Magistrate Iskandar Zainol ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the elements of the charge.
He said there was no positive recognition of the accused persons, including by way of dock identification.
“No weapons were tendered in court as exhibits such as knives as stated in the charge sheet,” he said.
Iskandar also ordered the bail sum to be returned following the acquittal.
Those charged were Saifullah Abdullah, Riduan Sekh Ruslan, Irwan Noordin, Khairi Abdul Rashid, Rozaihan Zakaria, Qayyum Faisal, Ashraf Faizal, Absal Eastrie Abdullah, Jalil Talib, Khairol Anuar Zabidi, Zamri Said, Shukri Razali, Nor Azmi Abdul Ghani, Shahril Danniel Sajeel, Hasneezam Shah Samsudin, Akmal Izzat Azi and Norul Ismawi Islahuddin.
The 17, aged between 24 and 47, were charged under Section 148 of the Penal Code with rioting and being in possession of dangerous weapons between 2am and 5am on Nov 26, 2018.
If convicted, they would each have been liable for up to five years’ imprisonment, or a fine, or both.
The trial, which began in 2019, saw 20 witnesses give evidence for the prosecution before three different magistrates, while four deputy public prosecutors had conduct of the prosecution.
Lawyers Kirthiraj Rajasundram, Azlan Roni, Hezri Shaharil and Adi Zulkaranain Zulkafli appeared for the accused.
The case also grabbed the headlines after fireman Adib Kassim, who was injured while on duty at the scene of the riot, died at the National Heart Institute a month later.
In 2019, a coroner ruled that he had been killed by “more than two unidentified persons”.
Adib’s father, Kassim Abdul Hamid, filed a suit seeking to cite former attorney-general Tommy Thomas for contempt of court over his remarks on the inquest’s proceedings.
He sought a committal order against Thomas for allegedly insulting the court in an affidavit filed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers on April 3, 2019, which suggested that Adib’s death was not due to injuries as found by the coroner.
Kassim also accused Thomas of contempt by way of a media statement issued on May 28, 2019, while the inquest was underway.
The suit was withdrawn in June last year.
Despite the withdrawal, Kassim’s lawyers called on the police to continue their search for those responsible for Adib’s death and to bring them to justice.
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