Nabweteme Hadija at Penang High Court after being sentenced to death PHOTO: New Straits Times
A Ugandan woman who was caught at the Penang International Airport last year with with 2.3kg of syabu (methamphetamine) has been sentenced to death for drug trafficking by the High Court in Malyasia.
Judicial Commissioner Mohd Amin Firdaus Abdullah in his judgment said Nabweteme Hadija's defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt, according to the New straits Times
He said it would be illogical for the 56-year-old handicraft businesswoman to claim that she had not found something amiss with her luggage, which had a secret compartment where the drugs were concealed and found.
Amin said Nabweteme had packed the luggage herself and in all likelihood she should have felt something was wrong and become suspicious.
Amin said the investigating officer Chief Inspector Balber Singh had testified that Customs officers at the airport had informed him that there was something suspicious at the bottom of the bag and that the bag was also "hard".
"Therefore, her explanation (of not knowing about the drugs) is illogical," said Amin, adding that Nabweteme had also failed to furnish any document to support her claim that she had previously sent the luggage for cleaning.
On Nabweteme's claim that she had arrived in Penang to purchase jewellery, Amin said Penang was not famous for jewellery.
Nabweteme was charged with trafficking in the drug at the airport here on Sept 9 last year.
It was previously reported that she was detained by police here following information from police in Bangkok that she had filed a missing baggage report there.
She was represented by counsel S. Yagoo while deputy public prosecutor Mohd Amril Johari prosecuted.
