Three lose final appeal against death sentences
KOTA KINABALU: A man from Kuala Lumpur and a China woman lost their final appeal to the Federal Court here yesterday against their death sentences for drug trafficking convictions.
Justice Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Ahmad Haji Maarop, who sat together with Justices Tan Sri Azahar Mohamed, Dato? Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin, Dato? Setia Haji Mohd. Zawawi Salleh and Dato? Rhodzariah Bujang were unanimous in their decision to dismiss the appeals by Henry Chan, 33, and Cheng Jin Hui, 26, after hearing submissions from both appellants? counsels and the replies from the respondents.
Chan, who worked as a car service advisor, was sentenced to death by the High Court here on December 13, 2016 for trafficking in 1,514.7 grams of syabu.
He was caught committing the offence at the Narcotics Crimes Investigation Department at the Sabah police headquarters here at 10.15 pm on February 12, 2015.
Meanwhile, Cheng was sentenced to death on June 10, 2016, by the High Court here for trafficking in the drug weighing 1,397.1 grams at the Customs office at Terminal Two arrival hall of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport on July 6, 2014.
Both appellants were found guilty under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides for the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.
On July 26, 2017, the Court of Appeal here affirmed Chan conviction and sentence while Cheng appeal was dismissed on March 20, 2017.
Counsel Hamid Ismail and Ram Singh represented the appellants respectively.
In an unrelated hearing, the same court dismissed an appeal by a 36-year-old Filipino against his death sentence for murdering a man in Lahad Datu seven years ago.
Norol Rojik Jun was sentenced to death by the Tawau High Court on February 4, 2016 after he was found guilty of murdering one Persie Santos Cayanong, aged 40, on November 12, 2011 on the second floor of a premises along Jalan Singgahmata, Lahad Datu.
Norol, represented by counsel Abdul Ghani Zelika, had then appealed against the High Court decision but it was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on March 20, 2017.