SEREMBAN: Celebrity preacher Azman Syah Alias or better known as PU Azman claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to five charges of committing physical sexual assault on two teenage boys.
The 41-year-old pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him before judge Surita Budin.
For the first three charges, he was accused of committing the offence against a 17-year-old at a house in Taman Tiara Sendayan near here.
The offences were allegedly committed between 3am and 5am on July 6.
For the other two charges, he allegedly committed the same offence against a victim aged 16 years and 10 months on the same day and between 8.30pm and midnight on Feb 5.
The alleged assaults were committed in the same house.
He was charged under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which provides imprisonment not exceeding 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Husni Fairos Ramly asked the court to fix bail at RM15,000 for each charge due to the seriousness of the offences.
However, counsel for the accused Mohamad Zahid Ahmad asked the court to impose a lower bail as his client's income has been affected since he was first remanded last month.
"My client has also been cooperative and came to court today," he said.
Judge Surita then set bail at RM40,000 for all the charges and ordered the accused to stay away from the alleged victims or other witnesses.
Azman Syah was also ordered to surrender his passport to the court and to report at the nearest police station every month.
She then fixed Dec 8 for next mention.