The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a conviction against an Australian national who was sentenced last year to five years in prison for possessing 40g of methamphetamine in Sihanoukville.

On January 23 last year, the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court found 51-year-old Dino Rossetto guilty under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control and sentenced him to five years in prison. He filed a complaint with the Appeal Court, which later upheld the verdict.

Rossetto requested the Supreme Court quash his conviction on July 1 with the help of two defence lawyers – Ly Heng and Men Bora.

In the absence of the convict and his lawyers, Presiding Judge Chan Raingsey on Monday announced the top court’s latest ruling against Rossetto.

“Having listened to the statements of the attorneys representing the convict, of the prosecutor and to the translated testimony of the convict [himself], the Supreme Court rules to deny grievances filed by defence lawyers Ly Heng and Men Bora,” Judge Raingsey stated on Monday.

During the ruling announcement, Judge Raingsey also reiterated Rossetto’s previous verdict issued by the lower court and ordered the prison guards to hold him again.

The Post could not reach lawyer Ly Heng for comment over the announcement. Men Bora declined to provide a statement, saying he “has yet to verify the Supreme Court’s ruling”.

In an unrelated case, the Appeal Court on Monday upheld the verdict against An Phally, one of three people convicted of violently attacking a university professor in Phnom Penh following an alleged hit-and-run traffic accident in March last year.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on November 2 had sentenced each of them to three years in prison, with half of the term suspended, and ordered them to pay a total of 500 million riel ($122,700) in compensation to the victim and a fine of five million riel each.

Judge Yet Molin on Monday announced the verdict in the presence of An Phally, following the appeal hearing on June 21.

The court record said following a hit-and-run traffic accident on March 11 last year a mob chased and brutally attacked Professor Suy Sareth and his car with bricks and rocks.

The mob accused Sareth of striking and injuring Seur Seng, who was riding a motorbike, near Preah Kossamak Hospital in Tuol Kork district and subsequently driving off.

The Post previously reported after the incident that what followed was a brutal attack against Sareth, with at least a dozen people throwing punches, kicking him in the head, throwing large rocks at his face and slamming his fingers in the car door, as well as smashing and jumping on his car.

Police arrested two men on March 14, last year – Yath Tithya and An Vinty, both 21. A day later 31-year-old An Phally was also apprehended.