The Malaysian Insight

THREE men charged with being part of a criminal conspirancy to promote terrorism in Malaysia and for supporting terrorist activities in 2015 have been acquitted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

Indonesian national Ali Saifuddin, 30, air force officers 28-year-old Nor Azmi Jalani and Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof, 29, were acquitted after the judge found there were discrepancies in evidence tendered in court between Abu Daud Murad, the main witness in the case, and the three accused.

Abu Daud was among those arrested in 2015 for allegedly planning to kidnap the country’s leaders and several high-ranking officials, as well as planning to launch attacks to free SOSMA detainees.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty when he was first charged in 2015.

Judge Ab Karim Ab Rahman in his judgment said the statement from key witness Abu Daud does not tally with Ali, Nor Azmi and Yusri’s statements, which were consistent with each other’s.

He said this raised doubt in the prosecution. 

He ordered for the acquittal of the trio. The decision was welcomed by the accused’s family members.

Deputy public prosecutor Nordin Ismail, however, asked for the trio to be remanded following appeal.

Ali, Nor Azmi and Yusri were charged together with former KMM member, Murad Halimmuddin Hassan, Murad’s businessman son Abu Daud, 25; air force personnel Nor Azmi Jalani, 28, and Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof, 29; Ali Saifuddin, 28, a wireman from Jawa Tengah, Indonesia; and Hadharami Hashim, 38, a tahfiz assistant from Sik, Kedah.

They were jointly charged with committing the offence at a house in Pengkalan Batu Hampar, Mukim Air Putih in Pendang, Kedah, between January 30 and April 5, 2015. 

Murad and Abu Daud pleaded guilty while Hadrami was released during the trial as the court found no evidence linking him to the case.

Three others pleaded not guilty. – June 19, 2017.