TWO MEN STUNNED WHEN FREED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGE

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Two men who faced the mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking were stunned, hardly believing what they heard, when the High Court here freed them of the charge.

Justice Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim acquitted and discharged the duo after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against them.

He said the two men were arrested with another man, but that the third person was not charged nor called as a witness.

In the dock were Tan Choon Cheong, 60, and Tia Eng Hock Tan, 46, who had been detained in jail for four years. Both were stunned and were lost for words.

They remained in the dock even after the hearing was over and only walked out after their lawyer, Datuk Hazman Ahmad, told them so.

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COURT-DRUG 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

Tan and Tia were jointly charged with trafficking three packages containing 3,000gm methamphetamine in front of the Pyramid Tower Hotel, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, at about 1pm on April 2, 2005.

A total of 16 prosecution witnesses testified throughout the hearing which began in 2007.

-- BERNAMA

ZMN HK MIS