PUTRAJAYA, June 14 ― Accusing someone of committing sodomy is a "qazaf” offence if the sexual misconduct is not proven by four witnesses or without a confession by the accused, said Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

In Islam, he said, the burden of proof is on the accuser or person who brings the claim, while the person who is being accused may take an oath to tell the truth on the accusation.

"In this way, the accuser must produce four witnesses to support the allegation that they clearly  saw the act being committed.

"In the case of the video recording, the offence must be proven by the testimony of four witnesses who should be impartial, not blind and are righteous Muslims,” he said when met by reporters at an Aidilfitri event held at his office here today.

Zulkifli was commenting on the qazaf complaint filed by Economic Affairs Minister’s political secretary, Muhamad Hilman Idham at the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) over the dissemination of the sex video purporting to implicate the minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Mohamed Azmin had also vehemently denied the allegations made by an individual who tried to link him to the sex video.

Qazaf is a syariah criminal offence which refers to the act of accusing someone of committing illicit sex without procuring four witnesses to support the allegation.― Bernama