KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has turned down a plea by a former diplomat for Malaysia and his son to reduce or withdraw their joint charges for planting cannabis in Janda Baik, Pahang.
Lawyer Rahmat Hazlan, who is representing former Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Zainal Abidin Alias and the latter’s son Mohamed Rizal, told Malay Mail that the AGC rejected their representation during case management proceedings in court last week.
“Based on the last mention at Raub Sessions Court last Thursday (September 22), the prosecution informed the court that the representation sent by the defence has been rejected and the chemist report is not ready yet.
“So the next mention date for the outcome of the chemist report is on 2 November,” Rahmat said.
Zainal Abidin, 78, and his son Mohamed Rizal, 53, are currently facing drug-related cases at the Sessions Court in Raub and at the Magistrates’ Court in Bentong, Pahang.
As for the duo’s case at the Magistrates Court in Bentong, Rahmat confirmed that their cases were mentioned on September 22 and will come up for mention again on November 2, with the chemist report also pending in that case.
Zainal Abidin and Mohamed Rizal were arrested on May 21 and May 23, and had been remanded prior to being charged in court.
On May 24, Pahang police chief Datuk Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the police had raided the former diplomat’s property and confiscated 102 cannabis trees at an estimated value of RM61,200 and other items.
