Federal Court grants bail to businessmen charged with organised crime links
The court also imposed conditions for the two men to wear electronic monitoring devices and remain within the compound of their respective homes.
The decision on Thursday (July 3) was made in a 2-1 majority by a three-member panel led by Federal Court judge Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan.
She said the majority were of the view that S. Hemanathan, 31, and N.Nithiyan, 39, had made out their case primarily due to their health conditions, coupled with the inability of the prison system to attend to or care for prisoners who need special medical attention.
"They are prohibited from travelling outside of their residential home without reasonable consent of the police and must report to the nearest police station once every two weeks. Also, they may travel to hospitals for treatment of their medical conditions with the permission of the police, which should not be unreasonably withheld," she said.
Justice Datuk Hanipah Farikullah supported the majority ruling, while Justice Abu Bakar Jais dissented.
Earlier, defence counsel Datuk Rajpal Singh had urged the court to allow bail on medical grounds.
He said Nithiyan suffers from ischemic heart disease, hypertension and dyslipidemia, which could lead to life-threatening cardiovascular failure without consistent treatment, while Hemanathan, who uses a wheelchair, suffers from diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and high cholesterol, and has not received consistent treatment in prison.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Siew Wee argued that both men had received necessary treatment and their conditions were under control.
Hemanathan and Nithiyan were charged in the Sessions Court in May last year for being members of an organised crime "Geng TR" in Sunggai Janggut Seafood Restaurant in Jalan Bagan Sungai Janggut, Jeram, Selangor between November 2019 and May 2024.
They were charged under Section 130V of the Penal Code, read together with the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).
Their case was transferred to the High Court in Aug last year, and the trial is fixed to begin in October next year. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Three women lodge police reports against preacher over umrah, school 'investment' claims
KUALA LUMPUR: Three women have lodged separate police reports against a high-profile freelance preacher, alleging they were deceived into parting with a total of RM200,000. The women, aged between their 30s and 40s, filed their reports at different police stations today. Each complaint centres around monetary transactions purportedly made to assist with the operations of a religious school in the Klang Valley and matters related to umrah pilgrimages. A 41-year-old woman lodged a report at the Seksyen 9 police station in Shah Alam, claiming she had handed over RM60,000 after receiving a message via WhatsApp. The funds were allegedly requested to help manage umrah pilgrimage arrangements and were transferred into a bank account belonging to a company linked to the religious school. Meanwhile, a 39-year-old woman filed a report at the Bukit Jelutong police station, also in Shah Alam, alleging she had loaned the same individual RM60,000 across three transactions between August and September 2020. She said the funds were intended to assist in the development of the preacher's religious school, including its administration and maintenance. The woman said she became acquainted with the preacher through his religious talks on social media and had attended several events organised by the school. The third report was made at the Wangsa Maju police station by a 44-year-old woman, who claimed she had handed over RM80,000 in stages to the individual as part of a so-called "investment" to purchase the same religious school. She also alleged that she was repeatedly asked to make additional payments, with various excuses given, including claims that the investment had been postponed and required further resettlement. Wangsa Maju district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Lazim Ismail, when contacted today, confirmed that the reports had been received, but said the case had been referred to the Gombak district police headquarters. "The report was made in Wangsa Maju but has been transferred to the Gombak police district headquarters, as the incident falls under their jurisdiction," he said. Berita Harian is seeking further confirmation from the authorities regarding the allegations. Previously, the same individual went viral on social media after being linked to allegations involving an indecent video recording with several women said to be his wives. Separately, a Facebook user has also come forward, claiming to be a victim of a similar financial scam involving the same preacher. In a post dated June 15, an umrah mutawif identified as Mahmood Sa-ah alleged that he was asked to assist with booking hotel accommodation in Makkah for the preacher's umrah pilgrims. According to him, the preacher failed to settle the hotel bill, resulting in Mahmood being jailed in Saudi Arabia for four weeks after being unable to pay the debt.
Daily Express
an hour ago
- Daily Express
Three China nationals held for using counterfeit RM100 notes at hotel
Published on: Saturday, July 05, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 05, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. KUALA LUMPUR: Three female China nationals were arrested after they tried to pay for hotel rooms using counterfeit RM100 banknotes on Thursday. Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said the women, 18 to 47, used 87 fake RM100 banknotes to pay a hotel bill of RM8,700. Advertisement 'During the arrests, police seized 87 fake RM100 banknotes, along with one RM50 and RM20 note each, along with two Lous Vuitton bags, hotel room access cards and three iPhones,' he said in a statement today. He added that investigation papers have been opened under Section 498B of the Penal Code and the suspects have been remanded for six days till July 9. He advised the public to be cautious about banknotes and to report any suspected counterfeit banknotes to the police of Bank Negara Malaysia immediately. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Three Chinese nationals arrested for paying hotel bill with fake RM100 notes
KUALA LUMPUR: Three female China nationals were arrested after they tried to pay for hotel rooms using counterfeit RM100 banknotes on Thursday. Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said the women, 18 to 47, used 87 fake RM100 banknotes to pay a hotel bill of RM8,700. 'During the arrests, police seized 87 fake RM100 banknotes, along with one RM50 and RM20 note each, along with two Louis Vuitton bags, hotel room access cards and three iPhones,' he said in a statement today. He added that investigation papers have been opened under Section 498B of the Penal Code and the suspects have been remanded for six days till July 9. He advised the public to be cautious about banknotes and to report any suspected counterfeit banknotes to the police of Bank Negara Malaysia immediately. - Bernama
