Mohd Azmie Indra hugged by his sister after the Sandakan High Court acquitted him of a drug trafficking charge.
KOTA KINABALU: A 31-year-old hotel worker facing the gallows for drug trafficking was freed by the Sandakan High Court on Monday (Nov 27).
Mohd Azmie Indra walked away a free man after Justice Celestina Stuel Galid acquitted him of charges of trafficking drugs that carry the mandatory death penalty.
The High Court found that the defence had successfully raised reasonable doubt about the charges against Azmie.
He was accused of trafficking 1,350.8g of cannabis and was charged under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which is punishable under Section 39(B) of the same legislation, which carries the death penalty upon conviction.
Azmie was arrested at about 1pm on Feb 8, 2020, at a building near his workplace in Sandakan.
Before his arrest, Azmie received a call from a courier service wanting to deliver a parcel to him. The parcel was registered under someone else's name, but his number was on it.
A full trial began on Mar 21, 2023, and Azmie was called to enter his defence on Sept 14, 2023. The prosecution called five witnesses, and the defence called six witnesses during the trial.
Lawyer Hamida Ambo defended Azmie, while the prosecution was by deputy public prosecutor Sofia S. Sawayan.
