KUALA LUMPUR, June 8— The High Court here today fixed August 5 to rule on the prosecution’s appeal against the Sessions Court’s acquittal of human rights blogger Jufazli Shi Ahmad.

The appeal stems from two charges of making offensive posts against former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Umno via YouTube, and failing to provide a YouTube account password to police officers.

Judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin set the date after hearing submissions from deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Shahrizzat Amadan and defence counsel Ramesh N.P. Chandran, representing Jufazli, 37.

On October 18, 2024, the Sessions Court acquitted and discharged Jufazli on both charges without calling for his defence.

In his submissions today, Mohamad Shahrizzat contended that the Sessions Court judge had erred in ruling that no evidence linked the respondent to the uploaded video, and that this error justifies an intervention by the High Court. 

Meanwhile, Ramesh said the prosecution failed to adduce any evidence whatsoever from YouTube to prove that the respondent was the administrator or owner of the account known as “KingMaker”.

On July 7, 2022, Jufazli pleaded not guilty to uploading a video titled “Panas!! Supermodel Kantoi Merompak RM77.3 billion” on YouTube King Maker Politik at 3pm on June 27, 2022. 

The offensive videos were viewed at 3pm at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Dang Wang district police headquarters on July 1, 2022.

The charge, framed under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998, carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to one year or both, and is also liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence persists after conviction.

Jufazli also claimed trial to a charge of failing to provide the password to his YouTube King Maker Politik account, stored on his mobile phone, to police officers at the Dang Wangi police headquarters at 12.10pm, July 5, 2022.

The charge was brought under Section 249 of the CMA, which is punishable by a maximum fine of RM100,000 or imprisonment of up to two years or both, upon conviction. — Bernama