Two ex-soldiers, Indonesian national found guilty of conspiring to promote terrorism

PUTRAJAYA: Two former soldiers and an Indonesian national were found guilty by the Court of Appeal yesterday for conspiring to promote terrorism.

According to evidence led in the High Court, Indonesian Ali Saifuddin and former soldiers Nor Azmi Jailani and Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof were said to have participated in a series of discussions with the son of a former Islamic State (IS) militant on plans to kidnap four former ministers, including former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in exchange for the release of Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) detainees.

The other three former ministers were Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin.

A three-member panel comprising Justices Datuk Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Datuk Zabidin Mohd Diah and Datuk Has Zanah Mehat allowed the prosecution's appeal to set aside the High Court's decision to acquit the trio on the charge.

In his decision, Ong who chaired the panel said evidence given by the three men did not raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case.

Ong, however, set April 15 to hear mitigation from the defence and for sentencing after lawyer Shahredzan Johan requested for time to prepare the mitigation.

Deputy public prosecutor Jasmee Hameeza Jaafar said she left it to the court to decide on whether to allow Syahredzan's request for time.

Ong also extended the remand order on Ali, 32, Nor Azmi, 32 and Mohd Yusri, 31. They were being remanded as the High Court had granted the prosecution a stay of the court's decision to acquit the trio, pending its appeal to the Court of Appeal.

In June 2017, the High Court acquitted and discharged the three men on the charge with conspiring to promote terrorismrelated activities in Malaysia between Jan 30 and April 6, 2015, at a house in Pengkalan Batu Hampar, Mukim Air Putih, Pendang, in Kedah.