By Emma Black
The High Court of Sierra Leone has sentenced Hawa Dukuly to thirty-five (35) years imprisonment on Monday 15 December 2025, after she admitted to unlawfully possessing a large quantity of cocaine, in violation of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008.
Presiding over the matter, Honourable Justice Khalilah Diana Kamara delivered the sentence following the convict’s guilty plea to an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act, Act No. 10 of 2008.
Court records indicate that on 11 June 2025, at Lungi in the North-West Region of Sierra Leone, the convict was found in possession of 800.4 grams of cocaine without lawful authority.
During her arraignment, the charge was read and explained to the accused, who pleaded guilty without contest.
In mitigation, defence counsel urged the court to exercise leniency, citing that the convict is a mother of two children and their principal caregiver.
However, in her judgement, Justice Kamara stated that while the court took into account the guilty plea and the submissions made by defence counsel, these factors could not outweigh the seriousness of the offence.
She stressed that Sierra Leone is facing a critical challenge posed by the growing narcotics trade, noting that the judiciary must send a firm and unequivocal message against drug-related crimes. The Judge further emphasised that sentencing serves, among other purposes, as a deterrent to would-be offenders.
Having considered all relevant factors, this court sentences the convict to thirty-five (35) years imprisonment, Justice Kamara ruled.
The court further ordered that the 800.4 grams of cocaine recovered from the convict be destroyed by the relevant authorities in the presence of duly authorised and verifiable witnesses.
Justice Kamara also directed that a certificate confirming the destruction of the narcotics be submitted to the court within seven working days following the completion of the exercise.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 17th December 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
