CHARLES MYEZA BACK BEHIND BARS

MANZINI- Former Khubuta Member of Parliament Charles Myeza was on Thursday arrested after he was found in possession of dagga, which had been hidden inside his car boot.

It has been revealed that police had received a tip-off that Myeza was ferrying dagga weighing 0.667 kilogrammes in his car, a Nissan Sunny, registered OSD 185 BM.
Police are said to have caught up with him next to Fairview along the William Pitcher College Road and asked to search his car after they had identified themselves.  They found the dagga in two white plastic bags and immediately arrested him and he spent the night in police holding cells at the Manzini Police Station.   

 On Friday he appeared before Magistrate Dumisa Mazibuko on a charge of contravening the Opium and Habit Forming Drug Act. Myeza pleaded guilty to the charge.    
“Following the fact that the dagga was found inside my car boot, I will plead guilty to the offence,” said Myeza.

His attorney, Velaphi Dlamini of VZ Dlamini Attorneys, informed the court that his client was a first offender and had not wasted the court’s time as he pleaded guilty to the offence he had been charged with.
“Your Worship, my client is married with eight children, six of whom are dependent on him. He currently operates a shylocking business. As he had pleaded guilty, we are requesting the court to afford him an option of a fine and the court to exercise its discretion.

Magistrate Mazibuko, when passing sentence, said the court had taken into account Myeza’s personal interests including the fact that he was a first offender, as alluded by the prosecution.
“However, the courts have noted with great concern the prevalence of such offences. This is an indication that the sentences passed by the courts are not at all deterrence to the accused persons and would-be offenders.
The courts have also noted with great concern the effect of this potentially dangerous substance and its abuse by the youth of the country,” said Magistrate Mazibuko.

Adding, he said that most people were currently admitted at the Psychiatric Hospital due to substance abuse and that if such incidents were not handled properly, the country would end up not having leaders in the future. Myeza was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of a E2 000 fine.

Half of the sentence was suspended for a period of two years on condition he does not commit a similar offence.
The charge sheet stated that in April 16, 2015, near Fairview along the William Pitcher College Road, the accused person, not being a holder of a permit or a valid licence, was found in possession of 0.667 kilogrammes of dagga in a boot of a Nissan Sunny registered OSD 185 BM.

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