Zamani, personal assistant fined RM5,500 for possession, taking drugs

"I am thankful and grateful for my arrest on Jan 21 because it is instrumental in turning my life around," he told reporters at the Ampang Court compound here Wednesday.

Zamani, whose full name is Zamani Ibrahim, 43, and gained local fame for his 'Gerimis Mengundang' number, is currently undergoing rehabilitation at a centre here.

He and his personal assistant, Nur Juliana Abdul Rani, 32, had initially claimed trial to the charges but changed their plea to guilty on Wednesday.

They admitted to possession of 0.60 grammes at a house in Jalan Enggang Timor Satu, Taman Keramat here at 12.30am on Jan 21, and were fined RM3,300 or 10 months' jail each.

The singer admitted to the second charge of taking morphine while Nur Juliana admitted taking methamphetamine at the Narcotics CID office at Ampang Jaya police headquarters around 2am and 2.05am respectively on Jan 21.

They were fined RM2,200 or eight months' jail each, for the offence. Both paid their fines.

Magistrate Ayuni Izzaty Sulaiman also ordered them to be placed on probation for two years under the National Anti Drugs Agency.

Earlier in mitigation, the duo's counsel, Ahmad Zaharil Muhaiyar, said the singer had repented from drugs and his weight had increased to 59kg from 45kg.

Zamani was also suffering from chronic back pain which needed intensive treatment and surgery, he said.

Counsel said Nur Juliana was experimenting with drugs out of curiosity and that she and Zamani did not have any previous conviction record.

Deputy public prosecutor Goh Ai Rene, however, urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence as a lesson to the duo as the offences were serious.