Undergraduate gets 13 years' jail, 10 strokes for drug possession

KUALA TERENGGANU: A science undergraduate charged with drug trafficking was convicted on a lesser charge of drug possession by the High Court here today.
Judge Datuk Zainal Azman Ab Aziz sentenced Ahmad Usman Nor Azmi, 28, to 13 years' in jail and 10 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to possessing 479.32 grams of cannabis, two years ago.
The offence was committed in a room at Taman Sri Kolam, here at 4pm on Dec 17, 2016.
Initially Ahmad Usman faced a drug trafficking charge which provides a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
He was today offered an alternative charge punishable under Section 39A (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act which provides for life imprisonment or imprisonment of not less than five years with whipping of not less than 10 strokes.
The accused was ordered to serve the jail sentence from the date of arrest on Dec 17, 2016.
Meanwhile, Nor Sofea Asyiqin Mahamood, 25, a fourth-year medical student of a local university who was charged together with the accused, was given a discharge not amounting to acquittal after the prosecution agreed to withdraw the charge against her.
Deputy public prosecutor Rohaiza Abd Rahman prosecuted, while both the accused were represented by counsel Mohd Hayyatuddin Muhamad. — Bernama