'Ustaz Kasanova' gets jail, whipping for committing illicit sex

A man, nick-named 'Ustaz Kasanova', was sentenced to 12 months' jail and six strokes of the cane by the Syariah High Court here today for committing illicit sex with a woman at a hotel.

Syariah judge Nassir Abd Ghani handed down the sentence on Mohd Razis Ismail, 34, to be served from Feb 29 this year, the day he was first charged in court.

Mohd Razis was charged with committing the offence between March and May 2012, whereby the action had led the woman to give birth to a child.

When handing down the sentence, Nassir said he took into account the mitigation by the accused and his knowledge on the implication and ramification of his action.

He said Mohd Razis' action in having 11 wives from 13 marriages was a disgrace to Islam and the society.

The offence committed by the accused was serious, he added.

"The court also took into account the factor on public interest because the accused had used the image of an "Ustaz" (religious teacher) to deceive women," he said.

Meanwhile, in the Lower Syariah Court, judge Mohd Saifullah Hamzah postponed to March 14 to sentence Mohd Razis who pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to commit polygamy without the court's permission with three other women, aged 24, 35, and 30, as well as two other charges.

The offences were committed in Kedah, Golok in Thailand and at a flat in Jalan Loke Yew here between April 4, 2010 and Aug 26, 2012.

The two other charges were for marrying two women, aged 24 and 40, with the permission of a court registrar on April 4, 2010 and May 26, 2012.

Senior Syariah prosecutor Zainor Rashid Hassin prosecuted, while Mohd Razis was unrepresented.