Singer Ameng jailed for taking drugs in police station
KUALA LUMPUR: Ameng, the lead singer of popular 90s boy band Spring, was sentenced yesterday to two months’ jail for taking ganja.
Magistrate Zaki Asyraf Zubir also fined him RM4,000, in default of four months’ jail.
Ameng, 42, whose real name is Wan Aminudin Wan Ismail, was also ordered to be under observation by the National Anti-Drug Agency for three years.
The singer was charged on May 12 with consuming ganja at the Sentul police headquarters on April 2.
Five prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses testified.
In passing sentence, the court ruled that Ameng’s defence that he was framed was merely a blatant allegation without any basis as well as an attempt to direct the court’s attention to petty issues irrelevant to the case.
Zaki Asyraf also noted that it was Ameng’s second offence. In 2005, he was convicted and fined for a similar offence.
The accused appeared calm when the sentence was passed.
In mitigation, counsel Kamarul Zaman Abdul Rahman said Ameng was his family’s sole breadwinner and that he had a three-year-old son and a non-working wife to support.
He told the court that Ameng also had two daughters, aged nine and 14 from a previous marriage.
“A custodial sentence in this case is not suitable.
“His reputation as a singer has taken a blow with this charge.
“If he goes to jail, his income will be affected,” Kamarul Zaman added.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Hajar Alias, however, asked the court to impose a deterrent sentence as drug-taking was a serious offence and because this was Ameng’s second offence.
Kamarul Zaman applied for a stay of the jail sentence pending an appeal.
The magistrate allowed the application on condition that the bail be increased by RM2,000, to RM5,500.
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