Prison Warden Escapes Death For Drugs
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - A drug pushing prison warden who escaped the hangman's noose will end up having a taste of his own medicine.

Thirty-four-year-old Norsaidi bin Hj Bangkol faced before Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Mohammed Saiecl, and Mr Justice Dato Paduka Steven Chong multiple drug charges which was enough to send him to the gallows. He will instead serve five years in prison and receive five strokes of the cane.

Norsaidi who served as prison warden for 13 years and had a spotless record said that he began taking drugs because his friends told him it was good for relieving stress.

But since his trouble with the law began, his wife left him and his three children are looked after by his elderly parents his counsel Mr Roy Prabakaran of Cheok Sankaram and Halim told the court.

Norsaidi initially faced a charge of possession for the trafficking of 202.574 grammes of crystalline substances containing 153.267 grammes of methylamphetamine.

Subsequently, the Public Prosecutor Haji Nabil Darina Pehin Badaruddin preferred an alternative charge of possession for trafficking of 4.662 grammes of crystalline substances containing 3.493 grammes of methylamp-hetamine to which Norsaidi pleaded guilty.

Additionally, he pleaded guilty to another two counts for possession of 0.345 grammes of crystalline substances containing 0.264 grammes of methylamphetamine.

He pleaded guilty to a further offence of possession of 0.2456 grammes of methylamphetamine.

The court heard that on the night of January 4, 2005, a party of narcotics officers carried out a raid at No.2, Block F4, Prison Warders Flat Jalan Kerakas Payau, Kg Kupang, Tutong.

Norsaidi was arrested in a room and a search of his trouser pocket yielded a plastic packet containing crystalline substances.

A small green bag was found on the lawn outside the fiat. He had thrown this bag out through the window before he was arrested. The bag contained an envelope with $50 and a plastic case with seven packets of crystalline substances.

Upon analysis by the Department of Scientific Services, the packet of crystalline substances seized from the trouser pocket of D1 was found to contain 0.264 grammes of methylamphetamine which is a class A controlled drug.

The seven packets of crystalline substances from the bag contained 3.493 grammes of methylamphetamine. His urine specimen collected after his arrest was also found to be positive for methylamphetamine.

He confessed that he bought the 'packet of drugs which he kept in his trouser pocket from a friend for $50 for his own consumption.

He also bought the seven packets of drugs discovered in the bag from D2 and would pay him $500 after he had sold the drugs. The money in the envelope was derived from drug trafficking.

The defendant is 34 years old and had served as a prison warden for 13 years, Mr Prabhakaran said, adding that his client regrets his "mindless actions" and promises never to be involved in drugs again.

He started taking methylampltetamine, commonly called syabu, about two years ago having been persuaded by friends that it was a "good stress relief' but inevitably became addicted to it.

He then resorted to drug dealing to feed his habit. His wife has left him because of these offences and their three young children are under the care of his elderly parents,

We sympathise with the defendant's family and in particular his children.

The defendant, however, can expect no sympathy from the court. Considering his background he cannot claim to be unaware of the risks he ran when he began to indulge in drugs and in becoming a trafficker, the court ruled.

The court gave credit to the defendant for his guilty pleas and previous good character.

Having regard to the guidelines set out by the Court of Appeal and took into consideration the defendant's admission to the possession offence under Section 13A of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court sentenced him as follows:

1. Possession for fine purpose of trafficking of 3.493 grains of methylamphetamine five years' imprisonment and five strokes,

2. Possession of 0.345 grammes of methylamphetamine two months' imprisonment,

3. Consumption of methylamphetamine one month's imprisonment.

The sentences are to be served concurrently from the date he was first remanded in custody. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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