Former Anwar aide acquitted of drug and firearms charges, claims persecution

A former aide who accused Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of sexual misconduct has claimed he is a victim of political persecution, after a court in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday acquitted him of drug and firearms charges.

Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, who made headlines in 2019 with allegations against the then-opposition leader, was charged last year with possession of over 300g of cannabis and two imitation firearms. The items were found in his car outside a police station in September 2024.

Both charges carry the death penalty and had kept him in jail for the past nine months.

Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin of the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove that Yusoff had possession and control over the illegal substances and imitation weapons, despite them being found in his vehicle.

Speaking to reporters after his release, Yusoff vowed to keep fighting to clear his name.

“I was wronged, persecuted and mistreated in many ways,” he said.