Kota Kinabalu: A 47-year-old trader was on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered given five lashes of the cane by the High Court here for trafficking 213.59gm of syabu five years ago.
Judge Datuk Christopher Chin Soo Yin found Leong Kwang Yew guilty of committing the offence at 8.20pm on Sept 11, 2018 at a unit on the second floor of Block B, Jesselton Condominium, Jalan Bersatu, Damai in Luyang, near here.
In delivering his decision Chin held that given the finding of Leong being in possession of the impugned drugs, the court found that he had failed to rebut the presumption of trafficking under Section 37(da).
“The main ingredients to establish this offence has been proven beyond reasonable doubts and the Court therefore find him guilty as charged,” held Chin.
Leong was ordered to serve the imprisonment sentence from the date of his arrest on Sept 11, 2018.
On May 9, this year, Leong was ordered to enter his defence to the charge under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, on Aug 5, 2021.
The charge is punishable under Section 39B (2) of the same Act carries the death sentence or imprisonment for life and whipping not less than 15 strokes if not sentenced to death, on conviction.
Leong gave evidence under oath in his defence while the prosecution had called nine witnesses to testify at the prosecution’s stage.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Afiq Agoes prosecuted while Leong was defended by counsel P. J Perira.
