IPOH – The high court here today set nine days from March 30 next year to hear Tronoh rep Paul Yong Choo Kiong’s rape case.
Judge Datuk Hashim Hamzah set March 30 to April 9 to hear the case – in which the former Perak executive council member is accused of raping his Indonesian maid.
It followed a decision by the Federal Court on December 15 to allow the case to be transferred from the sessions court to the high court.
A total of 23 witnesses are expected to be called to testify, with 20 of them from the prosecution.
Earlier, the charge was read out to Yong again and he pleaded not guilty.
Yong, who is former Perak housing, local government, public transport, non-Muslim affairs and new villages committee chairman, was charged with raping the 23-year-old Indonesian maid at a house in Meru Desa Park, between 8.15pm and 9.15pm on July 7, 2019.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Ainul Wardah Shahidan requested for an Indonesian interpreter to help with translate proceedings into the Sumbawa dialect for the benefit of the plaintiff.
Yong is represented by lawyer Datuk Rajpal Singh, while lawyer Azura Alias holds a watching brief for the victim and the Indonesian Embassy.
The court allowed Yong bail of RM15,000 with one surety. – Bernama, December 21, 2020
