Muhammad Hilmi Hasim, the third individual arrested together with Yazid Sufaat who has been charged with promoting acts of terrorism, today pleaded not guilty at the High Court here, to abetting the
promotion of terrorism acts.

Muhammad Hilmi, 33, a shop assistant who worked for Yazid, 49, pleaded not guilty to the charge when a court interpreter read the charges in front of High Court judge Kamardin Hashim, here, on Monday.

Yazid, who was detained under the ISA in December 2001 for alleged ties to the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network and released in 2008, was charged with promoting acts of terrorism in strife-torn Syria in the Ampang Magistrate's Court, on Feb 8.

According to earlier reports, Yazid was accused of inciting terrorist acts that “threatened the public in Syria” with Halimah Hussein, 52, who was also detained with him, was charged with abetting Yazid in inciting the act at a house in Ampang, between Aug 1 and Oct 20, last year.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria, Ishak Mohd Yusoff and Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar while the accused, Muhammad Hilmi was represented by Amer Hamzah Arshad and New Sin Yew.

Kamardin fixed April 22, for case management and granted permission to hear the case together with the case brought against Yazid and Halimah on May 20.

Mohamad Hanafiah had earlier appealed to allow Muhammad Hilmi's case to be heard together with the case involving Yazid and Halimah.

Yazid and Halimah's case was heard at the High Court on Feb 20, where both had pleaded not guilty to the charges.