LIBERIA -A Ugandan woman has been indicted by the Government of Liberia (GoL) for "unlawful Possession, Trafficking and Distribution of Narcotic Drugs".

Defendant Shirat Nalwadda is currently standing trial at the Criminal Court "A" at the Temple of Justice following an indictment drawn against her by the Republic of Liberia.

Situated on Capitol Hill, Monrovia, the Temple of Justice is the seat of the Liberian Judiciary.

The Criminal Court "A" is presided over by Judge Korboi  Natu.

The indictment, a copy which is in the possession of this paper, stated that: "On the 30th day of November A.D. 2013, at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Liberia, defendant Shirat Nalwadda, a Ugandan National, was arrested by state securities with 1.2 Kilograms of Heroin worth Thirty Thousand United States Dollars (US$30,000.00), an equivalent of Two Million Four Hundred Thousand Liberian Dollars (LD$2.400,000.00) concealed In a black suitcase that she was traveling with".

The indictment furthered that defendant Shirat Nalwadda told investigators that she was travelling to Liberia for the first time to meet a boyfriend called Ekina who she does not know, but was told by Nalutarya Laila, her girlfriend in Zama, Kampala, Uganda that Ekina would be at the airport to received her at her arrival. Count 3 of the indictment stated that, upon arrival at the RIA and subsequent arrest with the drugs, the defendant could neither give the contact address nor telephone number of the so-called boyfriend who she claimed was the owner of the drugs she was carrying.

Based on this, she was charged with the crime of unlawful possession, trafficking and distribution of Narcotic drugs.

Meanwhile, the indicted among other things stated that, the act of the defendant is in contravention to 5LCLR, Title 41, Section 41.1,41.22 (2),41.23; of the statutory laws of the Republic of Liberia.

AllAfrica