Deaf-mute Korean pastor faces another molest charge

GEORGE TOWN, Dec 29 — A deaf and mute Korean pastor was charged with outraging the modesty of a man at the magistrate’s court here today.

This is the third outraging modesty charge the foreigner was slapped with this month.

Jee Jong Hoon, 54, was charged with outraging the modesty of a man, who was then 20 years old, by kissing him, hugging him and touching his private parts at a house in Gelugor.

He allegedly committed the offence back in the year 2000, more than 20 years ago.

When Jee’s case came up in court today, his counsel G. Shanmugam told the court that the prosecution should have prepared an international sign language interpreter before charging Jee.

“I had informed the prosecution of this when he was charged with two cases at the Butterworth Magistrate’s Court on December 18 but again, there was no interpreter today,” he said.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shahrezal Mohd Shukri did not offer bail to Jee pending mention of the case for the charge to be translated to Jee.

Magistrate Rosnee Mohd Ridzuan then asked Shanmugam if he could communicate with Jee with regards to mitigation for bail.

He replied that he had to communicate through Jee’s friends.

There was a slight confusion as the lawyer called in two of Jee’s friends to help interpret.

After Rosnee explained that she only required Jee to describe his job, age and reasons why he should be offered bail, Shanmugam told the court that he could mitigate for his client.

“The prosecution wants to change him today but is not ready to do so even though they know of his situation and the need for an international sign language interpreter,” he told the court.

He said Jee is now out on a bail of RM10,000 that was allowed by the Butterworth magistrate’s court and his passport had already been surrendered to the court.

“He turned up today for this case and this showed that he is not a flight risk,” he said.

He said Jee has been in Malaysia for 25 years and is a pastor in a church for the deaf and mute in Chai Leng Park, Butterworth.

“He only gets an allowance of RM3,000 each month and does not have any previous offences before this,” he said.

He asked that the court set a bail of RM5,000 for Jee.

Rosnee allowed bail at RM6,000 with two Malaysian sureties.

She also set the condition that he must report to the police station nearest to his home on the 29th of each month.

“He is forbidden from approaching and harassing the victim of the case until the case is over,” she said.

She set February 9 for mention and for the charge to be translated to Jee.

On December 18, Jee similarly faced two charges of outraging the modesty of two other men at Jee’s apartment in Kampung Paya, Butterworth in 2013 and 2017 respectively.

All charges against Jee were under Section 354 of the Penal Code for using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a person and he is liable to be jailed for up to 10 years or with fine or with whipping or any two.