with no prior convictions.
Aludi confessed that Kingsly and Hubby had no part in transporting the drugs.
Doa said Aludi would pay K5,000 fine because the drug was in his possession when transporting it to Lae.
“You will pay K5,000 fine or if not 24 months in Buimo because you pleaded guilty to transporting the drug.
“This court is lenient on you all because you have children and are male providers of your families, had no prior convictions and had pleaded guilty in court of law.”
The court heard that on May 21, the three men checked in at Nadzab airport.
Comex security checked their bags and found 20 packs of marijuana weighing 25kg in two different bags.
The drugs were bought at Madang, transported to Lae and was bound for Kimbe, West New Britain for sale when it was confiscated.