KUCHING: It is difficult to determine the ‘intention’ of Beatrice Laus Johie when she carried the bag containing heroin into Melbourne airport, opined Assistant Minister of Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah yesterday.
Abdul Karim, who is a lawyer by training, said the burden of proof had to be produced by the Australian police to show that Beatrice was aware of the 1.5kg of heroin inside the bag she was carrying.
“At this point in time, the investigation has to prove that there was no mens rea (an intention of the mind) from Beatrice, to help her to get acquitted,” he said.
He was asked to comment on Beatrice who was nabbed with 1.5kg of heroin at Melbourne International Airport last Sunday afternoon. She was said to have been deceived by her Nigerian boyfriend to carry his luggage which contained the drugs. The Nigerian, whom she had befriended through Facebook, was supposed to travel with her but he did not make the trip at the last moment – claiming visa problems.
If found guilty, Beatrice will face 25 years’ imprisonment or A$550,000 fine.
Abdul Karim said the interrogation period would involve a lot of legal procedures.
“This is one of the hardest parts (interrogation and legal procedures) that a person must go through. I pity her as a person, but there is no way through this except to seek help from the government,” he said.
“There is no harm in giving them advice from time to time,” he said, when met at the closing ceremony of Bicara Bestari’s ‘Belia vs Sektor Perkhidmatan’ programme yesterday.
Abdul Karim stressed that youths must be cautious when befriending foreigners in Facebook.
“We can never know what their modus operandi is.”
He said no one should be gullible enough to be lured into their den which promised overseas vacations and instant wealth.
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