KANGAR (Bernama): Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (pic) is required to present himself at the Sessions Court here this Monday (Nov 12) to face charges believed to be related to a molest case involving an underage girl.
His lawyer Zuhair Ahmad Zakuan told reporters that the matter was conveyed to him at about noon Friday by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Farhan Aliff Ahmad.
Zuhair Ahmad said this followed his application for the court to revoke the arrest warrant issued against his client earlier in the day for failing to be present in court to face the charge.
“We (defence) made an application to the Perlis Chief Prosecutor Mohd Nordin Ismail, who is handling the case, but it was rejected.
"This means Shahidan has to be in court to face the charge against him this Monday,” he added.
Zuhair Ahmad is assisted in this case by lawyers Syed Muhammad Anwar Syed Lokman Hakim and Rabiatul Adawiah Ramli.
Earlier in the day, Sessions Court judge Johari Abu Hassan had issued a warrant of arrest against Shahidan for failing to appear in court to face charges said to be related to the case of an underage girl allegedly molested by him recently following an application by Mohd Nordin.
Defence counsel Syed Muhamad Anwar objected to an arrest warrant being issued, saying that neither his client nor he had been informed about it earlier. He said the defence would file for a revocation of the arrest warrant.
Based on the status uploaded on his Facebook, Shahidan is believed to be in the Holy Land presently performing the umrah (minor haj) and is expected to arrive home on Friday.
He was in the news recently after a report went viral, alleging that Shahidan had molested a girl aged 15 years and 11 months. The girl is said to be from a buskers group that he sponsored.
The incident is alleged to have happened on Oct 21.
Shahidan, however, denied it and added that the police report lodged against him over the case had been withdrawn.
The father of the girl also reportedly stated that the matter had been amicably resolved and the family had decided that there was no need to blow it out of proportion. - Bernama
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