SHAH ALAM – Members of the public who are following the first cyberstalking case in the country have to wait longer for the verdict as Mohd Safiq Rosli is a no-show in court today.
Deputy public prosecutor Zilfinaz Abbas confirmed to magistrate Sasha Diana Sabtu that the accused’s no-show was due to a procedural error involving an order to produce (OTP) him for today’s proceeding.
She said the issue was confirmed by the court’s interpreter to parties that appeared in court today, including the victim’s watching brief lawyer Jason Wee.
The court initially fixed today to hear mitigation submissions from Zilfinaz and lawyer Fithril Hakim Ab Jalil who appeared for Safiq, as well as sentencing after Safiq changed his plea to guilty last Friday.
However, due to the error, the magistrate then adjourned today’s proceeding and fixed tomorrow to hear the mitigation submissions and sentencing.
She also conveyed the court’s apology for the error and thanked every party for appearing today.
Safiq, 37, was previously charged on August 10 for repeatedly harassing Acacia Mardiana Daud on social media platform X, where he pleaded not guilty. However, he changed his plea to guilty during a case management on December 15.
In the charge sheet, it claimed that Safiq, also known as “Sopert” in Acacia’s posts, should have known his actions would incite fear in the victim.
He was the first person in the country to face a criminal charge under Section 507A of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail, a fine, or both upon conviction.
He was granted RM20,000 bail on November 9, to which his lawyer confirmed to Scoop at the last proceeding that the bail remains unposted.
The case made the headlines when Acacia took to her social media platforms to share her harrowing experience.
She shared details of alleged harassment from Safiq that began in 2016. She said some of the online harassment also came in the form of lewd photos and expressions that they were “in love”.
She also alleged that Safiq had stalked her all the way to the United Kingdom previously, which led to her lodging a report with the UK authorities.
This prompted them to arrest Safiq and charge him in court for harassment. However, she said that Safiq had not had his day in court as he fled the UK and returned to Malaysia prior to him being charged here. – December 19, 2023