Man receives over 1 year prison sentence for drug selling

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to over one year in prison after convicting him of selling illegal narcotics to an undercover agent in Ajloun in January 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing and selling hashish in the local market on January 21, 2021.

The SSC handed the defendant a three-year prison term for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD2,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to two years in prison to give the defendant “a second chance at life”.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned that the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and sent one of its agents to pose as a buyer.

The AND agent purchased the illegal drugs for JD5 and arrested the defendant as a result, court documents said.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “did not provide solid evidence to implicate his client”.

The lawyer also argued that the court failed to summon several defence witnesses to "testify for my client", according to court documents.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentences against the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs with the intent of selling the illegal goods in the local market,” the higher court said.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Khashashneh, Hammad Ghzawi and Qassem Dughmi.