20-year-old South Korean student Kim Yun Soong was today acquitted of cannabis trafficking charges by the Seremban High Court after the prosecution decided to drop the case.

This follows the admission by a police inspector who raided the student's apartment that he lied in court, in the wake of evidence from CCTV footage released during a trial last week.

Kim had been languishing in prison for almost a year after he was charged with trafficking 219 grams of cannabis at an apartment in Bandar Baru Nilai at about 12.05am on Oct 19, last year.

Justice Abu Bakar Jais granted Kim a full acquittal based on lawyer Gobind Singh Deo's (photo) application.

This was after DPP Rahimah Abd Majid told the court that the prosecution had decided to stop pursuing the case and asked for the court to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

“Taking into account of submissions, the court hereby acquits and discharges the accused,” Justice Abu Bakar said.

Gobind had argued for an acquittal, given that the 27-year-old inspector who led the police party in raiding the apartment premises had admitted in court to lying.

The lawyer said this proved that the officer was not a credible witness.

“The officer lied. It was only after we threatened and told him that we would initiate contempt proceedings against him as we had evidence he was lying, did he admit to it,” Gobind said.

The inspector who led the raiding party admitted that he lied when cross-examined by Gobind over the presence of another person besides the 10-member police team when it went into Kim's apartment unit.

While the inspector had maintained there was no other person present, a CCTV recording showed the presence of another person in handcuffs who was initially charged with the crime.

It is understood that following this case, police may take disciplinary action against the officer.