KUCHING: Two friends were both sentenced to 54 months in jail and seven strokes of the rotan by the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday for possessing 22.52 grammes of methamphetamine, a dangerous drug, in August last year.
Their accomplice, Nasli Daud, who was also charged, was released and discharged by the court.
Berlylend Tingom and Michael Chan Aik Wei were accused to have committed the offence in a car at Kampung Sungai Agas Baru, Jalan Matang on August 11 at 8pm.
Both of them had pleaded not guilty to the offence. However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Hafiz Musa was able to raise a prima facie case against them.
The punishment was meted out by Magistrate Nuruhuda Mohd Yusof.
All three of them were charged under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39A(1) of the same Act, and was read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of not less than two years and not more than five years and whipping of not less than three strokes and not more than nine strokes of the rotan.
All three accused were not represented.