Martin Ssebuyira
25 May 2011
Entebbe — An official working with Entebbe International Airport has been convicted of illegal sale of cocaine. Joel Abireku, 34, a technician in the Cargo Maintenance Workshop Entebbe Handling Services Ltd (ENHAS), pleaded guilty to the offence.
Entebbe Chief Magistrate Flavia Nassuna Matovu ordered Abireku to pay a fine of Shs500,000 and cautioned him against getting involved in the illegal trade again. ENHAS offers handling services to all airlines at Entebbe Airport. It operates passenger, cargo handling services and tracing lost baggage.
Police have always shown discontent with the law on narcotics, saying it ruins their efforts to fight drug trafficking. Uganda still uses the old National Drug Policy Act which attracts a maximum punishment of a fine not exceeding Shs1 million and imprisonment of not more than four months or a caution. Parliament is yet to pass the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotrophics Control Bill 2007 that attracts a five-year jail term or a Shs1 million fine.
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