FARMERS' MARKET TRADER GETS 9 YEARS JAIL, 10 STROKES FOR HAVING CANNABIS

SHAH ALAM, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- A farmers' market trader was sentenced to nine months in prison and 10 strokes of the rotan by the High Court here today after pleading guilty to two charges of possession of 516.56 grammes of cannabis two years ago.

The accused, Mazli Abdul Manap, 36, was charged for having the drug in an upstairs room of his house at No:1, Lorong 1, Desa Pahlawan, Batu 4, Jalan Ampang, Ampang, at about 4pm on June 14, 2007.

He was charged under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and sentenced under Section 39A(2) of the same act that allows for a prison term of a maximum of 20 years and a minimum of 10 strokes of the rotan. For that offence Judicial Commissioner, Mohd Yazid Mustafa, meted out a sentence of nine years and 10 strokes of the rotan.

Mazli was earlier tried on a charge of trafficking cannabis under Section 39B of the same act that has the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

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COURT-CANNABIS 2 (LAST) SHAH ALAM

However, after 14 witnesses testified and his defence called, the prosecution offered an alternative charge and the accused changed his plea to guilty.

Besides that the court also sentenced Mazli to two years in prison on another charge of possession of cannabis weighing 2.7 grammes at the roadside of Jalan Hilir 7, Angkasa Hilir, Ampang, at about 3pm on the same day.

Mohd Yazid ordered both sentences to be served concurrently from the day of his arrest.

Deputy public prosecutor Yong Leou Shin prosecuted while Mazli was represented by Ariff Azami Hussein. -- BERNAMA FAI PST