Penampang man claims trial to planting cannabis tree

Kota Kinabalu: A 25-year-old unemployed man claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to having and planting a cannabis tree.

Nicklen Jaccqres, who appeared before Judge Elsie Primus via video conferencing proceedings, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Nicklen is accused of having and planting the 44.7cm canabis tree that weighed 6.38gm at 2.40pm on Aug 19, 2020, in a room of a house at Kampung Bahang, Jalan Hungab Nosoob in Penampang.

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The offence under Section 6B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 is punishable under Section 6B(3) of the same Act which carries a lifetime jail sentence and six strokes of the cane, if convicted.

Deputy Public Prosecutor, Mas Izzaty Lokman, applied for a pre-trial case management (ptcm) and trial date.

The court set Feb 18 for ptcm and fixed June 2-4 for trial.

Nicklen was first produced in court on Sept 2, 2020 but no plea was recorded from him pending the chemist’s report.

He has since been held under remand as no bail was offered to him.

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Nichlen was represented by counsel PJ Perira.

Meanwhile, the case of a 27-year-old man charged with committing sexual assault against a seven-year-old girl, will go on trial on June 6.

The court set the date for Mohamad Rafizan Rushlan during mention of his case via video conferencing proceedings on Thursday.

Rafizan was accused of committing the offence by kissing the girl at 2.55pm on Dec 6, 2019 at the staircase of Taman Tun Said in Kota Belud.

The offence, under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017, carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, on conviction.

Rafizan informed the court that he would be self-defend .

The prosecution would be calling six witnesses in the trial.