The accused persons when they appeared before the Mombasa Law Courts on Thursday. [Photo/barakafm.org]
Three men were on Thursday fined Sh5,000 each by a Mombasa Court after they were found guilty of being in possession of plastic bags.Francis Kyalo, Hassan Charo and Nickodemus Ondieki werefound guilty of selling apples packed in plastic bags.The court heard that the three accused persons were arrested on Wednesday, October 11 at Saba Saba area in Mombasa.The three accused persons were arrested following an operation conducted by NEMA officials in Mombasa to curb use of polythene bags.Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate Martin Rabera in his ruling found the three accused persons guilty of the charges and ordered for them to pay a fine of Sh5,000 each or serve a one month jail sentence.“I am sentencing you to serve as a lesson to others. Yesterday I forgave others but it is like you did not get the message,” said Magistrate Rabera, as quoted by Baraka FM.The court directed that the plastic materials produced as exhibits in the case be destroyed by NEMA officials.On Wednesday, the court forgave eleven people after they pleaded guilty to the charge of being in possession of polythene paper bags.The magistrate also issued a warrant of arrest to Mr Musyoka Musambi, after he failed to appear in court for his case hearing.Musambi is facing similar charges of being in possession of plastic bags and has been released on a police bond of Sh9,000.