Syabu: Court allows man’s request for time to appoint lawyer

16 Feb 2023 • 1:04 PM MYT
Daily Express
Daily Express

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Kota Kinabalu: A 51-year-old man, who was charged with trafficking 22kg of syabu will have his case rementioned on March 15 for him to appoint a counsel.

High Court Judge Datuk Ismail Brahim set the date for Low Siew Yuen on Wednesday following Low’s request for time to appoint his own lawyer.

“Give me one month, if I cannot, I will use a counsel assigned by the court,” said Low through a Chinese interpreter after Ismail told him that the court could assign a counsel for him.

The prosecution, earlier informed the court that Wednesday was to update the court on whether the accused already has a lawyer or not to represent him.

Low initially told the court that he has a lawyer but he does not have enough money yet and asked for two more months.

Low of Selangor was accused of trafficking 22,053.8gm of syabu at 4.15pm on Jan 4, 2022 at the Freight Mark Express, Inanam, here.

The charge is framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a punishment of either the death penalty or life in prison and whipping with a minimum of 15 strokes, on conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Rozanna Abdul Hadi prosecuted.

In another case, a 28-year-old man, who fraudulently had RM13,000 deposited into his bank account last year, was fined a total of RM300 by the Magistrate’s Court

Johnny Tamin, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Jessica Ombou Kakayun to three counts of having the money belonging to Lai Yui Fee in his Bank Islam account, in which he failed to give a satisfactory explanation on how he obtained them.

The offence under Section 22A (1) of the Minor Offences Ordinance, provides a fine of up to RM100 or up to three month’s jail or both, on conviction.

Johnny admitted to having the transaction of RM10,000 on March 3, 2022, RM3,000 on March 3, 2022 and RM10,000 on March 4, the same year. The Magistrate ordered Johnny to pay a fine of RM100 or one-day jail on each count.

Earlier, the court was informed by the prosecution that a complainant transferred the money into a Bank Islam account under Johnny’s name after being informed through a telephone call purportedly from the Ipoh police station that he was involved in money laundering activity and was told to transfer all his money into the said account to facilitate investigation.

Unrepresented, Johnny requested leniency saying that he currently has no job and that he came all the way from Keningau and borrowed RM200 from his mother to come here.

Inspector Albert Basiri prosecuting applied for an adequate sentence.

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