MIRI, Feb 9 — Two policemen have pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court after they were charged under the Child Act 2001 in connection with the rape of a minor by a detainee in the Miri police lockup last month.
Brase Omang, 54, and Edmund Jali, 44, were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Act.
The section reads:
“Any person who, being a person having the care of a child—
(a) abuses, neglects, abandons or exposes the child or acts negligently in a manner likely to cause him physical or emotional injury or causes or permits him to be so abused, neglected, abandoned or exposed; or
(b) sexually abuses the child or causes or permits him to be so abused, commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty years or to both.”
Magistrate Md Syafique Md Hilmie set Feb 22 as case management and allowed the two accused to be released on RM10,000 bail each with two local sureties.
Based on the facts of the case, the two accused were responsible for the 16-year-old girl victim who was detained in connection with illegal gambling.
They had allegedly allowed the cell of a detainee, Zuraini Razzi Ranni, to remain unlocked and to have access to the key of the cell of the victim.
The policemen were accused of committing the offence between 10.51pm on Jan 8, 2021 and 6.50am on Jan 9, 2021.
Brase was represented by counsel Ranbir Singh Sangha in court today, while Edmund was represented by Gurvir Singh Sandhu.
Prosecution was carried out by four DPP namely Musli Abdul Hamid, Nurfadlin Mahmad Zulhasnan, Danial Ilham and Rishan Kumar Ragandaran. — Borneo Post
