MELAKA: A former 57-year-old lorry driver was spared the noose after the Melaka High Court sentenced him to eight years in prison.
On Monday (Feb 24), Justice Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid sentenced Ramli Mohamad Yusop after he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of possessing 424g of cannabis, an offence committed four years ago.
The court ruled that the prison sentence would run concurrently from the date of Ramli’s arrest on Sept 11, 2021.
According to the alternative charge, the father of four was found in possession of the prohibited substance at a Covid-19 roadblock along the Lipat Kajang route, heading towards the Lipat Kajang Toll in Jasin district, at around 6.30pm on Sept 11, 2021.
Ramli was initially charged under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952 and faced sentencing under Section 39A(2) of the same Act, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment or a minimum of five years in prison, along with at least ten strokes of the cane.
His lawyer, S. Selvanteran, appealed for a shorter prison term, emphasizing his client’s remorse and commitment not to repeat his mistakes in the future.
Initially, Ramli had been charged with drug trafficking under Section 39B of the DDA 1952, an offence that carries the mandatory death penalty.
