Man charged with drug trafficking

KOTA KINABALU: A selfemployed man claimed trial in the High Court here yesterday to drug trafficking.

Chieng Siew Chiew, 54, who was brought before Judicial Commissioner Celestina Steul Galid, faces a charge under Section 39B (1) (a), punishable under Section 39B (2), both of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

If found guilty, the accused is liable to the death sentence or an imprisonment for life and if not sentenced to death, also liable to be given up to 15 strokes of the cane upon conviction.

The charge, which was read out in Chinese, accuses the man of trafficking in 3,544.9 grams of syabu at the Crime Investigation Department of Labuan police station at 8.30pm on September 17, 2017.

The court fixed April 22-26 for the trial and the accused will be further held in custody, pending disposal of the case.

Deputy public prosecutor Nartiah F. Mirchelle Sambatan prosecuted and the accused was represented by counsel Ram Singh.

Meanwhile, a foreigner was jailed for 30 months and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane by the Magistrate's Court here for possessing 14.39 grams of syabu.

Magistrate Mohamad Aizat Abdul Rahim meted out the sentence on Ali Omar Basaut, 36, after the latter admitted to a charge framed under Section 39A (1) (r) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

The charge was punishable by a jail term of up to five years and whipping upon conviction.

The court ordered the accused to serve his jail term from yesterday.

Ali Omar was apprehended for having the syabu at a hotel in Penampang on October 29, 2018.

Prosecuting officer Inspector Albert Basiri told the court that a team of police went to a room of the hotel and found the syabu kept inside a red plastic packet inside the accused's trousers pocket.