KUALA LUMPUR: Ahmad Saiful Islam Mohamad, the son of former defence minister Mohamad Sabu, has filed an appeal to set aside his conviction and eight months’ imprisonment on a drug abuse charge last year.
Lawyer Muaz Zafar, who represents Ahmad Saiful Islam, 32, told this to reporters after case management in the chambers of High Court senior assistant registrar Maryam Jamielah Ab Manaff.
“The notice of appeal was filed in June this year and today the court set Nov 13 for case management, also before the same High Court senior assistant registrar. We are also waiting for the grounds of judgment and evidence notes for this case,” Muaz said.
Today’s proceeding was also attended by deputy public prosecutor Fatin Hanum Abdul Hadi and Saiful.
On June 24, the magistrates’ court here sentenced Saiful to eight months’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of drug abuse.
Magistrate Mohamad Aizat Abdul Rahim found the defence team had failed to raise reasonable doubt.
The magistrate also ordered Saiful to be monitored by the National Anti-Drug Agency and the police for two years upon completion of his prison sentence. He was ordered to serve the jail term from June 24.
However, the court allowed his application for a stay of execution of the jail term pending an appeal to the High Court.
He was also ordered to pay bail of RM9,000 and surrender his passport to the court, and report to a nearby police station once a month.
Saiful was accused of using THC-type drugs, at a hotel here, at 2.05 am on Jan 5, last year. He was charged under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides for a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment or a fine of up to RM5,000 or both upon conviction.
Six prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, including the accused, testified in the trial which began on Oct 15 last year. -FMT