Court jails Lebanese six months for trafficking cocaine

Adebisi Onanuga

A Federal High Court, Lagos, Thursday sentenced a Lebanese drug trafficker, Charbel Chalouhi, to six months imprisonment for unlawful dealing in 1.2 grams of cocaine.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo handed down the sentence following a plea bargain agreement with the prosecuting agency, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The convict was first arraigned before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel sometimes in October, 2018, after he was arrested at his residence, at 18; flat BB Simon Akinolu Street, Victoria Island, on September 10, 2018, for trafficking in the said banned drug.

He was arraigned before the court on a lone count charge of unlawful dealing on the said hard drug.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, Mr. Jerry Aernan, was contrary to and punishable under section 11(d) of the NDLEA Act.

He had then pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following the plea of his counsel, Mr. Benson Ndakara, the convict was granted by the court in various terms.

However, upon transferred of Justice Ayo-Emmanuel to another jurisdiction, the convict’s case file was transferred to Justice Oweibo.

At the resumed trial of the convict yesterday, his counsel, Ndakara told the court that his client wishes to change his plea.

Ndakara said the decision of his client to change his plea was premised on a plea bargain agreement reached with the prosecuting agency.

Ndakara’s position was confirmed by the prosecutor, Mr. Aernan.

Following the consensus of prosecutor and defence counsel, Justice Oweibo admitted the plea bargain agreement and consequently sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment.

The judge however gave the convict an option of N200, 000, in lieu of the jail terms.

Justice Oweibo also ordered that the international passport of the convict be released to him upon observing the court judgment.

The judge also ordered that the drug recovered from the convict’s be confiscated by the NDLEA.