SEREMBAN: Eight suspects pleaded not guilty at the magistrate's court here as well as in Port Dickson with violating the movement control order (MCO) and obstructing policemen from enforcing it.
At the magistrate's court here, K. Sathis Kumar, 25; A. Dhinagaren, 24; S. Suresh, 38; R. Arun; M. Karunanithi; and V. Thiyagaraja, all 39, claimed trial before magistrate Nor Zaliza Tesmin.
Sathis and Dhinagaren were charged with committing the offence at 11.50pm along a backlane near the Caltex petrol station in Mantin on March 28.
They were charged under rule 3(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 read together with section 34 of the Penal Code.
Offenders can be fined up to RM1,000 or jailed not more than six months or both upon conviction.
Arun, Suresh, Karunanithi and Thiyagaraja were charged with the same offence around 9.45pm on March 27 at Taman Desa Jasmin in Nilai.
Nor Zaliza allowed the suspects to be released on RM2,500 bail each and fixed May 13 for re-mention.
At the Port Dickson magistrate's court, a 19 year-old lorry attendant and a Form Four student were charged with violating the MCO under rule 7(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
The were detained by a police patrol team around 9pm on March 26 after they were seen riding a motorcycle without wearing safety helmets at Batu 3 Jalan Seremban near Lukut.
The duo refused to stop when asked to do so but the policemen managed to detain them a short distance later.
They were apparently uncooperative when questioned and questioned the power of the police to detain them under the MCO.
Both also failed to produce their MyKad when asked.
The duo were also charged under section 186 of the Penal Code for voluntarily obstructing a public servant from discharging his or her public functions.
Offenders can be jailed up to two years or fined up to RM10,000 or both.
For failing to produce their MyKad, they were charged under rule 25(1)(n) of the National Registration Regulations 1990, which provides a jail term of not more than three years or a fine not exceeding RM20,000.
Magistrate Siti Huzaifah bt Abdul Talib offered the lorry attendant a total bail of RM4,500 and the juvenile a sum of RM2,400.
She also fixed May 11 for re-mention and to allow the accused to appoint counsel.
