BINTULU – A former civil servant, who was wanted by police to assist with sexual offence cases against minors, was yesterday ordered by the court to be remanded at the correctional centre here.
In a statement, Bintulu police chief Batholomew Umpit said the suspect, 33, was present in court via Zoom at around 2.45pm.
The case is being investigated under Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape, Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, and Section 15(a) of the same act.
Section 14(a) provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and is also liable to caning upon conviction, while Section 15(a) carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, or a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both upon conviction.
Section 376 of the Penal Code on the other hand provides for between five and 20 years in jail and caning upon conviction.
The offences were allegedly committed on July 26, 2022, and July 29, 2022, involving two students aged 14 at a school here.
On August 10, 2022, Batholomew had released a statement seeking to track down the suspect, who is originally from Tumpat, Kelantan, to assist with the investigation.
The suspect was placed on police’s wanted list after he absconded.
However, police managed to track him down and he was arrested last month.
It is believed that he was nabbed in Thailand. – Borneo Post Online, January 13, 2023
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