Eight accused acquitted, discharged from LTTE charges

KUALA LUMPUR: Eight men, including Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan, were acquitted and discharged yesterday on charges related to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group.

Four separate High Courts ordered the release after a deputy public prosecutor was informed of the attorney general’s instructions to drop proceedings against all the accused.

His decision was in accordance with Section 254(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Along with Saminathan, 35, the other seven cleared from the charges include technician S. Arivainthan, 28, security guard, M. Pumugan, 30, DAP member, V. Suresh Kumar, 44, Melaka Green Technology Corp chief executive officer, S. Chandru, 39, teacher, Sundram Renggan @ Rengasamy, 53, scrap metal collector, A. Kalaimughilan, 29 and despatch rider, S. Teeran, 39.

All eight were previously charged with knowingly supporting the LTTE terrorist group via Facebook and attending the group’s related event, which carries a maximum jail term of 30 years, or a fine, and forfeiture of any property used or intended to be used for the offence.

Some of them were also charged with possessing LTTE-related items under Section 130JB (1)(a) of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of seven years, or a fine, and forfeiture of any of the items.

On Monday, Seremban Jaya assemblyman

P. Gunasekaren and taxi driver V. Balamurugan were also acquitted and discharged from the same charges.

This brings the total number of individuals freed (from the charges) to 10 while two more accused, storekeeper, S. Thanagaraj, 27, and businessman B. Subramaniam, 58, will be asked to appear in court.

All were detained under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) and placed in Sungai Buloh prison pending their trials. They were denied bail under Sosma.

However, while awaiting case management, in which the High Court had fixed trial dates for the cases, Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, in a statement issued on Feb 21, decided to discontinue proceedings against the 12 accused.

They were freed on grounds that there was no realistic prospect of conviction for any of the 34 charges brought against them. – Bernama