DPP APPEALS KHADIJAH MIGUEL’S SENTENCE IN COCAINE TRAFFICKING CASE
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), through the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), has appealed against what it considers a lenient sentence handed to Copperbelt businesswoman Khadijah Miguel following her conviction for drug trafficking.
Khadijah Miguel was found guilty of trafficking cocaine and was sentenced to three years imprisonment. However, 18 months of the sentence were suspended, while the remaining custodial period was deemed to have been served from the date of her arrest.
As a result, Miguel was released from prison three weeks ago and has since reunited with her family in Kitwe, where she has largely maintained a low profile.
The appeal by the NPA is expected to reignite public debate on the appropriateness of sentences imposed in serious drug trafficking cases and whether the punishment handed down adequately reflected the gravity of the offence.
ZD