KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — A former bartender was sentenced to death by the High Court here today after she was found guilty of trafficking in 693.4gm of cocaine two years ago.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Nordin Hassan handed down the sentence on Thai national Orathai Prommatat, 24, after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubts in the prosecution’s case.
However, he allowed a stay of the sentence pending an appeal.
In his judgment, Nordin said the testimony by the accused on her intention of going to Bahrain and Kuala Lumpur was inconsistent, at one time saying that she went there for a holiday and the next time, to look for a job.
He said Orathai, who is not married, but has a six-year-old son, also claimed that the holiday expenses were paid for by a friend named Som who worked at the same bar.
“The cost is high, the flight ticket, food and accommodation incur high cost. The accused had quit her job two months before going to Bahrain. It is difficult to accept how the accused could afford to pay for the holiday to Bahrain.
“If Som is rich, Som wouldn’t be working as a bartender. It is also difficult to accept that the accused went on vacation alone, leaving her son for three weeks to look at the beaches in Bahrain when the beaches in Thailand are equally beautiful,” he added.
Nordin said Orathai also did not deny that the luggage containing the drug was hers. The drug was found in a hidden compartment in the bag.
The woman was charged with trafficking in the drug in a hotel room at Jalan Hang Lekiu here at 8.30pm on July 1, 2014.
She was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Nazir Amir Johari, while Orathai was represented by lawyers Osman Ujang and Azmi Talib. — Bernama
