AN assistant supervisor was charged at the Johor Bahru magistrate's court today with driving under the influence, causing a national kayak athlete to sustain severe injuries during an accident on Saturday.
The accused, R Dinesh, 31, pleaded not guilty after the charges against him were read before Magistrate Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid.
Dinesh was accused of driving his Toyota Vios while under the influence with a recorded alcohol level of 178 milligrams, which is 50 milligrams above the legal limit at KM 3.5 of the Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) Highway at 4.19 pm on May 11.
He was charged under Section 44(1A)(b) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for driving under the influence, which carries a maximum of 10 years' jail and a fine of up to RM50,000.
Prosecuting officer Inspector S. Vikineswary proposed bail to be set at RM20,000 and for the accused's driving licence to be suspended until the conclusion of the case.
She also requested the accused to report to the Skudai police station once a month.
Dinesh, who was unrepresented, appealed for the bail to be reduced, claiming his monthly salary as a factory assistant supervisor was below RM2,000.
"I do not have RM20,000 and cannot afford a high bail because I only work as a storekeeper in a factory and I also support my father, while my mother is dead," he said in his appeal.
Bail was set at RM8,000 with one surety, and the accused's driving licence suspended until the conclusion of the case.
The judge also ordered Dinesh to report to the Skudai police station once a month and set June 24 for mention to allow submissions of documents and for the accused to appoint a lawyer.
It was reported yesterday that a prominent Malaysian female kayak athlete was severely injured when a suspected drunk driver crashed into her motorcycle at the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) Highway on Saturday.
Based on viral online dashcam footage, Siti Nurul Masyitah Elias, 22, was dragged about 600 metres by the car that had ploughed into her motorcycle. – The Vibes, May 16, 2024.
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