KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — The London Metropolitan Police Service (Met) confirmed that the Malaysian convicted for child pornography in the British capital was given a five-years jail term, amid claims from his sponsors of a lesser sentence.
There has been confusion over Nur Fitri Azmeer Nordin’s sentence after Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) asserted that his sentence was reduced to nine months after “considerations” by the British courts.
“He (Nur Fitri) was sentenced to a total of five years’ imprisonment and will be considered for automatic deportation to Malaysia upon his release,” the Met said in a statement sent to Malay Mail Online.
According to the Met previously, Nur Fitri was arrested, charged and convicted back on November 21, 2014.
He was sentenced on April 30 for 13 offences of possessing and making indecent photographs and videos of children, as well as intent to distribute the materials.
On Monday, MARA said that according to British law, a foreigner who has served two-thirds of his sentence is eligible to be deported to his home country, and claimed this would be within four weeks of Nur Fitri’s conviction date.
In a May 2 Facebook posting, MARA chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa also claimed that Nur Fitri was handed an original 18-month jail sentence which was then reduced to nine months.
When asked to comment on MARA’s claim of a reduced sentence for Nur Fitri, the Southwark Crown Court spokesman appeared to suggest that no appeal for a lesser sentence has been filed on the Malaysian’s behalf.
“I am not going to comment on this case. If Mr Nordin (sic) wants to make an appeal, he will need to complete an NG appeal form giving his full reasons for the appeal.
“He would be best advised to discuss this with a solicitor and have the solicitor appeal on his behalf,” the spokesman told Malay Mail Online via email.
The shock in Malaysia over Nur Fitri’s conviction has since been surpassed by the anger over MARA’s purported decision to take him back once his sentence is completed.
Yesterday, MARA council member Nazir Hussin Akhtar Hussin reportedly said the council had unofficially agreed to give Nur Fitri a “second chance” to complete his studies at any of the government agency’s institutions.
But MARA corporate communications director Rohayah Mohd Zain said today that Nazir’s remarks should not be regarded as the council’s official stand on the matter.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir were among those who lambasted the “second chance” given to Nur Fitri, while other Malaysians have also taken to starting an online petition to press MARA not to go through with any such offer.
According to British media last week, Nur Fitri, who was studying on a MARA scholarship at Imperial College London, one of the world’s top universities, was found to be in possession of over 30,000 videos and photographs of child pornography.
Police who raided his home in London found the youth sitting beside a life-sized mannequin of a young boy. He reportedly possessed 601 “Category A” videos and images, which depicted abuse involving penetrative sexual acts with children.
