Neelofa and hubby plead not guilty

SEREMBAN: Celebrity couple Neelofa and Muhammad Haris Mohd Ismail, who were compounded for SOP violation during their wedding, have pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here to breaching the conditional movement control order.

The couple, produced separately before magistrate Mahyun Yusof, pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to scan their details via the MySejahtera application or register manually before entering a carpet shop located at the Nilai 3 Industrial Area at 4pm on May 2.

Muhammad Haris, 26, was the first to be produced before Mahyun.

Better known as PU Rizal, he also claimed trial to a second charge of failing to wear a face mask in a public place.

This was followed by Neelofa, 32. The TV host and entrepreneur, whose full name is Noor Neelofa Mohd Noorm, also claimed trial to the charge.

The pair are accused of failing to adhere to the standard operating procedure issued by the Health director-general requiring individuals to check in at premises, as stipulated under Rule 19 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations (conditional movement order) 2021.

Both stood outside the dock when they claimed trial to the charges.

Offenders can be fined not more than RM50,000, jailed not more than six months or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Nor Azizah Aling asked the court to set bail at RM20,000 for Muhammad Haris and RM10,000 for Neelofa.

Lawyer Haresh Mahadevan objected, saying there was no provision for this as it was a summons case.

Mahyun then set bail at RM10,000 for Muhammad Haris and RM5,000 for Neelofa, and fixed June 4 for the next mention.

Haresh was assisted by Ramzani Idris and Durratul Ain while Nor Azizah’s team included Ahmad Sazali Omar and Izrina Hanim Hashim.

Earlier, the usually quiet court complex in Seremban 2 was a hive of activity as media members turned up as early as 7.30am to cover the case.

The couple arrived in a BMW at 8.50am but their driver was stopped at the entrance by security as all those entering the building had to scan their details before being allowed in.

Minutes later, the couple walked to the guardhouse holding hands and recorded their entry by scanning the MySejahtera app.

They then walked back to their car and were driven to the parking area.

Both of them left the court complex at 10.10am after posting bail.

The couple had their statements taken at the Nilai district police headquarters on May 4 after photographs and a video of them at a carpet shop went viral on social media.

On April 27, Neelofa was issued a compound for failing to practise physical distancing during her wedding ceremony and for breaching interstate travel regulations by taking part in activities not permitted by the police.

She was fined RM20,000 while her husband was issued a RM10,000 compound for breaching interstate travel rules.

Twenty of their relatives were issued with a RM1,500 compound each, totalling RM30,000, for failing to practise physical distancing during the wedding.

Neelofa and her husband were called in after photographs and videos of them spending time in Langkawi went viral.