Court sends Nigerian back to the gallows

PUTRAJAYA: It was short-lived freedom for a Nigerian man who had earlier been acquitted of drug trafficking, which carries the death sentence, when the Federal Court here allowed the prosecution's appeal and upheld his conviction and punishment.
Nolose Albert Raleshome, 35, was found guilty by the High Court on Jan 11, 2013 and sentenced to death by hanging for trafficking in 707.5 gm of methamphetamine at the Food Court 118 carpark in Taman Len Seng, Cheras about noon on Dec 30, 2010.
However, on Dec 9, 2013, the Court of Appeal allowed his appeal and quashed the conviction and sentence on grounds that the chemist's oral evidence contradicted with her report.
Today, a five-member panel chaired by Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif in an unanimous decision, set aside the court of appeal's decision and affirmed the high court's judgement.
Justice Md Raus held that there was no material contradiction in the chemist's oral testimony and her report with regard to the homogenisation of the crystalline substances containing methamphetamine.
According to the facts of the case, a police team acting on a tip off, trailed a car driven by Raleshome from Taman Connaught, Cheras to Taman Len Seng.
The team subsequently apprehended Raleshome and found a black bag containing a package of crystalline substances in his car. The report prepared by chemist Muzaiyanah Mohd Kaprawi stated that the crystalline substances contained methamphetamine.
Raleshome's defence was that he was a student from Lesotho and came to Malaysia in January 2010 to study in a language school. He testified that he was waiting in front of a bank in his rented car for his friend's girlfriend who wanted to use the vehicle for a day. He claimed he had no knowledge about the bag and that it belonged to his friend's girlfriend.
Deputy public prosecutor Awang Amardajaya Awang Mahmud appeared for the prosecution while Raleshome was represented by counsel Ram Karpal Singh. – Bernama