The Gombak Syariah Court today acquitted former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin of preaching in Selangor without an accreditation in 2009.

“The court finds the prosecution failed to prove its case against the accused.

“Therefore, the court orders the accused to be discharged and released,” Syariah judge Shaiful Azli Jamaludin said when delivering his judgment this morning.

 

Asri was in November 2009 arrested by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) in a raid while he was delivering a religious talk in a bungalow in Ampang.

 

The judge ticked off the prosecution and Jais over their handling of the case as well as the manner the raid against Asri was conducted.

 

"The prosecution's witness could not ascertain what was said by the accused (Asri) on the night of the incident when he was in fact he officer involved on the raid and should be a key witness.

 

"There were no statements, directly or indirectly, that explained what was said by the accused on that night," said Shaiful.

 

Investigation criticised

He added the court found Jais' team failed to conduct a detailed, in-depth and strong investigation and the raid was conducted in a rushed manner.

 

"The court would like to remind any investigative agencies handling any cases to conduct their probes more thoroughly," he said.

 

Asri was charged under Section 119(1) of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 and would have faced a fine of RM3,000 or up two years imprisonment or both, had he been found guilty.

 

He was accused of preaching Islam without accreditation at a bungalow situated at Lorong 2C, Taman Seri Ukay Ampang between 8.10am and 9.45pm.

 

Commenting on his acquittal, Asri urged religious authorities to be more cautious in prosecuting any individuals with a religious background for preaching without accreditation.

 

"Accreditation is only needed if someone does not have a religious background.

 

"It cannot be that Jais did not know I was a former mufti and was a member of the National Fatwa Council," he said.