KUALA LUMPUR: A trader was today given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) by the Sessions Court here today for allegedly making and sending offensive communications against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor nine years ago.

Judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak made the ruling after allowing a preliminary objection by lawyer Rajsurian Pillai, representing Syed Ahmad Saifullah Hashim, 34, the Person Being Summoned (OKS) over the charge.

"The court has decided to give the OKS a discharge not amounting to an acquittal after finding the allegation to be defective and baseless," Nor Hasniah said.

Deputy public prosecutor Nurilya Ellyna Nor Azmal was also present during the proceedings.

On July 21 last year, Syed Ahmad Saifullah pleaded not guilty to a charge of uploading a post which read "the plane boarded by the PM and his wife on their way home from Perth disappeared from the radar and was found crashed in the South Sumatra Sea. Al-Fatihah" on the Facebook with the profile name "Syed Saifullah".

He was charged with committing the act with intent to offend others between April 2 and 4, 2014, and the posting was read at 11.35 pm at a premises at Plaza Pekeliling, Jalan Kampar, off Jalan Ipoh, Sentul here on April 4, 2014.

The charge, under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, is punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same law, which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to one year, and a fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction.

-- BERNAMA