KOTA BARU: A labourer has been acquitted and discharged by the High Court here on two charges of trafficking in 39,367.27g of methamphetamine.
Justice Mohd Rosli Yusoff ordered Amran Salleh, 53, to be freed on Wednesday (July 1) after finding that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against him.
On the first count, Amran was charged with trafficking 9,740.87g of methamphetamine at an unnumbered house in Kampung Jeram Perdah, Pasir Mas, at about 4.30pm on June 7, 2021.
For the second amended charge, he was charged with trafficking 29,626.4g of methamphetamine at the same location, time and date.
Both charges were brought under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 punishable under Section 39B(2),which provides for the death penalty, or life imprisonment and caning, upon conviction.
Justice Rosli said the prosecution had failed to prove that only the accused had access to the unnumbered house where the case items were found.
"... the door of the house involved is not locked, and anyone can enter, and witnesses confirmed that the empty house was used as a transit point for illegal goods such as cooking oil ... being smuggled to Thailand.
"Therefore, the court rules that the prosecution has failed to prove its case, (and so) the accused is acquitted and discharged without having to enter his defence," he said. – Bernama
