IPOH: A teacher has been charged at the Sessions Court here with three counts of committing physical sexual offences against a 17-year-old student.
Airil Iswan Mat Shamsuri, 38, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to all the charges under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act before Judge Jean Sharmila Jesudason.
The first charge was related to an incident at a house in Gerbang Meru Indah on Sept 19, 2024 at about 10.30pm. The second charge concerned another incident at the same location on Sept 14, 2024, before dawn. The third charge involved yet another incident at the warden's room of a dormitory in a secondary school here on Sept 27, 2024, before dawn.
If convicted, the accused can be jailed for up to 20 years and whipped.
He could also be jailed for a further five years and whipped at least two times under Section 16 of the Act.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Amalina Harun proposed to the court that bail not be allowed, given the relationship between the accused and the victim.
"If bail is allowed, I propose a sum of RM45,000 for all three charges.
"We also request the accused not to disturb the victim and witnesses," she said.
When pleading for a lower bail for the accused, lawyer Baldip Singh stated that this was the first time his client had been charged.
He said the teacher had given his full cooperation during the investigation and also attended the court proceeding on his own.
"We request a minimum amount if he is allowed bail.
"I believe he will attend court to clear his name," he said, adding that the accused was married to a housewife and has two children, aged eight and 10.
Jean Sharmilla set bail at RM15,000 for all charges, to be paid by a local and Oct 24 for mention.
She also ordered the accused to report himself to the nearest police station at the start of every month and is not allowed to disturb the victim and witnesses until the case is complete.
