Man sentenced to 12 years for cannabis trafficking

Ghassan Ali has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison and fined MVR 50,000 after pleading guilty to cannabis trafficking charges.

Ghassan was initially charged following a police operation in 2021, during which a significant quantity of cannabis was seized from him and two others.

Cannabis was recovered both in a apartment where Ghassan and two others had been and in Ghassan’s own residence.

When the trial began, Ghassan pleaded not guilty, and the prosecution submitted evidence to support the charges. However, in 2022, he changed his plea to guilty after nearly four years of proceedings, including the testimony stage.

Last month, Ghassan’s lawyer submitted a plea agreement to the Prosecutor General’s Office, which was accepted by the Criminal Court.

Having already spent three years and 11 months in investigation and trial, Ghassan will now serve the remaining eight years, six months, and 28 days in prison.