PETALING JAYA, March 9 — Local celebrity Datuk Farid Kamil was today charged at the Magistrates’ Court here with providing false information in a police complaint that can be used in a criminal proceeding.

The 36-year-old actor and director was accused of giving the fake information in his complaint filed at 5.54pm January 31 at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail police station.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 192 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 193 with a maximum three-year jail sentence, a fine, or both upon conviction.

Magistrate Salamiah Salleh set bail at RM2,500 with one surety, though Farid’s lawyer Faizul Mohd Nasir asked for a lower amount, arguing that the star of Remp-It had financial commitments to his ageing parents, wife, children and company employees.

The magistrate also scheduled case management on May 7.

Mary Phoon Keat Mee prosecuted.

Today’s charge follows Farid’s police complaint in which he accused three other artistes of spiking his drink and which later caused him to have an altercation with a civilian and a policeman on January 11.

Subsequent to Farid’s complaint, the police called in actor Mohamad Shoffi Jikan and musician Ahmad Tajuddin Mohamed to give their statements.

Sofi was later detained and charged with drug abuse on February 12.