Guilty or not, singer Yasin Sulaiman's fate to be known on Nov 29
PETALING JAYA - The Sessions Court here on Monday scheduled November 29 for the verdict at the conclusion of the defense's presentation in the case of singer and composer Yasin Sulaiman, who faces three drug charges.
Judge Faiz Dziyauddin set the date after the defence closed the case as soon as the only witness on behalf of Yasin, or his real name is Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman, 48, who is a consultant psychiatrist at Bahagia Ulu Kinta Hospital, Perak, Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, finished giving his testimony.
He said the prosecution and defence have to file written submissions on Nov 15.
If the court finds that Yasin succeeded in raising reasonable doubt at the end of the defence case, the 'Mimpi Laila' singer will be released immediately.
This will give his family the opportunity to send Yasin to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Perak, for treatment.
However, if the judge decides otherwise, the single father of two faces jail, whipping, or both for all the charges.
In this case, the prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutors Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin and Ahmad Zuhaini Mahamad Amin, while lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein represented Yasin.
The trial of the prosecution case began on Aug 28 with seven witnesses called to testify, including staff at the Narcotics Division, Malaysian Chemical Department, Dr J Saravanan Kumar and the Intelligence, Operations, and Detention Officer, Narcotics Crime Investigation Division of the Petaling Jaya District Police Headquarters (IPD), Inspector Dervish Aripin.
On Oct 3, Yasin was ordered to defend himself for three drug offences after the prosecution successfully proved a prima facie case against him.
On July 6 last year, Yasin was lucky because he did not face the provision of hanging to death for the charge of trafficking 214 grammes of cannabis.
It was after the charge of drug trafficking was withdrawn and the singer was re-accused on a new charge of possessing drugs weighing 193.7 grammes at a condominium in Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Home, PJU 3, Kota Damansara, here at 5.30pm on March 24, 2022, and accused in accordance with Section 39A(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
It provides for life imprisonment, or not less than five years in prison and not less than 10 lashes.
On a separate charge, Yasin pleaded not guilty to the charge of planting 17 trees in plastic pots filled with soil from which cannabis was obtained directly or indirectly at the same place, time, and date.
The charge was made in accordance with Section 6B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which can be punished under Section 6B(3) of the same act of the Penal Code, which provides for life imprisonment and caning not less than six times if convicted.
He was also charged for giving himself a dangerous drug of the type '11-nor-delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid' at the Petaling Jaya District Headquarters Narcotics Office (IPD) at 11.05pm on the same date.
For that offence, the charge was presented under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (ADB) 1952 and can be punished under Section 15(1) of the same act, which carries a fine of not more than RM5,000 or a maximum imprisonment of two years if convicted.
