THE High Court has acquitted and discharged former research aide Muhammed Yusoff Rawther of charges relating to cannabis trafficking and the possession of replica firearms, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case.
Justice Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin delivered the decision on Thursday, stating that the prosecution had not produced sufficient evidence to warrant calling the 32-year-old to enter his defence.
Yusoff was represented by defence counsel Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Sabri Othman led the prosecution.
The prosecution had closed its case on 28 April after calling 13 witnesses since the trial began on 7 April. Among those who testified were a narcotics investigation officer from the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters and a chemist from the Department of Chemistry Malaysia.
On 12 September 2024, Yusoff had been charged in the Magistrates’ Court with trafficking 305 grams of cannabis found in a vehicle he was driving near the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent Headquarters surau at approximately 10.15am on 6 September 2024.
The charge was brought under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, which carries a mandatory life sentence and not less than 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
He was also charged under Section 36(1) of the Arms Act 1960 for possessing two imitation pistols at the roadside near a condominium in Jalan Bukit Kiara at around 9.25am the same day. The offence is punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine not exceeding RM5,000, or both.
On 12 November 2024, the Magistrates’ Court allowed the trafficking case to be transferred to the High Court for trial.
With the High Court’s ruling, Yusoff Rawther walks free from both charges. - June 12, 2025
