PUTRAJAYA: Two ex-soldiers convicted of planning to kidnap former prime minister Najib Razak and other top leaders had their jail terms increased today from eight years to 12 with the Federal Court allowing the prosecution’s appeal against their sentence.
Bench chairman Zaleha Yusof said there was merit to the prosecution’s appeal.
However, Zaleha along with Zabariah Mohd Yusof and Hasnah Mohammed Hashim maintained the 12-year jail term imposed on Indonesian Ali Saifuddin, 33, who was convicted alongside Nor Azmi Jalani and Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof.
The prosecution had appealed to raise Ali’s jail term while the defence cross-appealed for a reduction
The original sentence on Nor Azmi, 33, and Yusri, 32, was handed down by the Court of Appeal last year after their acquittal by the High Court was set aside.
They, together with Ali, were accused of planning to kidnap Najib, his then-deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin who were ministers in the Barisan Nasional government.
They were found to have conspired with a militant, Abu Daud Murad Halimuddin, and had planned to demand a ransom in exchange for the freedom of several detainees held under security laws.
Abu Daud was sentenced to 12 years in jail after his case was brought to the Federal Court in 2018.
They were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 or Sosma and charged with conspiring to promote terrorism-related activities in Malaysia between Jan 30 and April 6, 2015 at a house in Pengkalan Batu Hampar, Mukim Air Putih, Pendang, Kedah.
The offence, punishable under Section 120B(1) of the Penal Code, carries a jail term of up to 30 years and a fine.
Deputy public prosecutors Faezah Mohd Salleh and Mohd Zin Ibrahim appeared for the prosecution.
Lawyers Syahredzan Johan, Louis Liaw, Farida Mohammad and Quratulain Atiqah Norzahirul Anuar appeared for the trio.
They were acquitted by then-judicial commissioner Ab Karim Ab Rahman, but were not released as Sosma allowed for their detention pending a final determination of their appeals. - FMT
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