KUALA LUMPUR: Six men, including a police officer holding the rank of Deputy Superintendent, were charged in the Sessions Court here Thursday (April 16) with exhibiting a firearm and committing gang robbery at residential areas around Kepong earlier this month.
DSP Ahmad Ruzaini Ahmad Dahalan, 41, together with Abd Samat Shaari, 44, Faridzuan Yahya, 31, Lim Cheal Kei, 51, Yeoh Choon Siang, 47, and L. Jijayendran, 31, pleaded not guilty to the charges read before Judges Suhaila Haron, Noridah Adam, Mazuliana Abdul Rashid and Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin at four separate Sessions Courts.
According to two of the charges, Ahmad Ruzaini, who previously served in the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) at Bukit Aman, is jointly accused with the five others of committing robbery while exhibiting a pistol against two individuals, thereby causing fear of death.
For the offence, the officer, who has been suspended since January, was charged under Section 4 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of 30 to 40 years and no less than six strokes of the cane upon conviction.
He also faces another charge of committing gang robbery against a house occupant under Section 395 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and caning.
All the offences were allegedly committed at a residential area in Desa ParkCity, here, between 4am and 8.10am on April 5.
Meanwhile, the five other individuals were also charged with three similar offences at the same place and time.
All six accused were represented, but no bail was offered as the offences are non-bailable, with Kuala Lumpur Prosecution Director Datuk Mohd Nordin Ismail conducting the prosecution.
The court fixed May 25 for mention.
On April 10, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus confirmed that a police officer had been arrested for allegedly masterminding a series of armed robberies in Kepong involving losses amounting to RM4.4mil.
The syndicate is believed to have made off with three luxury vehicles, as well as a safe, RM24,200 in cash, US$1,200 in foreign currency, jewellery and two gold bars. - Bernama
