By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, May 17: A 20-year-old man escaped the gallows after the prosecution amended the charge against him, from a drug trafficking charge to a charge of drug possession.
The accused who is 20-year-old this year, pleaded guilty to the amended charge framed under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and was sentenced to a fine of RM3,000 or in default three months’ imprisonment.
As the accused was 18-years-old at the time of committing the alleged offence, the Court had to await the social report from the Welfare Department before passing sentence.
However, the officer from the Welfare Department was absent from the Court today so High Court Judge Haji Alwi Abdul Wahab sentenced the accused based on the Judge’s discretion.
According to the amended charge, the accused was found possessing 51.45 grammes of methamphetamine, at the roadside in front of a factory located in Jalan Genesis Industrial Park II, at about 3.15pm on Oct 5, 2020.
The accused had been remanded from the date of his arrest, which was from Oct 5, 2020 until April 13, 2022 as the accused was originally charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for purportedly to have been involved with drug trafficking which was now withdrawn against him.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronie Entili while the accused was represented by Counsels Osman Ibrahim, Nur Atiqah Kulah and Ernie Nasacha Nor. — DayakDaily
