Magistrate hopes jail term will help man choose God

A MAN was told by a senior magistrate that if he wants to serve God and follow Christian teachings he must stop getting involved in drug-related activities.
Lae District Court Magistrate Tera Dawai sounded the warning after Abet Sulua, 24, from Boana in Nawaeb, Morobe, was convicted with being in possession of marijuana.
Sulua told the court that he was walking home from church when his two elder brothers asked him to go and purchase marijuana for them.
While they were smoking, a police patrol unit approached and they both fled leaving Sulua behind to be arrested.
“What did the word of God tell you in church?” Magistrate Dawai asked the accused. “I am a Christian from Lutheran church and what I hear from my pastor is that our bodies are the holy temple of the Lord.
“If we take in drugs like marijuana into our bodies, it is against our Biblical principles and have sinned.
“You attended church service, came out and decided to do drugs which was totally unacceptable for someone who calls himself a Christian.
Dawai told Sulua that, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to serve a jail term of six months.
“While there, you decide whether to serve the Lord or Satan with those illegal activities,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the same court a man, Lukas Mumuan, 24, from Kabwum, pleaded guilty to having in his possession 71 K1 rolls of marijuana.
He was apprehended by police with the drugs on him at Bumayong on Sept 6.
Police reported that he was seen acting suspicious when seeing police vehicle approach.
He was stopped and searched and marijuana was found in his trousers pocket.
Magistrate Dawai sentenced him to a nine-month jail time.