Former XPDC singer pleads not guilty to drug possession

The former singer of rock group XPDC, Mael, whose real name is Syed Ismail Syed Ibrahim, pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate's Court here today to two counts of possession of drugs last month.

His two friends, Hafiszudin Mokhtar, 31, and Razali Shapie, 43, also pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

Another friend, Chairil Anwar Yaacob, 29, pleaded guilty to an amended charge and was sentenced to 10 months' jail for the first charge and nine months' jail for the second charge. The court ordered him to serve the sentence from the date of arrest on March 7.

Under the amended charge, all the accused were jointly charged with possession of heroin weighing 0.46 grammes and the Monoacetylmorphines drug weighing 0.06 grammes at a house at RS 38, Jalan Kim Kee, here at about 4pm, on March 7, 2016.

They were charged under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and can be sentenced to a maximum fine of RM100,000 or maximum jail of five years, or both, if convicted.

Magistrate Muhammad Hidayat Wahab allowed bail of RM8,500 for each accused with two sureties.

May 3 was set for re-mention.