Lorry attendant sentenced to death for drug trafficking
IPOH: A lorry attendant was sentenced to death by hanging by the High Court here yesterday after he was found guilty of trafficking in drugs two years ago.
S. Pragasam, 30, was also sentenced to eight years’ jail for drug possession.
Judicial Commissioner Anselm Charles Fernandis handed down the sentence after finding that Pragasam had failed to raise reasonable doubts against the prosecution case.
However, he allowed a stay of the sentence pending an appeal at the Court of Appeal.
On the drug trafficking charge, Pragasam was charged with trafficking in 101.2 gm of heroin and 8.9 gm of Mono-acetylmorphines at Taman Puteri Lindungan here at about 7.30 pm on May 11, 2016.
The charge, under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, provides the death sentence upon conviction.
He was also charged under Section 12(2) of the same law and punishable under Section 39A (2)(r) of the same law, with possession of 36.6 gm of Methampetamine at the same place, date and time.
The law provides an imprisonment for life, or for a term which shall not be less than five years, and whipping of not less than 10 strokes.
However, Anselm said the Pragasam was exempted from whipping as provided under Section 289 (b) of the Criminal Procedure Code which prohibited whipping on a male convict sentenced to hanging.
Deputy public prosecutor Kenneth Oon Kork Chern prosecuted, while Prasagam was represented by lawyer Ranjit Gill.