00:01The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya was told on Tuesday that Interpol in Manchester is trying
00:06to locate Muhammad Yusuf Rother in the United Kingdom after he reportedly sought asylum there.
00:13Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Asnawi Abu Hanipa said the prosecution sent a request
00:19to NCB Interpol Manchester on July 22, but has yet to receive confirmation of Yusuf's
00:26whereabouts or whether the notice of appeal was served. The prosecution is appealing the
00:31Kuala Lumpur High Court's June 12, 2025 decision to acquit 33-year-old Yusuf of charges involving
00:39cannabis trafficking and possession of two imitation firearms. The DPP said Section 314 of the Criminal
00:46Procedure Code does not apply as Yusuf's lawyer had indicated he was willing to attend the appeal
00:52hearing via Zoom. However, Justice Azman Abdullah said a respondent must be physically present
00:58in criminal proceedings to avoid setting a precedent for future cases. The prosecution said it would
01:04continue efforts to personally serve Yusuf with the notice of appeal. Yusuf was charged on September 12,
01:112024 with trafficking 305 grams of cannabis and was acquitted June last year without being called
01:18to enter his defence. He left Malaysia that month to seek asylum in the UK on human rights grounds.
01:25The court fixed November 4 for the next case mention.
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