Mechanic sentenced to death for drug trafficking

Judge Datuk Dr Lim Hock Leng handed down the sentence on Tai Chee Khiong, 51, after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case.

In his judgement, Lim said that although it was the accused's first offence, the amount of drug seized was believed to be the largest in Sabah.

In fact, he said, the amount of drugs in the case exceeded the accumulated amount in all five drug cases tried in the court over the past three years.

"The accused did not show any remorse and did not respond, nor did the defence counsel, despite being given the opportunity by the court to say something before sentence is meted outed," said the judge.

Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Hurman Hussain requested the court to consider imposing the death penalty taking into account the amount of drugs involved and the public interest. Also appearing for the prosecution was Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Suhaimi Suriana.

Tai, represented by lawyer Darmin Achok, was charged on Oct 13, 2021, with trafficking 199,950.1 grammes of the drug syabu in Kampung Batu Payung here at 7.30 am on Sept 6, 2021.

He was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides the death penalty or life imprisonment, and if not sentenced to death, must be punished with no less than 15 lashes upon conviction.

Meanwhile, according to the prosecution, the death sentence imposed by the Tawau High Court today was the first to be handed down after the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 (Act 846) came into effect on July 4 last year.

-- BERNAMA