A Court of Appeal in Malaysia upheld the death sentence...

A Court of Appeal in Malaysia upheld the death sentence of Msimanga Lesaly, a 37-year-old Nigerian businesswoman, for drug trafficking. Lesaly had been sentenced to death by the High Court in Alor Star on March 14, 1999, for trafficking in 686.3gm of heroin at the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint on May 7, 1997. Court of Appeal judge Datuk Gopal Sri Ram, sitting on a three-man panel, unanimously confirmed her death sentence. Sri Ram said there was no error in the conviction and sentence to warrant appeal. Lesaly, whose fidgeting and mumblings in the dock gained the ire of a visibly annoyed Sri Ram during submissions, was heard saying "jangan bunuh saya, jangan bunuh saya (don't kill me, don't kill me)," as she was led out of court. She had also been sternly warned she would be removed from court if she persisted in disrupting proceedings by raising her hand to get attention.