JOHOR BARU: Police have dismissed claims linking a violent restaurant brawl in Taman Mount Austin here with secret societies or illegal moneylending activities.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said preliminary investigations into the incident found the brawl had stemmed from dissatisfaction over a personal business loan arrangement.
"It started when the 27-year-old victim's friend agreed to let one of the suspects use his bank account," he told a press conference here on Monday (Dec 29).
"A total of RM100,000 was deposited into the bank account through online transactions, and the funds were later withdrawn in stages by the friend without the suspect’s knowledge.
"This caused the suspect to become dissatisfied and demand repayment from the friend."
Comm Rahaman added that a meet-up between the two was held at the restaurant, which was also attended by the victim and others.
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"However, when a misunderstanding occurred, the friend managed to flee the scene and the victim ended up being attacked by the group of men.
"The victim’s condition is reported to be stable and he is still receiving treatment in the hospital," he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for causing grievous hurt, which carries a punishment of up to 20 years’ jail with a possible fine and caning if convicted.
It is also being investigated under Section 307 of the same Act for attempted murder, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years’ jail and a fine upon conviction.
If the act causes injury to any person, a convicted offender may also be jailed for up to 20 years.
A total of 13 people, including a foreign woman, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the violent late-night attack.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 40, were arrested between 3am on Saturday (Dec 27) and 12.40am on Sunday (Dec 28) at several locations in the city.
The victim reportedly suffered injuries to the head, arms and calves, along with multiple scratches across his body, following an attack using metal chairs and a meat cleaver.
