IPOH: Two friends escaped the hangman’s noose when they were freed by a High Court here on two charges of drug trafficking.

       Judicial commissioner Bhupindar Singh Gurcharan Singh Preet on Wednesday (Jan 5) acquitted and discharged Nurafizza Mustafa, 28, and Chia Ka Yang, 30.

       However another friend of theirs, Jackson Ng Teck Seng, 33, was ordered to enter his defence.

       The three labourers were jointly charged four years ago with trafficking in 18.2gm of heroin and monoacetylmorphine at a hotel room in Jalan Bruseh in Bidor.

       The offence under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, carried the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

       For the second charge at the same place, time, and date they were accused of trafficking 31.99g methamphetamine, an offence under Section 39A (2) of the same act.

       In his judgement, Bhupinder Singh ruled that the prosecution had proved a prima facie case against Ng.

       He said the court found that the drugs found in the room belonged to Ng.

       As for the other two accused, the court found the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case.

       "They are thus acquitted and discharged,” he added.

       Deputy public prosecutor Jean Sharmila Jesudason prosecuted the case while lawyers Ranjit Singh Sandhu and Vivien Mitchiel represented the three accused.

       Bhupinder fixed March 10 and 11 for Ng to enter his defence.