KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has acquitted a Malaysian man and his Thai girlfriend of drug trafficking charges involving 1.2kg of narcotics due to insufficient evidence.
Judge K. Muniandy ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a strong case against the couple, Tan Kah Soon, 49, and Pattarathida Petcharanon, 39.
The judge highlighted critical flaws in the prosecution’s case, including gaps in the chain of custody and delays in forensic analysis.
“There were significant weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, including issues related to the chain of custody of the evidence and the unexplained time gap between the discovery of the material and its delivery to the laboratory for analysis,“ said Muniandy.
The couple had been accused of trafficking 647.1g of methamphetamine and 561.6g of ketamine at a condominium in Taman Desa Petaling, Cheras, in November 2021.
They faced charges under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir led the case, while lawyer Sivahnanthan Ragava represented the accused.
The judge concluded that the scientific evidence did not sufficiently link the drugs to the defendants, leading to their acquittal without requiring a defence. - Bernama
