Yasin to know fate in drug case trial tomorrow
PETALING JAYA - Nasyid singer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman will know tomorrow (Wednesday) whether he will be acquitted or convicted by the Sessions Court, here, on three drug-related charges.
Judge Faiz Dziyauddin is scheduled to deliver the decision at the end of the defence's case at 2pm.
On July 6, last year, the 'Mimpi Laila' singer escaped the gallows after his charge of trafficking cannabis weighing about 214 grammes which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment was withdrawn by the prosecution.
However, he was hit with two new charges of possessing 193.7 grammes of cannabis and planting 17 cannabis plants in plastic pots filled with soil.
He was charged with committing the offences at his residence at Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Home, PJU 3, Kota Damansara here at 5.30pm, on March 24, 2022.
The charge for drug possession under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39A(2) of the same act, carries a penalty of life imprisonment or not less than five years in prison and up to 10 strokes of the cane, if convicted.
For the charge of planting cannabis plants, the prosecution invoked Section 6B (1) (a) of the act, which provides for life imprisonment and not less than six strokes of the cane, if convicted.
Yasin also faced another count of administering drug 11-nor-delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid at the Narcotics Office of the Petaling Jaya District Headquarters at 11.05pm, the same day.
The charge framed under Section 15(1)(a) of the act which is punishable under Section 15(1) of the act, carries a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or a maximum jail term of two years, if convicted.
Yasin had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Tomorrow, if the court found that the defence has raised a reasonable doubt in the case, the 48-year-old will be acquitted and discharged.
This will give his family an opportunity to fulfill their wish for him to continue treatment for 'bipolar disorder' and 'hyperthyroidism' at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Perak.
However, if the court decided otherwise, the father of two will face the penalties under Section 39A(2), Section 6B(3) and Section 15(1).
These sections provide for imprisonment from two years to life, not less than six strokes of the cane or a fine not exceeding RM5,000.
On Oct 3, Yassin was ordered to enter his defence on all three charges after the court found that the prosecution had successfully proven a prima facie case at the end of its case.
The defence called its sole witness who was Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony.
During the trial at the prosecution's stage which started on Aug 28, seven prosecution witnesses were called to the stand to testify.
Yasin was represented by lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein while the prosecution was handled by deputy public prosecutors Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin and Ahmad Zuhaini Mahamad Amin.
