GEORGE TOWN: It was a moment of celebration for a businessman when he was discharged and acquitted by a High Court here today for a drug trafficking charge six years ago.
Ong Tong Chuan, 47, was seen beaming with joy as he hugged tearful family members after Judge Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh delivered his judgment.
Ong was charged with trafficking 8.7kg of methamphetamine at a pawn shop in Taman Usahaniaga, Bukit Mertajam about 10.40pm on Nov 13, 2013.
He was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) which carries the mandatory death sentence. Ong has been languishing in prison for the last six years.
In his judgment, Ahmad said the prosecution had failed to prove that Ong had trafficked the drugs.
“The investigating officers also did not find the accused’s fingerprints on the iron cylinder where the drugs were stored.
“If it was true that the accused had carried the cylinder iron, which was so heavy and not easy to move around, it would be puzzling as to why no fingerprint was found.
“As such, I find that the prosecution has failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused,” he said.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Azura Zulkifli prosecuted, while Ong was represented by G.C. Tan and Datuk Ranjit Singh Dhillon.