Chegubard discharged not amounting to acquittal for organising assembly

The Sessions Court here today granted former Rembau PKR branch leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin, or better known as 'Chegubard', a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on a charge of organising the Selangor voters' appreciation assembly last year.

Judge Yasmin Abdul Razak made the decision after listening to submissions from deputy public prosecutor Tan Gin Han and lawyer Michelle Yesudas.

In the proceedings earlier, Tan requested for a new date pending appeal at the Federal Court after the Court of Appeal made a decision to acquit and discharge Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad on a charge of organising a Blackout 505 rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium on May 8 last year.

However, Michelle, who is representing Badrul Hisham, protested the application filed by the prosecution, saying that the date for decision on the appeal on Nik Nazmi's case at the Federal Court had yet to be fixed and the charge on her client would be prolonged until Nik Nazmi's case was solved.

Badrul Hisham, 35, as the organiser of the programme, was alleged to have failed to duly notify the Petaling Jaya police chief of the event, 10 days before it was to be held.

He was alleged to have committed the offence at Padang Timur, Dataran Petaling Jaya, Jalan Timur, Petaling Jaya, near here at 5 pm on May 25, 2013.

The charge under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 read with Section 9(5) of the PAA, carries a fine of up to RM10,000 upon conviction.