It’s 20 years in jail if convicted of drug trafficking
Sep 10, 2011
CRANES defender Hassan Wasswa could spend a maximum of 20 years in prison if found guilty of drug trafficking in Turkey.
By Fred Kaweesi and Agencies
October 8
Uganda v Kenya
CRANES defender Hassan Wasswa could spend a maximum of 20 years in prison if found guilty of drug trafficking in Turkey.
The 23-year-old defender was arrested on Wednesday night at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport allegedly for drug possession, according to Dogan News Agency.
Wasswa was stopped by the airport police and was found in possession of 5.5 grams of cocaine during a routine check ahead of a domestic flight to Kayseri, where he turns out for Turkey second division club Erciyesspor.
He was on his way from Angola, where he had travelled as part of Cranes 18-man squad for the 2012 Nations Cup qualifier that Uganda eventually lost 2-0.
The dreadlocked player was detained and after thorough interrogation disclosed that he had purchased it for his own consumption and not with intensions of selling it.
Erciyesspor have already suspended the defender and will only wait for an official indictment from the prosecutors to decide on his contract.
“Waiting for the indictment is a conscientious decision,†the club statement read. “However, he will be left out of the squad until it comes.â€
Penalties for violating Turkish laws, even unknowingly, can be severe.
The punishments for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Turkey are particularly strict, and convicted offenders should expect jail sentences with heavy fines.
In Wasswa’s case, the Turkish legal system will evoke Article 403, Clause 1, which states that whoever produces or imports narcotics without a license or in violation of a license is sentenced to 10-20 years of imprisonment.
Who is Wasswa?
Wasswa is the son of Hassan Biruma, a former Cranes and KCC FC midfield star.
At Erciyesspor, the former Ggaba United and KCC FC defender has since his move from Karabukspor, been labelled the ‘most innocent character in the team’ because of his concise, laid-back style off the pitch. He has a permanent, engaging smile and is polite to a fault.
However, strikers in the league have had trouble recognizing him from that description; because the times he has put on the club’s red shirt - there has always been a dramatic transformation. The smile has always given way to a grimace as the competitor in him has emerged and seen him become the colossus at the back. Sometimes the ball has gone past him. Sometimes a striker has gone past him. But rarely have two gone past together.
Although Wasswa is tailor-made for the defensive midfield role, he has successfully performed at right-back and in a more central defensive position in all the occasions he has been deployed, like was the case during Cranes 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau in June.
What it means for Cranes?
With Wasswa out and first choice Andrew Mwesigwa suspended for the Kenya game, it means Cranes technical committee will have to consider inviting Timothy Batabaire to resolve the defensive crisis.
October 8
Uganda v Kenya
CRANES defender Hassan Wasswa could spend a maximum of 20 years in prison if found guilty of drug trafficking in Turkey.
The 23-year-old defender was arrested on Wednesday night at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport allegedly for drug possession, according to Dogan News Agency.
Wasswa was stopped by the airport police and was found in possession of 5.5 grams of cocaine during a routine check ahead of a domestic flight to Kayseri, where he turns out for Turkey second division club Erciyesspor.
He was on his way from Angola, where he had travelled as part of Cranes 18-man squad for the 2012 Nations Cup qualifier that Uganda eventually lost 2-0.
The dreadlocked player was detained and after thorough interrogation disclosed that he had purchased it for his own consumption and not with intensions of selling it.
Erciyesspor have already suspended the defender and will only wait for an official indictment from the prosecutors to decide on his contract.
“Waiting for the indictment is a conscientious decision,†the club statement read. “However, he will be left out of the squad until it comes.â€
Penalties for violating Turkish laws, even unknowingly, can be severe.
The punishments for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Turkey are particularly strict, and convicted offenders should expect jail sentences with heavy fines.
In Wasswa’s case, the Turkish legal system will evoke Article 403, Clause 1, which states that whoever produces or imports narcotics without a license or in violation of a license is sentenced to 10-20 years of imprisonment.
Who is Wasswa?
Wasswa is the son of Hassan Biruma, a former Cranes and KCC FC midfield star.
At Erciyesspor, the former Ggaba United and KCC FC defender has since his move from Karabukspor, been labelled the ‘most innocent character in the team’ because of his concise, laid-back style off the pitch. He has a permanent, engaging smile and is polite to a fault.
However, strikers in the league have had trouble recognizing him from that description; because the times he has put on the club’s red shirt - there has always been a dramatic transformation. The smile has always given way to a grimace as the competitor in him has emerged and seen him become the colossus at the back. Sometimes the ball has gone past him. Sometimes a striker has gone past him. But rarely have two gone past together.
Although Wasswa is tailor-made for the defensive midfield role, he has successfully performed at right-back and in a more central defensive position in all the occasions he has been deployed, like was the case during Cranes 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau in June.
What it means for Cranes?
With Wasswa out and first choice Andrew Mwesigwa suspended for the Kenya game, it means Cranes technical committee will have to consider inviting Timothy Batabaire to resolve the defensive crisis.