South African to hang for drug trafficking

GEORGE TOWN: A 28-year-old South African was sent to the gallows by the Penang High Court today after being found guilty of trafficking in 1,949gm of methamphetamine at the Penang International Airport two years ago.
Deon Jacobus Alfred Cornelius, a security guard in South Africa, committed the offence at the airport Customs inspection counter at about 11.40am on Oct 4, 2013.
The offence under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 carries the mandatory death sentence on conviction.
In his judgment, Judicial Commissioner Datuk Nordin Hassan ruled the prosecution had succeeded in proving the case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said the accused should have the awareness to check the laptop bag that was passed to him by his friend known as only "Tony" in South Africa.
He said "Tony" handed the bag to the accused to be brought over to someone else in Penang after learning of the latter's 10-day vacation in the state. "Both of them had met three to four times back then in their country," he said when delivering his verdict. The drugs were found in a hidden compartment of the laptop bag.
During mitigation, lawyer Hussaini Abdul Rashid said the accused has a wife and five-year-old daughter in his home country, and pleaded for leniency.
The accused appeared calm when Nordin handed down his decision.
DPP Zuraidah Zakaria prosecuted the case.