Neelofa and husband given discharge not amounting to acquittal for SOP charges

Celebrity Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor and her husband, Muhammad Haris Mohd Ismail, were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) today on three charges of breaching the SOPs of the conditional movement control order (CMCO).

Magistrate Mohd Firdaus Saleh made the ruling after deputy public prosecutor Nor Azizah Aling informed the court that the Attorney-General’s Chambers had considered the representation submitted by the two accused regarding the case.

As such, she requested that the cases be given a DNAA first to enable other action to be taken against the couple.

When met by reporters, the couple’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the prosecution had withdrawn all charges against Haris and Neelofa.

“A compound process will take place either today or tomorrow. We will be back on Dec 21 so that the DNAA can be converted to DNA (discharged and acquitted).

“We’re quite happy. Although these charges can be fought, it will drag on. With Neelofa’s situation now, who is pregnant, it is not suitable for us to run this case,” he added.

Also representing the couple were lawyers Haresh Mahadevan and Ramzani Idris.

Neelofa and her husband sent a representation to the AGC on Oct 21 seeking for the charges against them to be withdrawn.

On May 20, the couple pleaded not guilty to violating Regulation 19 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Area) (Conditional Movement Control) (No.4) (Amendment) (No.12) Regulations 2021 which carries a fine not exceeding RM50,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both, upon conviction.

Haris, 26, was charged with two counts of failing to comply with the CMCO SOPs by failing to wear a face mask and scan the MySejahtera application or write his name in the registration book to check in at Kedai Naeem Carpet Sdn Bhd, Kawasan Perindustrian Nilai 3, Nilai, at 4pm on May 2.

Neelofa, 32, was charged with failing to scan the MySejahtera application or write her name in the registration book to check in at the same place and time.