Suva lawyer awaits sentencing for meth, marijuana possession

A Suva lawyer convicted of possessing illegal drugs found in a hotel room will be sentenced next Monday.

Shazran Abdul Lateef was found guilty of possessing 9.5 grams of methamphetamine and 3.5 grams of marijuana during a 2019 incident in Suva.

The conviction was handed down on February 3, following a full trial.

At the Suva Magistrate Court today, before Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne, the court heard that police had entered a hotel room and seized the drugs after searching the premises.

Key prosecution witness Asenaca Balekatuba testified that she accompanied Lateef to the hotel on May 9, 2019, after receiving a call from him.

She said Lateef arrived carrying a briefcase, booked a room, and later opened the case to remove a container holding methamphetamine in a zip-lock bag.

Balekatuba stated that Lateef briefly left the room and returned with a pipe, which he used to heat the substance while she was present.

Police later entered the room shortly afterward and confiscated the drugs and related items from the counter.

The court also heard that Balekatuba had known Lateef for about two to three years.

Lateef remains on bail ahead of his sentencing.