Woman charged with being in possession of marijuana

By Farooq Kasule                                               

A woman accused of acquiring or being in possession of prohibited goods contrary to section 200(d) (1) of the East African Community Customs Management Act of 2009 has been charged.

Catherine Amase, 32, was on Tuesday produced before court presided over by the Nakawa grade one magistrate Margaret Ainye and charged with being in possession of prohibited goods. She denied the offences.

Immediately her lawyer, Johnson Constance informed court that he had instructions from the accused person to apply for bail.

"It is her constitutional right to apply for bail; the matter is also bailable by this court, she has a fixed place of abode and has two school-going children below 18-years to look after," Constance said.

She presented two sureties including her husband, Gerald Nyakozo, a resident of Kamuli in Kireka and Fred Baguma, a biological brother to Nyakozo.

However, prosecution led by State Attorney Hilda Bakanansa challenged her bail application because her fixed place of abode was questionable by the court.

"Your worship, upon her arrest, the accused made a statement indicating Tororo as her pysisical address and not Kawempe." Bakanansa said

This prompted the trial magistrate to dismiss her bail application and advised her to produce another surety or in any case her husband to provide the marriage certificate and an introduction letter from Keti Falawo in Kawempe division to that effect.

Amase, who appeared to be calm in court, was further remanded until November 6 for hearing.

It is alleged that Catherine Amase 30, on October 10, 2015 at Pakwach Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) check point in Nebbi district acquired and or had in possession two packages of marijuana, all weighing 16 Kilograms which she knew or ought to reasonably have known to be prohibited goods.