KOTA KINABALU: A man from Selangor was sentenced to life imprisonment and 15 strokes of the rotan for trafficking in 10,350.7 grammes of syabu three years ago.
High Court Judge Datuk Nurchaya Arshad meted out the sentence on Lee Kok Wah, 30, today.
Nurchaya held that the defence failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case.
Lee was found guilty of trafficking in syabu at the international arrival hall of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here at 11.46am on April 8, 2018.
He was convicted under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B (2) of the same Act which carries the death sentence or imprisonment for life and whipping, upon conviction.
The trial which commenced on Nov 6, 2019, saw 11 prosecution witnesses and one defence witness testify.
Lee was represented by government-assigned counsel Chong Kian Ming while deputy public prosecutor Shafiq Mahadi and Haderiah Siri prosecuted.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case in the magistrate's court, a Sabahan was charged with trafficking in 117.96g of syabu.
However, no plea was recorded from Mohd Yusof Saililah, 40, who appeared before Senior Assistant Registrar Abdurrahman Abrar Jarni in a virtual hearing.
Mohd Yusof was charged with trafficking in the drugs at a parking area in Inanam on Feb 24, at 7.30pm.
Abdurrahman who sat as a magistrate fixed May 4, for mention pending the chemist report and ordered the unrepresented accused to be further detained pending the case disposal.
Inspector Navind Kumar Vijayan prosecuted.