An oil palm plantation operator named after the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will have to spend a longer time in prison as his jail term for giving militant training to individuals willing to participate in terrorist activities was tripled to 15 years by the Court of Appeal today.

Muamar Gadaffi Mohamad Shafawi, 32, was initially sentenced to five years’ jail by the High Court on Feb 4 this year.

A Court of Appeal three-man bench chaired byMohtaruddin Baki today allowed the prosecution's appeal to enhance Muamar Gadaffis jail term.

The court, in a unanimous decision, substituted Muamar Gadaffis five-year jail term with 15 years after ruling that the jail sentence meted out to him by the High Court did not reflect the seriousness of the case.

He was ordered to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on June 13, 2014.

The two other judges on the panel were Justices Zakaria Sam and Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil.

At the High Court, Muamar Gadaffi had pleaded guilty to providing militant training to individuals willing to participate in terrorist activities with intention to promote an ideology, an act deemed as promoting violence to intimidate the public in Syria.

The offence was committed at Bukit Ara Para, Kampung Ketior Dalam, Mukim Senggang, Kuala Kangsar, between 2pm and 4pm from Dec 25 to 27, 2013.

According to the facts of the case, Muamar Gadaffi had opened Facebook accounts using the names Iskandar Dzulquranain IS and ‘Ammar Rasuli Al-Jihadi’ to spread the ideology of the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Azmi Mashud sought to enhance Muamar Gadaffi’s jail sentence, saying the offence committed by him was a serious one.

He said Muamar Gadaffi had used Facebook accounts to spread the IS militant ideology and gave military training to his friends using home-made rifles.

He said the offence was a threat to national security and should be curbed and that a heavier jail sentence should be given to Muamar Gadaffi as a lesson to the public not to get involved in such offences.

Counsel Mohd Amirul Ramli urged the court to maintain the five-year jail term, saying the High Court judge did not err in law when he sentenced his client to five years jail.

He said the High Court judge had considered all factors when deciding that a five-year jail term was appropriate.

- Bernama