Kota Kinabalu: A medical practitioner was freed from a charge or having unregistered Ivermectin products.
Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus discharged and acquitted Dr Nicholas James, 47, when told that there was a new development in the case on Thursday.
Prosecuting officer from the Pharmacy Department, Amira Diyana Rosman, informed the court that the defence wrote a representation letter to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s office and the representation was accepted.
The prosecution then applied for the case to be discharged not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).
However, counsel Batholomew Jingulam who represented Dr Nicholas, urged for his client to be discharged and acquitted, citing a decided case to support his arguments.
Dr Nicholas was accused of having 100 strips of Biomec 12 Ivermectin BP 12mg at 12.35pm on August 23, 2021 at a clinic in Api-Api Centre, here.
The offence under Regulation 30(1) of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetic Regulations 1984 which is punishable under Section 12(1) of the Sale of Drugs Act 1952, carries a fine of up to RM25,000 or a jail term of up to three years, or both, on conviction.
The trial of the case started in September 2022 and about five witnesses were called to testify.
When this case was first mentioned on Jan 28, 2022, Dr Nicholas admitted to buying Ivermectin tablets to protect his family members from Covid-19.
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