Man convicted of trafficking meth in Tuaran to know fate on April 9

KOTA KINABALU (March 26): The High Court here has found a 45-year-old man guilty of trafficking 6.6964kg of methamphetamine nearly four years ago.

In delivering his decision, Judge Datuk Alexander Siew How Wai ruled that Julpekal Mohammad failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.

“Accordingly, the court finds the accused guilty as charged and hereby convicts him of the offence,” he said and fixed April 9 for sentencing.

Julpekal was charged with committing the offence at around 10pm on May 8, 2022 at a car park in front of a supermarket in Taman Sri Rugading, Tuaran.

He was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which is punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act.

The Section provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment with a minimum 12 strokes of the cane.

The trial commenced on Aug 19, 2024, with the prosecution calling six witnesses to testify.

The defence, meanwhile, only called Julpekal to the stand as its sole witness.

Deputy public prosecutor Lovely Natasha Charles led the prosecution, while Julpekal was represented by counsel Dominic Chew.