Public Prosecutor v Abdul Salam bin Musthafa: Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Case

In Public Prosecutor v Abdul Salam bin Musthafa, the High Court of Singapore convicted Abdul Salam bin Musthafa on five charges of drug trafficking. The charges involved conspiracy with Maryati Binte Sipon, Khairul Anwar Bin Zaini, Jamaliah binti Yacab, and Boy Cino on two separate dates in December 2007. The court found the testimony of Maryati to be reliable and corroborated by other evidence, leading to the conviction. The court sentenced the accused to 30 years imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane on 15 March 2010.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

High Court

1.2 Outcome

Accused found guilty and convicted on all five charges.

1.3 Case Type

Criminal

1.4 Judgment Type

Grounds of Decision

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

Abdul Salam bin Musthafa was convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy. The High Court sentenced him to 30 years' imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane.

1.7 Decision Date

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party NameRoleTypeOutcomeOutcome TypeCounsels
Public ProsecutorProsecutionGovernment AgencyJudgment for the ProsecutionWon
Ng Yiwen of Deputy Public Prosecutors
Ng Cheng Thiam of Deputy Public Prosecutors
Nor'Ashikin Samdin of Deputy Public Prosecutors
Abdul Salam bin MusthafaDefendantIndividualConvicted on all chargesLost

3. Judges

Judge NameTitleDelivered Judgment
Choo Han TeckJYes

4. Counsels

Counsel NameOrganization
Ng YiwenDeputy Public Prosecutors
Ng Cheng ThiamDeputy Public Prosecutors
Nor'Ashikin SamdinDeputy Public Prosecutors
S S DhillonDhillon & Partners

4. Facts

  1. The accused owned a telemarketing company.
  2. The accused was charged with five counts of drug trafficking.
  3. The charges involved conspiracy with Maryati, Khairul, Jamaliah, and Boy Cino.
  4. Maryati testified that the accused gave her money to hand to Boy Cino.
  5. Jamaliah testified about delivering drugs to Khairul.
  6. Khairul initially implicated the accused but later retracted his statement.
  7. The accused disputed the ownership of a phone number used to contact Maryati.

5. Formal Citations

  1. Public Prosecutor v Abdul Salam bin Musthafa, Criminal Case No 17 of 2009, [2010] SGHC 81

6. Timeline

DateEvent
Drug trafficking offences occurred.
Drug trafficking offences occurred.
Accused arrested in his office.
Khairul's statement recorded.
Judgment delivered.

7. Legal Issues

  1. Drug Trafficking
    • Outcome: The court found the accused guilty of drug trafficking.
    • Category: Substantive
  2. Conspiracy
    • Outcome: The court found that the accused conspired with others to traffic drugs.
    • Category: Substantive
  3. Reliability of Witness Testimony
    • Outcome: The court found the testimony of Maryati to be reliable.
    • Category: Procedural

8. Remedies Sought

  1. Imprisonment
  2. Caning

9. Cause of Actions

  • Drug Trafficking
  • Conspiracy

10. Practice Areas

  • Criminal Litigation

11. Industries

  • No industries specified

12. Cited Cases

Case NameCourtAffirmedCitationJurisdictionSignificance
No cited cases

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute NameJurisdiction
No applicable statutes

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

  • Diamorphine
  • Methamphetamine
  • Morphine
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Conspiracy
  • Telemarketing
  • Accomplices
  • Co-accused

15.2 Keywords

  • Drug Trafficking
  • Singapore
  • Criminal Law
  • Conspiracy
  • High Court

17. Areas of Law

Area NameRelevance Score
Criminal Law95
Drug Crimes95
Sentencing70
Criminal Procedure60
Theft10

16. Subjects

  • Criminal Law
  • Drug Offences