Court affirms lorry attendant’s death penalty, jail sentences for drug offences

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PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has affirmed the death sentence of a lorry attendant who was found guilty of trafficking about 90gm of methamphetamine at a house in Kuala Lumpur four years ago.

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A three-member bench, led by Kamaludin Md Said, also confirmed a 11-year jail term and 10 strokes of the rotan meted out against M Santanasamy, 45, for possessing 10.13gm of heroin.

It also dismissed Santanasamy’s third appeal on a charge of possessing 7.48gm of cannabis, for which he was sentenced by the High Court to another two years’ jail.

The offences were committed at a house in Taman Sri Rampai at 11.40am on Feb 14, 2018.

Kamaludin said there was overwhelming evidence against the accused after the bench had thoroughly gone through the written submissions and appeal records.

“All fingers point towards the appellant that he was in custody and in control of the drugs in all three charges,” he said.

Sitting with him were Ahmad Nasfy Yasin and High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who was co-opted on an ad hoc basis to hear the appeals.

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Sequerah is also the trial judge in the ongoing corruption cases involving former prime minister Najib Razak and his former deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamid.

Santanasamy was initially charged in the High Court with K Thierruselvan, 38, and S James, 43, with trafficking methamphetamine and heroin.

However, trial judge Zaini Mazlan acquitted Thierruselvan and James on the trafficking charge but sentenced them to two years’ jail for possessing cannabis instead.

They did not appeal against their conviction and sentence.

Deputy public prosecutors Asmah Musa and Wong Poi Yoke appeared for the prosecution while SS Ruban represented Santanasamy.–FMT