MELAKA: A 44-year-old male teacher pleaded not guilty to two counts of allegedly molesting primary six pupils inside a "haunted house" at a school here.
The plea of the accused (Mohd Azhar Mohamad) was recorded before Judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah on Tuesday (Jan 14).
Based on the charge sheets, the accused had allegedly committed the offences by caressing the chest of a 12-year-old schoolgirl.
He allegedly repeated the offence on another 12-year-old female pupil by fondling her chest and private parts.
The accused had allegedly committed the offences at a primary school in Paya Rumput here at 9.30am on Jan 8.
The charges were framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offence Against Children 2017 Act which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Azizah Yusof prosecuted while the accused, who is a father of three, was unrepresented.
The court set bail of RM21,000 with one surety for both the charges as well as setting an additional condition where the accused needs to report to the nearest police station each month until the end of his case proceedings.
The next case mention was fixed on Feb 17.
On Jan 9, Melaka acting police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Md Nazri Zawawi told the media that the two victims came out crying and shaken after they were invited to experience the haunted house, created in conjunction with the school's carnival.
He said the two were invited into the haunted house by the accused to get the eerie feeling during the dry run before allegedly caressing both their private parts and chests.
SAC Md Nazri said the two terrified victims quickly ran to the headmistress's office after their traumatic experience at 10am on Wednesday (Jan 8).
The victims began crying and shivering when narrating their ordeals to the headmistress.
The accused was also allegedly found positive for drugs during a screening conducted after he was detained on the same day.
