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PUTRAJAYA: A debt collector was saved today from hanging for methamphetamine trafficking five years ago and was sentenced to 16 years in jail and ordered to be spanked 20 times for possession.
Attorney M Athimulan, who appeared for Keow Sze Tze, told a three-member appeals court that the prosecution had accepted representation after a High Court verdict.
Deputy Prosecutor K Mangai confirmed the acceptance of the representation.
The court, chaired by Kamaludin Md Said, then reduced the charge from trafficking to possession, which carries a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 30 years.
Keow was sentenced to 16 years in prison and ordered to give him 10 rotan strokes for each of the two charges.
The court ordered that the terms of the jail run at the same time, which means that he will turn 16 and receive 20 strokes from rotan.
He was found with 512.2g and 474g of methamphetamine at Jalan Impian Ria in Taman Impian Ria, Machang Bubok, on June 19, 2015.
Two years ago, High Court Judge Abdul Wahab Mohamed sentenced him to death for trafficking.
Wahab had said that the defense had not raised a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case and Keow’s evidence was mere denial.
Today, Athimulan also dropped Keow’s appeal against the Superior Court conviction and sentence on four counts of possession of firearms and bullets.
Keow was charged with possessing a Cougar 8000 FT pistol and 12 9mm RA1 10 Luger rounds.
He was also charged with possession of a Pietro Beretta Gardone VT pistol, 32 S&B 9X9 12 bullets and 15 S&B 40 S&W bullets.
The crimes were committed in Jalan Impian Ria, Taman Impian Ria, Machang Bubok on June 19, 2015.
For all four crimes, Wahab had sentenced Keow to a total of 16 years in prison and ordered that he be hit 12 times with rotan.
Following today’s Court of Appeals decision, Keow, who has been in prison since 2015, will turn 16 for all crimes.
However, the total number of rotary blows imposed by the court is 32, but he is likely to be hit 24 times.
The Code of Criminal Procedure establishes that no person found guilty may receive more than 24 strokes of rotan.
