The Ampang Sessions Court today acquitted 11 people who were charged with participating in an illegal assembly and refusing to disperse at the Kesas Highway in November 2000.

Judge Noradidah Ahmad acquitted them after a full hearing with 34 witnesses having taken the stand.

She said that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.

The 11 had previously been given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the Shah Alam Sessions Court in May 2001 but were re-arrested after the prosecution amended the original charges against them.

They were charged with illegal assembly and failure to disperse when ordered to, during the Keadilan-sponsored 100,000 People's Gathering along the Kesas highway on Nov 5, 2000.

The charges carried a maximum sentence of a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or a jail term of up to one year or both.

Monashofian Zulkarnain Putra, Aida Idris, Muhamad Tarmidzi Abd Rahman, Sahri Bahari, Pospanlinggam Sinakaru, Md Abd Nasir Md Isa, Ahmad Faisal Chek, Mat Dan Hassan, Abdul Razak Ismail, Mohd Salim Lal Din and Saeden Wateh were alleged to have committed the offences from 2-7pm between Km21 and Km27 of the highway.

Originally 126 people were arrested during the gathering in 2000, but 115 were later released without being charged.

Abdul Razak is the special aide to Selangor state exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

Deputy public prosecutor Roslan Abu Bakar appeared for the prosecution while the 11 were represented by counsel Yusmadi Yusoff.