PUTRAJAYA: Actor-director Farid Kamil Zahari has been fined RM5,000 for using drugs four years ago after having his jail time set aside.
This was after the Court of Appeal allowed his appeal to set aside his nine-month jail sentence imposed by the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court in 2019 and to be substituted by a fine.
The three-member bench led by Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said, however, upheld a two-year supervision by the National Anti-Drugs Agency imposed on the actor and ordered him to serve six months in jail should he fail to pay the fine, Bernama reported.
Farid Kamil paid the fine.
Kamaludin, who sat with Judges Datuk Wira Ahmad Nasfy Yasin and Datuk See Mee Chun, said in a unanimous decision that the Magistrate’s Court was inconsistent in its consideration when passing down the jail sentence against Farid Kamil.
The judge said there was no concrete explanation stating that the punishment commensurate with the offence committed at the time and that there were aggravating aspects, such as past offences.
“In this case, we found the facts quite straightforward and did not lead to a too serious or heavy offence,” he said.
On May 15, 2019, the Magistrate’s Court sentenced the actor to nine months in jail after finding him guilty of using the THC drug or “11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid” at the narcotics office of the Petaling Jaya police headquarters on Jan 11, 2018.
In November 2019, the Shah Alam High Court upheld the sentence which prompted the actor to file an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
His wife, actress Diana Danielle, and his brother Fadzil were present at the court yesterday.
“I’m so happy now that the case is finally settled and I can focus on my next film,” said Farid Kamil, expressing his gratitude for the decision when met outside the courtroom.
Farid Kamil was represented by lawyers Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Kee Wei Lon and Low Wei Loke, while deputy public prosecutor Eyu Ghim Siang appeared for the prosecution.