KUALA LUMPUR – Crackhouse Comedy Club owner Mohamad Rizal Johan Van Geyzel failed his bid to get the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to drop the charges made against him for creating and initiating the distribution of videos that touch on racial sensitivity, following the latter’s rejection of his representation.
Deputy public prosecutor Noor Haslinda Che Seman informed sessions court judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak today that the AGC rejected the representation filed by Rizal on December 12 last year.
Lawyer M. Pravin, representing Rizal, then told the court that his client would file a second representation in two or three weeks.
The court fixed April 6 for mention to know the status of the second representation and also set seven days from April 14 to hear the case.
According to the three charges, Rizal, 40, was accused of making and initiating the transmission of offensive communications with intent to offend others, via Facebook, using the profile name “Rizal van Geyzel”, Instagram handle @rizalvangeyzel, and TikTok handle @rizalvangeyzel, between July 4 and 6, 2022.
The three posts were read at the Cyber and Multimedia Crime Investigation Division Office, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Bukit Aman Police Headquarters, 27th floor, KPJ Tower here at 1.17pm on July 13.
The charges were framed under Section 233(1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same act, which provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both, and shall be further fined RM1,000 for every day that the offence is repeated after conviction, if convicted. – Bernama, January 20, 2023
