{
  "id": 254975,
  "title": "Ex-radio DJ gets 30 years’ jail after appeals court overturns acquittal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/ex-radio-dj-gets-30-years-jail-after-appeals-court-overturns-acquittal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-07T06:42:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/08/07/ex-radio-dj-gets-30-years-jail-after-appeals-court-overturns-acquittal"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Court of Appeal has overturned a former radio presenter's acquittal in a cannabis trafficking case, sentencing Ismahalil Hamzah to 30 years in prison. Justice Radzi Abdul Hamid ruled unanimously that Hamzah had knowledge, custody, and control of the drugs found at a house in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur. The prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Hamzah was involved in the trafficking of 375g of cannabis. The mandatory minimum 12 strokes of the rotan have been spared due to Hamzah's age, and he still has one avenue of appeal to the Federal Court.",
  "summary": "The Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal of former radio presenter Ismahalil Hamzah in a cannabis trafficking case, sentencing him to 30 years in prison. The unanimous decision found that Ismahalil had knowledge, custody, and control of the cannabis found at a house in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur. The prosecution had presented evidence demonstrating that Ismahalil was the sole individual with access to the room where the drugs were discovered, despite his wife's testimony that others also had access. The judge ruled that the trial judge had misdirected himself on both the facts and the law, warranting intervention by the appellate court. Ismahalil, 53 years old, was spared the mandatory minimum 12 strokes of the rotan, as offenders above the age of 50 are exempt from caning. The case will now proceed to the Federal Court.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}