Man acquitted of sexual harassment charges after case dropped
Judge Hurman Hussain granted the discharge and acquittal (DNA) following a request by the accused's lawyer, Mohammad Syazwan, as the family no longer wished to proceed.
The man had faced two charges under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' jail and whipping.
The alleged offences were said to have occurred in June 2023 at a house in Kampung Marakau, Ranau.
The court also ordered the refund of the bail amount paid by the accused.
Meanwhile, the High Court will determine on May 23 whether Sangdesar Bunjing, 37, will be required to enter his defence or be acquitted of a drug trafficking charge under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
High Court judge Datuk Dr Lim Hock Leng fixed the date after the prosecution closed its case, having called five witnesses, including a chemist.
Sangdesar had pleaded not guilty to trafficking 339.1 grammes of syabu on February 12, 2024, around 12.45 am, in a Perodua Kancil car parked at the Pos Aviation warehouse parking lot near here.
If convicted, he faces the mandatory death penalty or life imprisonment, along with no fewer than 15 strokes of the cane.
Deputy public prosecutor Dacia Jane Romanus appeared for the prosecution, while assigned counsel Jamadi Saleh represented the accused.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Habitual offender gets five years, whipping for morphine use
SHAH ALAM: A repeat drug offender was sentenced to five years in jail and ordered to be whipped twice by the Sessions Court for the self-administration of morphine in February. It marked the third incarceration for Mohamed Anwar Syed Ahmad,41, for drug related offences within three years. The charge sheet read he had two prior drug convictions at the Kulim magistrate's court in Kedah. On Nov 3, 2022 and Feb 12, 2023 respectively, he was ordered by the Kulim magistrate's court to serve five months in jail and put under two years police surveillance for drug offences under Section 15(1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act. Anwar looked unfazed with the new jail term after he pleaded guilty to the charge that he had administered morphine at 8.40pm in the toilet at the Subang Jaya district police headquarters on Feb 27. In the dock, he did not hesitate to admit to the offence before judge Norazlin Othman. He had asked for a light sentence. "I regret my actions. I am supporting my mother and my sibling, who is still schooling. "I have been jailed at the Subang Buloh Prison since my arrest on Feb 26," he said. Anwar was charged under Section 15(1)(a) of the act punishable under Section 39C(1) and read with Section 38B, which provides a jail term not less than five years and not exceeding; and not more than three lashes. It also carries police surveillance not less than two years and not exceeding three years. After hearing Anwar's plea, Norazlin found him guilty as charged. "Your guilty plea saved the time of all parties and you are eligible for a minimum sentence. "However, I take note that you have seven prior convictions of which two are under Section 15(1). "Therefore, I sentence you to five years and two strokes of the cane and two years of police monitoring after you are released," she said.
Borneo Post
4 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Serian secondary school teacher claims trial to five counts of sexually abusing male student
He was charged with three counts of making the victim touch his own genitals in August, September and November 2023 in the prefects' room at the school, and two counts of touching the victim's genitals in September and November 2023 in the same room. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (July 31): A male counselling teacher pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to five counts of committing physical sexual abuse against a 16-year-old male student at a secondary school in Serian. The 50-year-old accused, who was represented by a lawyer, entered the plea in separate courtrooms before judges Iris Awen Jon and Zuraidah Zakaria. He was charged with three counts of making the victim touch his own genitals in August, September and November 2023 in the prefects' room at the school, and two counts of touching the victim's genitals in September and November 2023 in the same room. The charges against him were framed under Section 14(c) and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, punishable under Section 14 and read together with Section 16 of the same Act. Section 14 provides for up to 20 years' imprisonment and whipping, while Section 16 provides for up to five years' jail and no fewer than two strokes of the cane, upon conviction. Both judges set Sept 29, 2025 for case management, with Judge Iris granting the accused bail of RM40,000 with two local sureties for each of the three charges, and Judge Zuraidah setting bail at RM20,000 with two local sureties for each of the two charges. The total amount of bail for all five charges was RM160,000. The accused was also instructed to report to the nearest police station on the first Monday of every month and surrender his passport to the court until the disposal of the case, as well as not to interfere with prosecution witnesses. Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff appeared for the prosecution. Serian sexual assault student teacher
Borneo Post
4 hours ago
- Borneo Post
General worker jailed 15 years, ordered whipped for raping minor in Serian
The accused is led away after sentencing. KUCHING (July 31): The Sessions Court here today sentenced a general worker to 15 years in prison and three stokes of the cane for raping a 16-year-old girl. Judge Iris Awen Jon convicted the unrepresented accused on his own guilty plea to a charge of committing physical sexual assault, framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and punishable under Section 14 of the same Act. The court also ordered to undergo rehabilitation and counselling during his imprisonment, and to be placed under police supervision for two years upon his release. The accused committed the offence in a container room for contract workers in Serian between 7pm and 8pm on June 19, 2025. The facts of the case stated that the victim was asleep in the container room when she was approached by the accused, whom she had become acquainted with via a social media app. He then held the victim by the neck and pulled at her shirt until it tore before raping her. The victim reportedly cried out for help but no one heard her, with the accused then threatening to kill her if she continued to scream. He is said to have raped her three times, and during the third incident, several individuals heard her scream and came to her aid, taking her to another room. Acting on a report lodged by the girl, police arrested the accused at a workers' quarters in Miri on July 17. During mitigation, the accused pleaded for leniency on the grounds that he is supporting his stroke-afflicted father and has a three-month-old child. However, deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, citing public interest, nature of the offence, and frequency of such cases. The DPP also referred the court to a similar case in the Kota Samarahan Sessions Court in 2022 where the court had imposed a jail sentence of 15 years and three strokes of the cane. jail rape Serian underaged
