KUCHING: A magistrates’ court yesterday fixed July 17 to hear a drug abuse case involving a security guard who was issued with a warrant of arrest on April 4 for his failure to turn up for an earlier hearing.

When he finally appeared in court yesterday Tirmidzi Chil, 26, from Petra Jaya, still maintained his innocence before magistrate Tengku Shahrizam Tuan Lah.

The charge reads that he allegedly committed the offence at 10.30am on April 20 last year at a house in Kampung Astana, Petra Jaya.

He is said to have smoked dangerous drugs, to wit, cannabis, without authorisation and thereby committed an offence which comes under Section 10 (2) (b) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

The Section provides for a jail term of not more than two years with a fine not exceeding RM5,000.

He was released on RM4,000 bail in two local sureties who must have fixed income on Nov 29 last year.

In an unrelated case, the same magistrates’ court yesterday fixed July 17 to hear another drug case because the prosecuting officer was not available. The accused, Leong Jun Miaw, 35, a labourer from Jalan Landeh, faces two drug charges.

In the first charge, he allegedly committed illegal possession of dangerous drugs, which comes under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and punishable under Section 12 (3) of the same Act with jail of not more than five years with the possibility of a fine not exceeding RM100,000.

The second charge reads that he allegedly consumed Syabu without any authorisation and thereby committed an offence under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and is punishable under Section 15 of the same Act with jail for a term not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding RM5,000.