KOTA BHARU: Five detainees who escaped from the Pasir Mas Sessions Court lockup last week pleaded guilty to charges of escaping from lawful custody at the Magistrate’s Court here on Monday (June 30).
Mohd Safiuddin Hanif Mohd, 38, Muhamad Norshamzee Mohd Noresan Shargawi, 32, Mohamad Akmal Mohd Zahari, 31, Mohd Haris Zakaria, 37, and Muhammad Alif Izham Hussim, 23, entered their pleas after charges were read in front of Magistrate Rais Imran Hamid.
Under the first charge, the five are accused of escaping from lawful custody from the Pasir Mas Sessions Court lockup at 10.20am, June 22, which is an offence under Section 24 of the Penal Code for dishonestly and can be punished under the same section and read together with Section 34 of the same Code.
The five were also charged with breaking into a house with the intent to steal a mobile phone belonging to a woman, 46, at 10.30am at Kampung Kubang Bongor, Lemal, Pasir Mas on the same date, which is an offence under Section 457 of the Penal Code for housebreaking, read together with Section 34 of the same Code.
In addition, Mohd Safiuddin Hanif was charged under Section 332 of the Penal Code with deliberately causing harm to a police officer at 10.20am at the Pasir Mas Sessions Court lockup on the same date.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Syazalia Che Suhaimi while the accused were represented by National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Nur Amira Mat.
Syazalia did not offer bail to any of the accused as Mohd Safiuddin Hanif, Muhamad Norshamzee, Mohd Haris and Muhammad Alif Izham were involved in a drug case at the Pasir Mas Court, while Mohamad Akmal had a previous record of escaping from lockups.
Nur Amira requested for minimum bail on the reason that all of the accused worked as menial workers earning low daily wages of between RM35 to RM50, and most of them had to support parents and schooling children.
The court did not allow bail for all the accused and set August 13 for next mention of the case.- Bernama
