KOTA KINABALU: A 31-year-old hotel worker who was facing execution for drug trafficking was released by the Sandakan High Court on Monday (Nov 27). Mohd Azmie Indra was acquitted of the drug trafficking charges, which carried a mandatory death penalty, by Justice Celestina Stuel Galid. The High Court determined that the defense had successfully raised reasonable doubt about the charges against Azmie. He was alleged to have been 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, and carries the death penalty upon conviction. The arrest of Azmie took place at approximately 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. The full trial began on Mar 21, 2023, and Azmie was called to enter his defense on Sept 14, 2023. During the trial, the prosecution called five witnesses and the defense called six witnesses. Lawyer Hamida Ambo defended Azmie, while the prosecution was by deputy public prosecutor Sofia S. Sawayan.
