The Malaysian Insight

THE Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court today freed a 12-year-old boy allegedly involved in the Keramat tahfiz school fire of drug charges.

The juvenile’s lawyer, Noor Svetlana Mohd Noor Nordin, told reporters at the court that the prosecution had withdrawn charges against the child after test on him returned negative results.

“The family has informed me that they are very grateful that their child was not involved in taking drugs.

“My client is now free of any drug-related charge,” she told the media after proceedings before magistrate Zilfinaz Abbas today.

The juvenile is among seven boys aged 12 to 18 who were arrested over the predawn fire at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school in Kampung Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, on September 14, which killed 21 students and 2 teachers. 

Of the seven, six have been charged, with two of them, both 16, facing murder and self-administration of drugs charges, and four others with drug abuse under the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The seventh suspect, a 15-year-old, was not charged with any offence.

Magistrate Siti Radziah Kamarudin today fixed January 3 for the case of the two 16-year-old suspects who were also charged with murder under the Penal Code.

Both teens also faced charges of drug abuse but one was freed while the other claimed trial.

This afternoon, another two of the youth, who are brothers aged 16 and 17, will be sentenced after pleading guilty to drug use.

The 18-year-old suspect, Mohamad Shahrul Nizam Ikmal Shafi-in, pleaded guilty in another magistrate’s court today to drug abuse. His case was fixed for mention tomorrow. – November 28, 2017.