Electrician Acquitted of Charge for Growing Cannabis Plants at Home

IPOH: A freelance electrician was acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court here today from a charge of allowing cannabis plants weighing 253.4 grams to be grown at a house three years ago.

Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi made the decision after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against Aszizi Ayub, 37, at the end of the prosecution’s case.

“After evaluating the evidence presented by the prosecution as well as the arguments from the defence, the court hereby finds that the prosecution has failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused. Therefore, the accused is acquitted and discharged of the charge,” he said.

According to the amended charge, the man was accused of allowing cannabis plants weighing 253.4 grams, from which cannabis could be obtained directly, to be cultivated by another person inside a black plastic bag at a house in Taman Dato Leow Yan Sip, Kinta at about 8.30 pm on July 31, 2023.

The charge was brought under Section 6B(1)(c) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for punishment under Section 6B(3) of the same Act, namely life imprisonment and whipping of not less than six strokes, if convicted.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor S. S. Pavitra, while the accused was represented by lawyers Keshvinder Singh, Sukhdave Singh and Renver Singh.

Based on the facts of the case, a team of officers from the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department of the Perak Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK) raided the house and found a plant suspected to be cannabis, about 70 centimetres tall, planted in a black plastic bag inside a room.

Further inspection in the same room also uncovered several items believed to be related to drug activities, including a modified glass jar, a lighter, a sealing device, a weighing scale, brown paper, two knives and a number of empty transparent plastic packets.

Police then found a glass jar containing seeds suspected to be cannabis seeds, two bottles containing liquid suspected to be chemicals, fertiliser, a spray bottle containing water, and a fertiliser measuring tool.

BERNAMA