Businessman Shamsubahrin Ismail today pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to two counts of posting offensive content on social media related to the prosecution of people defying the movement control order (MCO).
On the first count, the 54-year-old owner of Big Blue Taxi Service was charged with improper use of network facilities by knowingly uploading a video and initiating the transmission of offensive communications on Facebook on April 20 with an intent to annoy.
The link was read at the Cyber Crimes and Multimedia Investigations Division Office of the Commercial Crime Investigations Department, Bukit Aman police headquarters here, at 11 pm on the same day.
The charge was framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or up to a year’s jail or both, if convicted.
On the second count, Shamsubahrin was charged under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code with making statements conducing to public mischief on Facebook on the same day.
He faces imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both, if found guilty.
Deputy public prosecutor Syamimi Farhana Muhammad A Aziz asked for bail to be set at RM20,000 in one surety for the first charge and RM6,000 in one surety for the second.
The accused’s lawyer, Mohd Haijan Omar asked for lower bail, saying that his client has stage four cancer and is the sole family breadwinner.
The court RM8,000 with one surety for the first charge and RM6,000 with one surety for the second.
June 10 was fixed for case mention.