{The primary courts in Kayonza District and the Intermediate court of Ngoma held two separate outdoor trials in Kayonza of 28 suspected drug traffickers on Wednesday as part of the new drive to discourage and fight abuse and trafficking of narcotic drugs in the country.}
The hearings were held in Kabarondo and Mukarange sectors.
The proceedings were followed by the sensitization campaigns held jointly by police and local leaders, during which illicit drugs seized in separate operations, were also destroyed in presence of hundreds of residents.
In Kabarondo, the primary court of Kabarondo and Ngoma intermediate court heard the initial hearing and appeal of suspected and convicted drug traffickers respectively, who were among the ten individuals that were paraded in presence of hundreds of residents.
With the prosecution in the primary court requesting a sentence of up to five years for those who appeared for the initial hearing, drug convicts, most of who were serving a sentence of above two years, argued that they were handed a heavy sentence even when they confessed to the crime.
The two groups also seized the opportunity to advise hundreds of residents especially the youth, who turned up to follow up the proceedings, to desist from acts of drug trafficking and abuse noting that the “end results are always dire.”
Shortly after the hearing in Kabarondo, residents joined police and local leaders in the public destruction of over 1200 liters of Kanyanga, a crude gin banned in Rwanda and 145 kilogrammes of cannabis.
The exercise was presided over by the Mayor of Kayonza, Claude Murenzi alongside the District Police Commander (DPC) Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marc Minani.
Murenzi appealed to residents to partner with police and local leaders to fight drug abuse, which is still relatively high.
Drug abuse is considered among the high impact and among the common crimes in the country, fueling other crimes.
CIP Minani also reminded the residents that the ten men on trial should serve as proof of the “illegality and consequences of dealing in drugs.”
“For those still involved in this criminal act, you should now understand the extent to which all institutions and even the public are willing to go to prevent their illegal dealings,” CIP Minani said.
“Our strategies to cut the supply chain will require not only dedication but also commitment from all stakeholders including you the public. The suspects who are on trial were arrested because the public provided information and we are appreciative of this cooperation which we believe, if strengthened, even others still involved will be arrested,” he added.
Elsewhere, 18 other people appeared before Rukara primary court in Mukarange on charges of drug trafficking. Some of them were also appearing before the intermediate court to appeal against the previous rulings.
In Mukarange, 846 liters of Kanyanga and 300 kilograms of cannabis were also destroyed.
In the two separate events, the defendants also used their testimonies to urge the youth to focus on other developmental activities, noting that they are also paying direly for taking a wrong direction.
The ruling was set for March 28.
The outdoor trial is an initiative by the judiciary to join efforts by Rwanda National Police and other institutions to wards effective fight against illicit drugs.
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