JOHOR BARU, May 18 — The Tangkak Magistrate’s Court has granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) against Abdul Hamim Ab Hamid, notoriously known as Long Tiger, for extortion.

Datuk Shaharudin Ali, the lawyer acting for Abdul Hamim, said the order was issued by Magistrate Zaridah Abdul Jaapar yesterday.

"The magistrate made the order after both the prosecution and defence submitted their oral submissions following the untimely death of the prosecution’s star witness, Luqman Hakeem Othman, in the middle of the trial.

"The defence has yet to complete their examination of the witness,” said Shaharudin in a brief statement issued here. 

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Syamilah Jalaluddin, while the accused was represented by Shaharudin and also Azfar Azmi.

Abdul Hamim, a 33-year-old of Rohingya descent, was infamous as Johor’s most wanted fugitive after he staged a daring escape from the court lockup under police custody while waiting to be charged at the Tangkak Magistrate’s Court late last year.

On December 15, Abdul Hamim created a stir after he fled police custody while awaiting his extortion trial at the Tangkak Magistrates’ Court lockup.

He was said to have escaped via the court’s main gate at 11.55am while waiting for his extortion case to be heard. Two policemen who were responsible for the suspect’s detention were later suspended pending investigation after it was revealed that they had been careless in discharging their duties.

Abdul Hamim is currently serving a one-year imprisonment for escaping from the court lockup after he was sentenced on January 20.

Prior to that, police arrested Abdul Hamim in May 2020 after he was said to have issued threats to the authorities via Facebook.

Police investigations revealed that he has three criminal records from 2009 to 2012 involving kidnapping, rape and criminal intimidation.

Abdul Hamim, who is married to a local, also has temporary residence status as well as a refugee card issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.