A POLICE escort for a VIP was fined RM1,000 by the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court after he pleaded guilty to punching an e-hailing driver with disabilities (OKU) who was waiting for his passenger in a hotel lobby last May.
L/Kpl Muhammad Taufik Ismail pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to Ong Ing Keong, 47, in front of the lobby at the St. Regis Hotel at about 11.40am on May 28.
The charge under Section 323 of the Penal Code was read out before Magistrate Farah Nabihah Dan.
Muhammad Taufik, who was represented by lawyer A. Ashok, paid the fine. He would have been jailed for 20 days if he had failed to do so.
According to the case facts, the incident occurred last May, when the driver, who is deaf and mute, stopped his car at a hotel lobby to pick up a passenger.
He saw a group of men including the accused who behaved like bodyguards and one of them showed him hand gestures for him to leave the area.
However, the victim did not understand as he was deaf and mute.
The driver later left the scene, completed the passenger drop-off, and subsequently lodged a police report.
Further investigation confirmed that the accused was present as a police escort for a VIP, and a medical report verified swelling on the driver’s face.
Taufik’s lawyer Ashok Athimulan told the court that his client, who has been in the police force for nine years, had an unblemished track record and was a first offender.
“The incident was not planned, nor was there any serious element of violence. No weapon was used,” he said.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Razali Che Ani said that the case had caught widespread attention from the public and asked the court to mete out a deterrent sentence that serves as a lesson. - November 4, 2024
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