KOTA KINABALU: A businessman was charged at the Sessions and Magistrate’s Courts here yesterday with three counts of trafficking and possession of illegal drugs.
Tan Chik Hau @ Calvin Tan, 29, pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamad to a charge of possessing 101 grams of cannabis at Hartamas Heights in Kepayan on September 18 this year at 4pm.
The offence under Section 39A (2)(f) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952 is punishable with life imprisonment and not less than 10 strokes of the cane, if found guilty.
Deputy public prosecutor Dominic Chew Ban Huat applied for the case to be deferred as the chemist’s report was not ready.
Tan requested for bail to be granted saying he had to take care of his mother, as his sister was in Singapore, and promised judge Ainul that he would be in the country until October 30, which was the date fixed for case management.
Judge Ainul rejected his request, pointing out that the charge was not bailable.
Tan was later charged at the Magistrate’s Court with two counts of drug possession and trafficking.
On the first count, he denied before Senior Assistant Registrar Dzul Elmy Yunus, sitting as magistrate, to having in his possession 2.6 grams of ecstasy pills along Jalan Kepayan on September 15 this year around 3.30pm.
The offence, framed under Section 12 of the same Act and punishable under Section 39A (1) of the DDA 1952 carries a five years imprisonment and not less than three strokes of the cane.
On the second count, Tan was charged with possession of 300 grams of syabu (methamphetamine) at the same place, time and date. The offence framed under Section 39B of the DDA 1952 carries the mandatory death penalty.
No plea was taken from the unrepresented Tan.
The court tset November 4 for re-mention of the case pending the chemist’s report, while allowing Tan bail of RM8,000 under two local sureties.
Inspector Syahrin Ali prosecuted in both cases.