KUCHING, Oct 9: An odd-job worker escaped the gallows after he was charged with three alternative charges of drugs possession in the High Court here today.
Zulkamal Azman Narawi, 32, pleaded guilty to all three charges after the prosecution amended the charges from drugs trafficking to drugs possession.
High Court Judge Zaleha Rose Pandin sentenced Zulkamal to eight years imprisonment and 10 strokes of the rotan; six years imprisonment and 10 strokes of the rotan and six months imprisonment respectively for the three charges.
She also ordered the sentences to run concurrently and to take effect from the date of arrest, Sept 28, 2018. Therefore, Zulkamal only needed to serve a jail term of eight years and given 20 strokes of the rotan.
Zaleha Rose meted out the sentence after having considered the offence and the penalty prescribed in each charge, the facts of the case, the plea of guilty, the fact that the accused is a first offender and the trend of sentencing in this type of offences especially in Sarawak.
Zulkamal pleaded guilty to possessing 330 grammes of cannabis, 122.36 grammes of cannabis and 6.38 grammes of cannabis respectively, at a house in Taman Kubah Jaya, at about 12.40 pm on Sept 28, 2018 in three alternative charges against him.
He was charged under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39A(2) of the same Act, which carries imprisonment for life or not less than 5 years and liable to whipping not less than 10 strokes.
DPP Musli Abdul Hamid prosecuted while the accused is represented by counsel Osman Ibrahim. –DayakDaily.
