Morobe’s Senior Provincial Magistrate, Pious Tapil made time available yesterday during the Easter Public Holiday to hear almost forty cases including twenty-seven summary offenses and four committals.
The special hearing follows the overcrowding at Lae’s Police Station cell in the month of April.
The Summary offenses include the use and sale of illicit drugs like marijuana and homebrew known as ‘fire-wara’ and street vending in public places.
Senior Provincial Magistrate Pious Tapil said, drugs and homebrew will not be tolerated by the District Court, following the offenders’ responses as a means of survival.
Tapil further stated that ‘making ends meet’ in selling the illicit drugs is a lazy way of sustaining lives and is a health risk imposed on others.
Tapil said this when sentencing almost ten offenders for 12 to 18 months imprisonment in possession of drugs and homebrew, whilst street vendors and those drinking in public places were given a fine of K300, or three months imprisonment at Lae’s Buimo Prison.
Meanwhile, the Senior Provincial Magistrate called on the Police to conduct awareness in public places to inform the public not to buy from the street vendors, or they will be penalized when caught by Police.
Tapil further stated that public places including the bus stops and market places must be free from street vending or ‘black market.’
He said this practice may cause opportunists to take advantage of the situation and in turn involve themselves in illegal activities such as petty crimes such as ‘pickpocket.’
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