Sabah Police Chief: Phillip Among to be charged with molest of beauty queen contestant on Thursday (June 10)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah STAR politician Phillip Among is expected to be charged on Thursday (June 10) over the alleged molest of an Unduk Ngadau pageant contestant last month.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali confirmed that Among would be charged under Section 354 of the Penal Code with using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman.

"Yes, tomorrow (Thursday), the DPP (deputy public prosecutor) will charge him (Among)," he said on Wednesday (June 10) when asked if any charges were being brought in connection with the matter.

"We do not rule out that more than one charge could be filed against him," Comm Hazani said without elaborating.

On Tuesday (June 8), police said they had completed their investigations into the case and would hand over the investigation papers to the Attorney General's office here for further action.

The Unduk Ngadau contestant had claimed in her May 21 police report that the politician groped her inside his car on May 19 after a photo shoot in Asia City here.

Among was the technical director for the Unduk Ngadau (Harvest Queen) pageant in the recent state-level Pesta Kaamatan celebrations.

On June 3, Among called a press conference at his office in Asia City where he denied the allegations and said he was suing the contestant.

He was arrested by police shortly after the press conference and his seven-day remand expires on Thursday, when he is expected to be charged.

Police have also recorded a statement from his employee, Australian Dane Lenard Kovacs, who claimed that his passport had been illegally held back by Among.

Sabah STAR has also suspended Among, who was its Putatan parliament coordinator.