SHAH ALAM, Nov 22 — An Iranian housewife escaped the death sentence, while her husband, a school principal in Iran, was sent to the gallows for trafficking in drugs at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang two years ago.
Judge Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi handed down the sentence after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a case against Soraiya Mosafer Mardali, 32, but the defence by her husband, Kazem Hamidpoor Abolghasem, 33, failed to raise reasonable doubt’s against the prosecution’s case.
In the judgment, Ahmadi said he amended the charge against Soraiya because the prosecution failed to establish that she had trafficked in the drug that was in her baggage.He sentenced Soraiya to 14 years’ jail after amending her charge to that of drug possession.
Ahmadi said Soraiya was lucky because women were exempted from the whipping sentence
Soraiya was charged with possession of 890gm of methamphetamine at KLIA at 4pm on March 6, 2011, while Kazem was charged with trafficking in 440.28gm of methamphetamine at the same time, place and date.
In mitigation, lawyer Hasshahari Johari Mawi , representing Soraiya, asked for his client to not be sentenced to a long term in jail as the cost would be borne by Malaysian taxpayers.
He also said Soraiya was remorse and regretted her action which had also destroyed her marriage.
Deputy public prosecutor Aidatul Azwa Zainal Abidin prosecuted.
Meanwhile, in another court, sentenced a taxi driver, also an Iranian, to death for trafficking in drug at KLIA three years ago.
Mikaeil Safari, 39, was charged with trafficking in 752.8gm of methampetamine at KLIA at 3.30pm on November 15, 2010.
Mikaeil was represented by lawyer Azihan Adnan. — Bernama
