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Prosecutor Withdraws Appeal: Datuk Lokman Cleared of Fake News Charges
Datuk Lokman, a former Umno supreme council member, has been acquitted of two fake news charges after the prosecution withdrew its appeal. The decision was made after the prosecution received instructions to drop the appeal, which was initially filed against the Sessions Court’s ruling to acquit Lokman.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Padziwuszaman, the prosecution had received instructions to withdraw the appeal against the respondent, referring to the acquittal decision. Lokman’s lawyer, Logan Eskandar, stated that the defense did not object to the prosecution’s decision to withdraw the appeal.
The case was originally scheduled for a hearing on October 15, but High Court Judge Datuk Azhar vacated the hearing following the prosecution’s withdrawal. Lokman was initially charged with posting fake news through a video, claiming that a police officer’s death was related to vaccines. However, the Sessions Court ruled him not guilty on June 23 last year and released him on the spot.
The charge against Lokman stated that he had posted a message on his Facebook page claiming that a police officer died from a vaccine, violating Section 4 (1) of the Emergency Ordinance (Necessary Powers) (No. 2) 2021. Sessions Court Judge Norhasniah believed that the defense had successfully raised reasonable doubts in the case during the prosecution’s evidence presentation stage.
Lokman, 51, was initially charged on October 1, 2021, with publishing false news through a video. The charge stated that he had posted the false news on Facebook at 10:38 pm on April 9, 2021, using the online name “Lokman Adam”, with the intention of causing public unrest. The video was viewed by someone at 8:55 pm on April 11, 2021, at the Cyber and Multimedia Crime Investigation Division of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of Bukit Aman.
If convicted, Lokman could have faced a fine of up to RM100,000 or imprisonment of up to 3 years, or both. This is not the first time Lokman has been acquitted of fake news charges. In November last year, the Sessions Court ruled that he was not guilty of spreading false information about the new coronavirus through a video in 2021, claiming that the entry of Indian citizens into the country caused the spread of the epidemic.
With the prosecution’s withdrawal of the appeal, Lokman has been cleared of the fake news charges. The decision marks a significant development in the case, which has been closely watched by the public and the media.