KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — A businessman who was charged with assaulting and threatening his two bodyguards with a pistol yesterday, was again charged in the Magistrates’ Court here, today, with four counts of beating up the same victims.
Chung Chee Yang, 44, however, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him by an interpreter before Magistrate Mohamad Fared Abdul Latif.
Chung was charged with four counts of voluntary causing hurt to Mohd Azminizam Zulkepli, 44, and Ahmad Shamsuri Zailani, 27, at the lobby area and lift of a condominium, here, between 8.40pm and 8.43pm on April 13.
The charges framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code provides for a maximum jail term of up to one year or a fine of up to RM2,000 or both.
Earlier, deputy prosecutor Nur Ashikin Mokhtar urged the court to set bail at RM20,000 for each charge with one surety, on the grounds that the offence was serious as it touched on sensitive aspects of others’ religious beliefs.
“As his employees, they should be protected and humanely treated and both victims have served the accused between three and seven years,” she added.
Counsel representing Chung, Abdul Hakim Aiman appealed for lower bail taking into consideration his client’s health condition and the need to support his dependents.
“My client has his parents, wife and four children to support and he is suffering from cancer and insomnia. He has also contributed a lot to the community in Klang”, he said.
The court then allowed the accused bail of RM10,000 for all the charges with one surety, and fixed June 2 for mention.
Yesterday the accused and his personal assistant, Choo Hin Voon, 43, both claimed trial to seven charges, among them for assaulting and threatening the two bodyguards with a pistol, over fasting. — Bernama
