Pubdate: Mon, 27 Nov 2006
Source: New Straits Times (Malaysia)
Copyright: 2006 NST Online
Contact:  http://www.nst.com.my/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3734
Author: Jed Yoong,  Mazlinda Mahmood

FORMER MP'S DAUGHTER FACES DRUG CHARGE

KUALA LUMPUR: The daughter of a former Kenyan Member of  Parliament 
is one of the four foreign students facing  the death penalty after 
they were allegedly caught in  possession of 4kg of ganja recently.

Joe Donde and his family were expecting a joyous  Christmas as his 
daughter, Deborah, was due home this  week for the holidays.

But their plans are in tatters after Deborah, a  second-year college 
student here, was arrested with  other three students when police 
raided a condominium  in Cyberjaya.

According to the Kenyan English newspaper, The  Standard, Deborah's 
mother has since flown to Malaysia  to appeal for her release.

She was quoted as saying that her daughter might have  found herself 
in the company of friends who could be  drug users.

The newspaper also reported that Donde had taken the  Kenyan Foreign 
Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju to task  for allegedly keeping silent 
over Deborah's arrest.

"My daughter could be innocent. She could be guilty. I  do not know. 
But what is the minister doing to get the  facts?" he was quoted as 
saying in the newspaper.

On Nov 18, a team of policemen from the narcotics  division of the 
Sepang police headquarters arrested  Deborah, another Kenyan student, 
a Saudi Arabian and an  Eritrean at the Cyberia Condominium in 
Cyberjaya. The  students were aged between 18 and 22 .

The seized ganja was found in the form of four slabs  while some were 
in small plastic packets.

Sepang police chief Superintendent Zahedi Ayob said  that the 
estimated market value of the drugs was  RM7,000.

Early police investigations revealed that the ganja was  most likely 
meant to be sold to fellow students.

Deborah's former classmate, who refused to be named,  expressed shock 
over her arrest.

"She is a nice girl," the classmate said.

Zahedi, meanwhile, said police were trying to determine  if the four 
students were part of a syndicate.

Their remand order, which was supposed to have expired  last Friday, 
has been extended to tomorrow.

It was also reported in The Standard that at least two  teams of 
lawyers had been retained to defend Deborah,  should she be charged.

The newspaper also quoted Kenyan embassy sources in  Kuala Lumpur as 
saying that the family of the other  Kenyan student had also made 
contact with embassy  officials.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine