PUTRAJAYA: A canopy supplier who was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to be whipped for firearms trafficking walked out a free man today after winning his appeal to set aside his conviction and sentence.
Justice Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said, in delivering the Court of Appeal's three-member panel decision, said T. Jegan's appeal had merits and that his conviction was not safe.
The other two judges presiding with Kamaludin were Datuk Abu Bakar Jais and Datuk Ahmad Nasfy Yasin.
Jegan, who has been in prison since 2015, was charged with trafficking three pistols and a revolver in front of a house in Jalan Bukit Mewah in Kajang, Selangor, at 7.30am on Dec 18, 2015.
He was also charged with possessing 69 rounds of ammunition at the same place and time.
On March 29, 2019, the High Court convicted him of trafficking the firearms and sentenced him to life imprisonment and six strokes of the rotan as well as an additional four years' jail for possession of ammunition.
He was represented by lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent while deputy public prosecutor Eyu Ghim Siang appeared for the prosecution.
Meanwhile, the same panel of judges allowed a former factory worker's appeal to reduce his jail sentence from seven years to four years for outraging the modesty of a 17-year-old girl in Taman Klang Utama, Klang, Selangor on May 21, 2019.
The panel, however, maintained the three strokes of the rotan imposed on M. Muthamilmaran, 26, by the Klang Sessions Court.
Kamaludin also maintained the Sessions Court's order that Muthamilmaran undergo counselling while in prison and that he be placed under police supervision after serving his jail sentence.
His appeal to set aside his conviction was unsuccessful.
Muthamilmaran was ordered to begin his jail term today. He was previously released on RM20,000 bail pending today's final appeal.
He was sentenced to seven years' jail after the Sessions Court found him guilty of touching the girl's breast and ordered him to be whipped three times in April last year.
He was represented by lawyer Muhammad Amirul Jamaluddin while deputy public prosecutor Khairul Aisamuddin Abdul Rahman appeared for the prosecution. — Bernama