KUALA LUMPUR, 2 MARCH, 2012: The Sessions Court here today set three days, from May 9, to hear the case involving PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and 15 others who have been ordered to enter their defence on a charge with participating in an unlawful assembly in 2007.

Judge Datuk Jagjit Singh set the date when the case came up for mention before him.

Yesterday, High Court Judge Datuk Ghazali Cha granted an appeal by the prosecution against a 2010 Sessions Court ruling which acquitted and discharged  Mohamad Sabu, Batu Member of Parliament (MP) Chua Tian Chang, Padang Serai MP N.
Gopalakrishnan and 13 others of participating in an illegal assembly.

In setting aside the lower court's ruling, he ordered all the accused to enter their defence in the trial to be heard before Jagjit Singh.

Ghazali, in his decision, said the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against all the accused.
   
   
Mohamad Sabu, 57, Chua Tian Chang or Tian Chua, 39, and Gobalakrishnan are facing two charges - main and alternative.

In the main charge, made under Section 143 of the Penal Code, the three of them are jointly accused with other participants of the illegal assembly organised by the Coalition for Clean and fair Elections (Bersih), of having broken public order laws.

The offence carries an imprisonment for a maximum of six months or fine or both, if found guilty.

In the alternative charge, they are jointly accused of participating in the illegal assembly, under Section 27 (5)(a) of the Police Act 1967, which carries a RM10,000 fine and jail of not more than one year upon conviction.   

They allegedly committed the offences at several locations in the city, like Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Istana Baru and Jalan Tun Perak here between 1pm and 4pm on Nov 10, 2007.
   
   
The other accused are Mohd Zad Abdullah, Mohd Salim Yeslam, Abdul Razali Abdul Rahman, Razali Abdul, Mohd Harith Fathillah, Saleh Mohd Tahir, Azahar Yusop, Sulaiman Ahmad, Taib Abdullah, Mohd Shafie Ismail, Mohd Nazreen Mohd Nasir, Mohd Abi Salam Ariffin and Ishak Othman.

Prosecution is conducted by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Farizul Hassan Bakri, while the accused are represented by a panel of lawyers led by Mohamed Hanifa Maidin.  

- Bernama