Appeal court quashes first-instance acquittal for one defendant due to procedural error while upholding convictions for others.

The Court of Appeal quashed the first-instance acquittal of defendant H.K. and terminated criminal proceedings against him due to a procedural error found under Article 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. While the court upheld the convictions for defendants J.J. and D.J., it ordered the state to cover defense costs for H.K. because the lower court's decision to acquit him was based on a violation of procedural rules. The court determined that the procedural flaw in H.K.'s case was sufficient to overturn the acquittal, whereas the errors in the other defendants' cases did not warrant changing their convictions.