Trial of Farid over false report postponed

PETALING JAYA: The trial of actor and director Datuk Farid Kamil Zahari on a charge of lodging a false report that he had been set up by three artistes which should have commenced yesterday, has been postponed to February next year.

Magistrate Salamiah Salleh made the decision after the defence announced it wanted to study the new amended charge submitted by the prosecution after the amended charge was read while Farid Kamil whose real name is Farid Kamil Zahari, 37, maintained his not guilty plea.

In the amended charge, he was accused of making a false report relating to a Kota Damansara police report and claimed the incident was caused by a drink he took which had been laced with drugs by three individuals he knew for 13 years namely Sofi Jikan, Osh (Firdaus) and Taj (singer of Inuendo group) on the night before the incident in which he walked for no apparent reason from Ara Residence to the Taman Tun Dr Ismail police station.

The amended charge was more detailed by including the names of the three artistes and how the incident took place.

The actor of the film J Revolusi was charged with committing the offence at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail police station at 5.54pm on Jan 31 under Section 193 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of seven years and fine upon conviction.

Earlier, counsel Megat Syazlee Mokhtarom told the court that he would be representing Farid Kamil and submitted representation on the amended charge.

"I have just been appointed counsel to handle the case and I have applied to the court to postpone the hearing,” he said and the court had set Feb 19, 20, 25 and 26 next years for the trial and the prosecution would be conducted by deputy public prosecutor Mary Phoon Keat Mee. - Bernama