Mohamed Iqbal Mohamed Sadath Vs. Hon. Attorney General – CA 40/13-2020

In the case between the Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Plaintiff/Respondent), and Mohamed Iqbal Mohamed Sadath (Defendant/Appellant), the court considered whether the prosecution properly established the mental element (mens rea) required for charges under Section 54A of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. The main issue involved whether the burden of proof and statutory presumptions were applied correctly, and if mere possession constitutes trafficking under the law. Upon analysis of the evidence, the relevant legal provisions, and the arguments on four questions of law, it was determined that the prosecution’s use of presumptive evidence sufficiently established knowledge and intent. The court reaffirmed the principle that conscious possession, with inferred kno