DRUG CARRIER FREE TO LEAVE MALAYSIA

MALAYSIA'S high court yesterday dismissed an urgent appeal by the public
prosecutor to toughen a six-week sentence and fine imposed on Australian
drug-smuggler Gordana Parezanovic.

The ruling effectively means Parezanovic is free to leave Kuala Lumpur
today, as her sentence was backdated to the day of her arrest on February 27.

Her lawyer, Karpal Singh, said yesterday Parezanovic's husband would pay
her 10,000 ringgit ($4960) fine this morning, which would free her from
custody. He said the couple planned to leave Kuala Lumpur for Belgrade tonight.

Prosecutors had asked the court to revise the sentence ahead of a planned
appeal to prevent Parezanovic from leaving the country.

But Mr Singh said Judge K.N. Segera of the Selangor High Court rejected the
submission, indicating the sentence was not a "miscarriage of justice" that
would warrant the use of his special powers.

Prosecutors have no way of preventing Parezanovic from leaving Malaysia,
because once she pays her fine she has served the penalty set down by
magistrate Norazmi Nohamad Narawi on Tuesday.

"Obviously she wants to leave the country as soon as possible," Mr Singh said.

Parezanovic, who is originally from Yugoslavia but now lives in Melbourne,
was initially charged with attempting to smuggle 3kg of heroin through
Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

But a chemist's report presented to the court showed the substance found on
her body contained only 545.5 grams of heroin.

Parezanovic pleaded guilty on Tuesday, and had faced a maximum sentence of
five years' imprisonment and a 20,000 ringgit fine. Mr Singh said she was
"very, very lucky" with the penalty.

Parezanovic was arrested at Kuala Lumpur airport after she entered the
transit lounge during a half-hour stopover on a flight from Vienna to
Sydney. Police said they had found 3kg of drugs in bags stuffed inside her
corset and underwear.

She escaped a potential death penalty after prosecutors decided to charge
her under Section 21 of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which covers transiting
through Malaysia, as opposed to Section 39B, or drug trafficking. A
conviction for trafficking would have attracted a mandatory death sentence.