GEORGE TOWN, Jan 22 ― A South African security guard was given the death sentence for drug trafficking by the Penang High Court today.
Deon Jacobus Alfred Cornelius was convicted of trafficking in 1,949g of methamphetamine at the Penang international airport Customs inspection counter at about 11.40am on October 4, 2013.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Nordin Hassan found that the 28-year-old had failed to raise reasonable doubt over the prosecution's case against him.
“The court is satisfied with the prosecution's case that Cornelius had knowledge of the drug in the bag which he had admitted was brought into the country by him,” he said when delivering the sentence this morning.
Cornelius, represented by Hussaini Abdul Rashid, appeared expressionless when Nordin ordered for him to be hanged for drug trafficking.
In his judgement, Nordin said Cornelius claimed another person named “Tony” had given him the bag to bring over to Penang and claimed ignorance of its contents.
He ruled that this defence failed to raise reasonable doubt over the prosecution's case as Cornelius, as a security guard, should have the awareness to check the contents of the bag given to him.
He also pointed to the fact that Cornelius failed to mention Tony to the arresting officer when he was detained at the airport after the Customs officers found a packet of suspicious substance in a laptop bag he had been carrying.
He said Cornelius only mentioned Tony during interrogation, adding that he believed this was an afterthought.
During submissions, the court heard that Cornelius was detained upon arrival at the Penang International Airport by the Customs officers after his laptop bag went through a security scanner.
He was then brought to a meeting room where the bag was inspected and the packet containing white substances believed to be drugs hidden in the inner compartment of the bag was discovered.
Cornelius was then arrested and brought to the police station for interrogation and was subsequently charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
This is the first time Cornelius, who is married with a five-year-old daughter in South Africa, has visited Penang, Malaysia purportedly for a 10-day vacation.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zuraidah Zakaria prosecuted the case.
