Kota Kinabalu: Two men were charged in the Sessions Court here with committing physical sexual offences against underage children.
Jobless Muhammad Raffie Abdullah, 21, who was brought before Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan pleaded not guilty to committing the offence by fondling a 16-year-and-four-month-old girl’s breasts and touching her private parts for sexual purposes on Jan 28, this year, at 5am, at Papar’s village.
The court set May 29 for pre-trial case management (PTCM) and ordered the accused to be further remanded.
Earlier, the prosecution, in applying for a PTCM date, did not offer bail, stating that the accused was a non-Malaysian as his birth certificate showed him to be a non-citizen, and that he posed a significant flight risk as the offence carried a penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, as well as the risk of tampering with prosecution witnesses.
Meanwhile, the other accused, a 43-year-old man cook pleaded not guilty before Judge Zaini Fishir @ Fisal to committing physical sexual offences against a five-year-six-month-old boy on March 26, this year, at 4am at a village in Inanam.
Zaini fixed May 11 for PTCM and ordered the accused to be remanded further.
Earlier, the prosecution offered no bail, citing that the offence was non-bailable.
The prosecution also said that the victim was a minor and there was a risk of harassment, as both parties lived in the same neighbourhood, with their houses being just one unit apart.
Both accused were respectively charged under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years, and whipping, on conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Fazriel Fardiansyah prosecuted.
Both accused were each unrepresented.
